L  I  B  RARY 

OF    THL 

UNIVERSITY 
or    1  LLl  NOIS 


©77.325 
P638 


iiiiNois  mmm  suryiy 


CONFAB  NDNta 


o      o      o      o      o      o 


Mropemii) 


l9 


«     o     o      o     o     o 


oiPROMlNENTANbRiPRESENTATIYE  CITIZENS 

OF    THE    COUNTY 

TOGETHER  WITH- PORTRAITS  AND  BIOGRAPHIES-Of-ALL ■  THE 

CHICAGO: 

Cl^ArAfAjSr  BROS. 

1890. 


(2^ 


a, 


« 


pF(Ep/\?E. 


~;s»^ 


■^5^-.- 


j'^:!!^  greatest  uf  English  bisturiaus,  Macaulay,  aiul  one  of  the  most  brilliant  WTiters  01 
the  present  century,  has  said  :  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the 
lives  of  its  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea  the  Poutrait  and  Biographical 
ALiiUMof  this  county  has  been  prepared.  Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and 
taking  therefrom  dry  statistical  matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  our 
corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their 
enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  a  rank  second  to  none  among  those 
comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelli- 
gent public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found,  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the 
imitation  of  coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  povert}',  by 
industry  and  economj^  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited 
advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an 
influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who 
lave  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have 
become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and 
records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very 
many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content 
to  have  it  said  of  them  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "they  have  done  what 
they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the 
anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country'.s 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace 
once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not 
be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from  the  fact 
that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would  otherwise  be 
inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work  and  every  opportunity  possible 
wiven  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and  the  publishers  flatter  them- 
selves that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  the  biograph- 
ical sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this  the 
publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give  the 
information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some  member  of 
the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of  the  interested 
one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made 
at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

w     .      ,        ,8on  CHAPMAN  BRO.S. 

CmcAoo,  September,  1890. 


4 

4 


^N^ 


O  Li  It  H  R  M 1 E  3 


OF  THE 


GOVERNORS  of  ILLINOIS, 


AND  OF  THE 


^'R 


mc 


..'  -\^ 


OFTHE 


^^'Mm. 


W¥i'¥"-npi,T^^l 


=^2 


Sv^o^^v  'iT[''  .i?pi,f?»if^^'^,^^i  >• 


^^^p^^^i^^-^ 


c,-J^a^\^^i-» 


.1..^' 


3>^ 


^^MT 


•^ 
^ 


^^^i 


i^ 


m^mKH  Bso?.   g;M^% 


AfllW  1885.  WW  A 

jfErii:!  ric!r;H5g?3  P7P  H  r"  r'  ij.tj..^  dd.H,  ri;:^„da 


w$ 


fey* 


^^^±,*4,±  ±  ±  ^^/W^^*«i^M**^^Si. 


^0/#^ 


FIRST  }'RES1DENT. 


"0 


"a'li't.'l^i'lg^t'S'ttiJtn.'i''.  >'i  •.  I'l  •.  .'i'.  ,'i  '..'i  '■  .'i 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 

horn  ill  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
Feb.  22,  1732.  His  parents 
were  Augustine  and  Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  traced  in 
England.  His  great-grand- 
fatlfer,  John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and  became  a  prosperous 
planter.  He  had  two  sons, 
Lawrence  and  John.  The 
former  married  Mildred  Warner 
and  had  three  children,  John. 
Augustine  and  Mildred.  Augus- 
tine, the  father  of  George,  fiist 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,  the  others  being  Betty, 
Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 
Augustine  Washington,  tiie  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
tlie  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon, 
and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  such  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
school,  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
mathematics.       His     spellinii   v/as    rather    defective. 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  physica. 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  14  years  old  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  him, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandontd.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In 
this  Inisiness  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  Li  1751,  though  only  19  years  ol 
age,  he  was  appointed  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being  trained  for 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  denuse  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie,  as  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  wa? 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mili- 
tary districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted, which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  post  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  l)elween  500  and  600  miles.  Winter  wafS  at  liand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  witliout  military 
escori,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.     The 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


trip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  was 
then  begun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  important  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  9,  1755,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
ivere  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Washington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says :  "I  had  four  bullets  through 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  levelin"  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

After  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the  royal  army,  he 
took  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  French  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
CO  resign  his  conunission.  Soon  after  he  entered  the 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  took  an 
active  and  important  part.  January  17,  1759,  he 
married  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 
widow  of  John  Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  hod  closed  the  port 
•jf  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  provinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston^  is  the  cause  of  us  all." 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con- 
gress of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia,Sept.  5,  1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Congress  Col.  Wash- 
ington was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
Congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Le.xington  had  been  fought.  Among  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  upon  Washington, 
who  was  still  a  memberof  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  19,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  lo  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  every  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
nation  ofearth.  On  Dec.  23,  1783,  Washington,  in 
a  paiting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  lesigned  his 


commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  to 
to  the  Contiijental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
connection  with  public  life. 

In  February, 1 7 89,  Washington  was  unanimously 
elected  President.  In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject  to  the  peculiar  trials  incidental  to  a  new 
government ;  trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  pan 
of  other  governments;  trials  from  want  ol  harmony 
between  the  difterent  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  impoverished  condition  of  the  country, 
owing  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from  the 
beginnings  of  party  strife.  He  was  no  partisan.  His 
clear  judgment  could  discern  the  golden  mean;  and 
while  perhaps  this  alone  kept  our  government  from 
sinking  at  the  very  outset,  it  left  him  exposed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often  bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  manv 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  March, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  term  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  yeais  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose 
seemed  likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France 
At  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate ofHcers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  prei)arations 
his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  12,  he  took 
a  seveie  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
in  his  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eiuh- 
teenth  his  body  was  borne  wi'h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. The  more  we  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  character,  which  have  been  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  all  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  to  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
lie  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  ]ierson  of  Washington  was  unusally  tan,  erect 
and  well  proportioned.  His  muscular  strength  was 
great.  His  features  were  of  a  beautiful  symmetr\-. 
He  commanded  respect  without  any  appearance  of 
hnughiiness,  and  ever  serious  without  being  dull. 


■^^■'%^^^'r*'-"' 


^:ZOOND  FixIiS/JJENT. 


■3 


il^ffifiaii 


— ^«- 


^^mtSr: 


|^^l^■-tAA■t,.t.»t,■^^.t■.■HA:hAAAA-AAH^^^ 


?'P?«r4w'^' 


OHN    ADAMS,     the     second 
A  President  and   the    lirst    Vice- 
'*~'"Presideat  of  the  United  States, 
was    born    in   Braintree     ( now 
Quincy),MabS.,  and  about   ten 
miles    from    Boston,    Oct.     19, 
1735.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,   emigrated   from    England 
about  !  640,  with  a  family  of   eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braiatree.  The 
parents    of   John    were    John    and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.     His 
father    was    a    farmer    of    limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  shoemaking.      He  gave  his 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
tion   at   Harvard    College.      John 
graduated  in  1755.  and   at  once  took  charge  of  the 
school  in    Worcester,  Mass.      This   he   found   but    a 
'sci-.ool    of  affliction,"  from  which  \vt  endeavored  to 
irain  relief  by  devoting  himself,  in   addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.     For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.     He 
had   thought    seriously   of    the    clerical    profession 
but  seems  to  have  Ijeen  turned  from  this  by  what  he 
cermed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical   coun- 
cils, cf  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature," 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.      He  was  well   fitted  for  the   legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive powers.     He  gradually  gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  superior  intelligence.     Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (1765),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  politics.     He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holdin,,  .1  town  meeting,  and  the   resolu- 


tions he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  populai 
throughout  the  Provmce,  and  were  adopted  word  for 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos- 
ton in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous 
and  prominent  advocates  of  the  ixjpular  cause,  and 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  .'Xdams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegate.^ 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himselt 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  independence  against  th? 
majority  of  the  members.  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resolution  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies 
should  assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  live 
appointed  June  11,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it  through 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  th? 
glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wile 
which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to  have  been  dictated" 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "Yesterday,"  he  says,  "t'.ie 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  America;  and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  wil 
be  decided  among  men.  A  resolution  uas  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  '  that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  lie  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  history 
of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversary 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  of 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.     It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with   [lomp,  shows- 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


games,  sixjrts,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
time  forward  for  ever.  You  will  think  me  transix)rted 
with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
tlie  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  support  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  1  can  see  that  the  end  is 
WL/rth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumph,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
delegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Benijamin 
FraHklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  ^nd  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  from  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
posed him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
might  lie  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  pioposels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
Holland,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
formed  important  commercial  treaties 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
threw  him  into  a  fever.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  goto  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  \Vhilein  England,  still  drooping  anddesjiond- 
ing,  he  received  dispatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  .\msterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot,he  made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785;  Congress  appointed  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to  the  United 
States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing but  little,  he  sought  permission  to  return  to 
nis  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
Adams,  rendered  illusriious  by  his  signal  services  at 
home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President.  .'Vgain 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President, 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  Wash- 
ington retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President,though  not  without  much  ojiiKisition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  years, he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Je''''erson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

^(^hile   Mr    .\dams  was  Vice  President  the  grea* 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  it  was  uixan  this  point  which  he  was  at  issue  with 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen  led  by  Mr.  Jefferson. 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy  with  the  French  people 
in  their  struggle,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  their 
power  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the 
class  of  atlieist  philosophers  who  he  claimed  caused  it. 
On  the  other  hand  Jefferson's  sympatiiies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence  or- 
iginated the  alienation  between  these  distinguished 
men,  and  two  jx)werful  parties  were  thus  soon  organ- 
ized, Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  with  England  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sympathy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr.  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  to  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  u[K)n  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had  done  and  suffered, 
and  how  he  had  given  up  all  the  prime  and  strenL,th 
of  his  life  to  the  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  been  so  active  in  creating  and 
supiwrting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  bed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customarv'  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  In- 
DEPENDEN'CE  FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was.'  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he  said,  "  It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  pre]X)Ssessing.  His  face, 
as  his  portrait  manifests,was  intellectual  ard  expres- 
sive, but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  his 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  uncourteous. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  dignity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Tefferson. 


wz. 


THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


2? 


23©  IMA  S   J 


A 


-:i>^ 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was 

born  April  2,   1743,   at  Shad- 

|,#\vell,  Alljermarle  county,  Va. 

His  parents  were    Peter  and 

Jane  (  Randolph)    Jefferson, 

"^^^^/^^ff     the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
""iA       and  the  latter  born  in   Lon- 
don.    To  them  were  born  six 
daughters   and   two   sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When    14  years    of   age     his 
fatiier  died.     He  received  a 
most  liberal   education,    hav- 
ing been  kept  diligently  at  school 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.     In  1760  he  entered  William 
end  Mary  College.     Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  the  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obodeof  fashion 
a. id   s]jlendor.      Young  Jefferson,  who  was  then   17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  much  caressed  by  gay  society,    yet    he 
was  earnestly  devoted  lo  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
able  in  his  morals.     It   is   strange,   however,    under 
such  influences, that  he  was  not  ruined.     In  the   sec- 
ond year  of   his  college  course,   moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded    his    horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.      He  often  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  hard    study,  allowing  himself  for  ex- 
ercise only  a  run  in  the  evening  twilight  of  a  mile  out 
of  the  city  and  back  again.     He  thus  attained  very 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in   philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility.     A  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls;  and 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureminded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately    upon  leaving  college   he   began    the 
study  of  law.     For  the  short  time  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his   energy  and  accuteness   as  a 
lawyer.       But  the    times    called    for   greater    action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  the  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  had  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  political  life.     In  1769  he  was  chosei    ' 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses       \\\ 
1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  oeauli- 
ful,  wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  young  widov. 
Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  th-rr 
was  a  majestic  swell  of  land,  called  Monticello,  whici 
commanded    a   prospect   of  wonderful    extent    ai;u 
beauty.     This  spot  Mr.  Jefferson  selected  for  his  i^ew 
home;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  ye' 
elegant  architecture,  which,  next  to  Mount  Verr.ou 
became  tiie  most  distini^uished  resort  in   our   land. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Colonial  Congress 
where,  though  a  silent  meml)er,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  h  : 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  committee^, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  tlie  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  .A^dams, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  .Sherman  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  the  paper.  Franklin  and  Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  subrnitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776      What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  'hat 


z8 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  Dec- 
laration, which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  was  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
(,overign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
;niirkable  papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
'f  the  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufticient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Moniicello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  by  this  excitement,  and  1 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died.  1 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  becarne  Secretary  of  State 
in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  I,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1 804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,  Vice  President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  adrainstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  threatened  the 
tnmquility  and  peace  of  the  Union;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
ambition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
southwestern  frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  has  been  generally  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  although  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  were,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
.ic,  and  all  that  time  had  been  employed  in  offices  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
dechning  years  required,  and  uix)n  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  1809,  he  bid  fare- 
well forever  to  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticello. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
Life  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  r826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver- 


sary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence 
great  preparations  were  made  in  every  pait  of  thi 
Union  for  its  celebration,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  anc 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnit) 
of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as  the  framer 
and  one  of  the  fetv  surviving  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion, to  participate  in  their  festivities.  But  an  ill- 
ness, which  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been  continually  increasing,  compelled  him  tc 
decline  the  invitation. 

On  the  second  of  July,  the  disease  under  whict 
he  was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants,  entertained  nc 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly 
sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand.  On  the  nex' 
day,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked  of  those  around 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on  being  told  it  was 
the  third  of  July,  he  expressed  the  earnest  wish  tha' 
he  might  be  permitted  to  breathe  the  airof  the  fiftietl] 
anniversary.  His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our  land 
burst  uix)n  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were  closed  for- 
ever. And  what  a  noble  consummation  of  a  nobk 
life !  To  die  on  that  day, — the  birthday  of  a  nation,-  - 
the  day  v/hich  his  own  name  and  his  own  act  had 
rendered  glorious;  to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who  looked  up  to  him 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings 
was  all  that  was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  his  life 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  beai 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  champions  01 
freedom  ;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark  and  desper- 
ate struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and 
animated  their  desj^nding  countr)'men;  for  half  £ 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  the  good  01 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  greai 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  noi 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rathei 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eye; 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life  l)ec:im< 
white  and  silvery;  his  comple.xion  was  fair,  his  fore 
head  broad,  and  his  whole  countenance  intelligent  anc 
thoughtful.  He  possessed  great  fortitude  of  mind  a; 
well  as  personal  courage ;  and  his  command  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  his  oldest  and  most  intimate  friend; 
never  recollected  to  have  seen  him  in  a  passion 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  un- 
affected, and  his  hospitality  was  so  unbounded  thai 
all  found  at  his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conver- 
sation he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic  ;  anc 
his  language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  Hi 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writings  i; 
discernable  the  care  with  which  he  fomied  his  siylf 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


-J 


(Z^c< 


<-  <-'      ,0^^ 


iti-X-C^j  C''^ 


FOURTH  FRF  SI  DENT. 


jg^DQES  ni^DISOI]. 


AMES    MADISON,    "Father 
of  the  Constitution,"  and  fourth 
'President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  March  i6,  1757,  and 
died  at  his   home  in  Virginia, 
""■^  June  28,  1836.     The  name  of 
James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  the  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
country  during  whicli  the  founda- 
tions of   this  great    republic   were 
laid.  He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of  the    Constitution    of   the    United 
States   to    be    called    to    his    eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
landing  uix)n  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of 
James  Madison  was  an  opulent 
planter,  residing  mxjn  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "  Montpelier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.  The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  scenery  highly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.  It  was  but  25  miles  from  the  home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.  The  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
18  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  im- 


prudent zeal ;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  tliret 
hours'  sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  l)ecamc  so 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  177  i,  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  wi;h  a 
mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellished  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsf 
quent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  ol 
law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso 
ciated,  all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  stroi'g 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-woik  ol 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a  religious  turn  of 
nrind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  tba' 
his  life  was  not  to  be  long,  he  directed  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mn;d 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  powers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  to 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(•777)1  hs  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-loving  voters,  and 
consequently  lost  his  election  ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  the    Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;    and  their  appreciation  o'i  hi> 


32 


JAMES  MADISON. 


intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contributed  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Con{jress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  land,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Madison  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  the  year  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  ik)  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law.  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  government 
must  be  formed.  In  January',  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  apix)int  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss 
this  subject.  Five  States  only  were  represented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  that  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
■  the  time  apix)inted.  Every  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention  ;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  then  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  8i  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  power  at  home  and  little  respect 
abroad.  ^Ir.  Madison  was  selected  by  the  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  exix)unding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  ^ladison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs.  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
queenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occupied 
so  prominent  a  position  in  the  ve.xy  j^eculiar  society 
which  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Mndison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  war.  , 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and 
our  flag  was  e.\ix)sed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  re'.iiing 
in  his  disix)sition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  ship  brought 
to,  upon  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser. 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With,  great  nonchal- 
ance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to 
designate  as  British  subjects ;  orders  them  down  the 
ship's  side  into  his  boat;  and  places  them  on  the  gun- 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  compulsion,  the 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce 
the  British  cabinet  to  relinquish. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  181 2,  President  Madison  gave 
his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  bitter 
hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1813,  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
and  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  office.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventures  of 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infan'. 
navy  then  laid  the  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap- 
pling with  the  most  formidable  fwwer  which  ever 
swept  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest 
by  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  Februarj', 
1813,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole 
coast  of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as  me 
ditator.  America  accepted ;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  uix)n  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  the 
metropolis.  The  whole  populaticn  fled  from  the  city. 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  Wliite 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  dot-r  to 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers 
in  a  council  of  war.  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed, 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in 
Washington  were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on 
Feb.  13,  i8r5,the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1836,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi- 
son died  July  12,  1849. 


V  . 


7 


^^^ 


FIFTH  PRESIDENT. 


35 


AMES  .MONROE,  the  fifth 
I'residentof  The  United  States, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.  His  ancestors  had  for 
many  years  resided  in  the  jirov- 
ince  ill  which  he  was  born.  When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the  process 
'i'  of  completing  his  education  at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  upon  the  un- 
just and  manifold  oppressions  of 
Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Colonies,  and  promul- 
gated the  Declaration  of  Indejien- 
dence.  Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this  time  he  left 
school  and  enlisted  among  the  patriots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked  hope- 
less and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies  came  pouring 
in;  and  the  tories  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the  new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
Ijnding  with  an  enemy  whom  they  had  been  taught 
to  deem  invincible.  To  such  brave  spirits  as  James 
Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
difficulty  and  danger,  the  United  States  owe  their 
[lolitical  emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  with  her  strife 


for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  mel- 
ancholy retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  White 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited  army  as  it  fled 
before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey.  In  four  months 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  of 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  act  of  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro- 
moted a  captain  of  infantry ;  and,  having  recovered 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Steriing.  During  the  cam- 
paigns of  1777  and  1778,  in  the  actions  of  Brandy 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  his 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the  "Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  considerable 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  however, 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag; 
but  on  the  invasions  of  the  enemy,  served  as  a  volun- 
teer, during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  1782,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Leglislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  that 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  E.xecutive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  23  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  ability 
and  a|)titude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterwards 
employed  with  unremittipgenergfy  forthe  public  good, 


36 


JAMES  MONROE. 


lie  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of 
ihe  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
Decjjlyas  Mr.  Monioefeh  the  imperfections  of  the  old 
Conlcderacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
•.hinkiiig,  with  many  others  of  *.he  Republican  party, 
'.hat  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
.md  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the  esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate ;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  ideas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Rejiublican  party  was  in 
sympathy  with  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
stiict  construction  of  the  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
(Governments  as  much  [lower,  as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  The  Federalists  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  tl»e 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

The  leading  F'ederalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noljle  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  John  Adams  the  Federalist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Republican,  never  breathed.  In 
building  up  this  majestic  nation,  which  is  destined 
to  eclipse  all  Grecian  and  Assyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
light  ecpiilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  juinci- 
ples  of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  our  liberties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Euroi)e  were  now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
than  that  which  we  had  endured  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
ilieir  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's proclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
d;veloped  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  appointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
"f  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
i!i  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  the 
office  for  three  yeais.  He  was  again  sent  to  f  ranee  to 
co-operate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  Spain.  Their  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  oIj- 
tain  from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  F3ng- 
land  on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  under 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  with  England  was 
declared,  the  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
these  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  War  Department 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  ol 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec 
tion  lieUl  the  previous  autumn  Mr.  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  little  opposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  181 7,  was  inaugurated.  Four  years 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  Lhiited  States;  tjie 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the    "  Monroe  doctrine.'' 

This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  1823.  At  that 
time  the  United  States  had  recognized  the  indei)end- 
ence  of  the  South  American  states,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  powers  longer  attempting  to  sub- 
due portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  should  consider  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  inirpose  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  ]irovinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by  Euro]iean 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  tinvard  the  United 
States.".  This  doctrine  immediately  afiTected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  LTnited  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  fecond  term  Mr.  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  until  1830, 
when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  son-in- 
law.     In  that  city  he  died, on  the  4th  of  July,  1831 


fv 


J.   $,  Ai 


fi-0>vj 


SIXTH  PRESIDENT. 


^TxrMr^:^ 


J!5  .  „ _  JI4       li 


:jor?i]  Qnii]6Y  ;5D^i]QS. 


iJ-SiS'^-S'.c* 


^s#'$::S'4^:;sH 


'■^',^^=-*r  i'^'»3*^'''^»!e»-^J^rf3^"— A^N^jt 


OHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
sixth  President  of  the   United 
instates,  was   born  in  the   rural 
"   home  of  his    honored   father, 
Joim  Adams,  in  Qaincy,  Mass., 
on  the  I  ith  cf  July,  1767.   His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted 
worth,  watched  over  his  childhood 
during   the  almost   constant   ab- 
sence of  his  father.      When    but 
eight  years  of  age,  he  stood  with 
his  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
tle on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames   billow- 
ing up  from    the    conflagration    of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  father  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  ot  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Paris,  where 
his  fatiier  was  associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
the  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  marks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
cou;'-try,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad.  Again 
joI.A  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At  Paris  he 
ai)plied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  six  months, 
to  jtudy;  then  accom pained  his  father  to  Holland, 
v'here  he  entered,  first  a  school  in  Amsterdam,  then 
the  University  at  Leyden.  About  a  year  from  this 
fime,  in  1781,  when  the  manly  boy  was  but  fourteen 
yea-3  of  age,  he  was  selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

\\\  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  enobling 
culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
10  Holland  through  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journey  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
his  studies,  under  a  private  tutor,  at  Hague.    Thence, 


in  the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  tc 
Paris,  traveUng  leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintance 
with  the  most  distinguished  men  on  the  Continent- 
examining  architectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintings 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he  again 
became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious  men  of 
all  lands  in  the  conteniijlations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  can  engross  the  human  mind.  Afte; 
a  short  visit  to  England  he  returned  to  Paris,  and 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,  1785, 
when  he  returned  to  America.  To  a  brilliant  young 
man  of  eighteen,  who  had  seen  much  of  the  world, 
and  who  was  familiar  with  the  etiquette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, must  have  been  extremely  attractive 
but  with  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pre- 
ferred to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education 
in  an  American  college.  He  wished  then  to  study 
law,  that  with  an  honorable  profession,  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  the 
Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  he  reached 
Londonin  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit- 
ted to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  Pinckney, 
assisting  them  in  negotiating  a  commercial  treaty  with 
Gieat  Britian.  After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  ir, 
London,  he  proceeded  to  the  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  to  go  to  Portugal  a.-> 
minister  plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to  Portugal, 
upon  ariiving  in  London,  he  met  with  despatches 
directing  him  to  the  court  of  Beilin,  but  requesting 
him  to  remain  in  London  until  he  should  receive  his 
instructions.  While  waiting  he  was  married  to  a:i 
American  lady  to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged,— Miss  Louisa  Catherine  Johnson,  daughter 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  consul  in  London; 
a  lady  endownd  with  that  beauty  and  those  accom- 
plishment which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  ti.e 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined- 


♦o 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797  ; 

where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  having  ful- 
filled all  the  puriKJses  of  his  mission,  he  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  reputation,  his 
ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  that  body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  measures  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  Adams  minister  to  St.  Petersburg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense  stu- 
dent. He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 
history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade;  to  the 
European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins;  to 
the  ciimate  and  astronomical  observations  ;  while  he 
kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics.  In  all  the  universities  of  Europe,  a 
more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be  found. 
All  through  life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important 
part  of  his  studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five 
chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  apix)inted  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
sailed  in  June,  i8tg,  for  the  United  States.  On  the 
i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in  Quincy.  During  the  eiglit  years  of  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr,  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Adams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety-nine;  John  Quincy  .\dams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty-one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
scyfen.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people,  the 
question  wer.t  to  the  House  of  Re[)resentatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and 
he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
combined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assault  iqion 
Mr.  .\dams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
*"^  past  history  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 


was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  uprightj  patriotic  man.  There  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  per- 
haps, was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu- 
lously  and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr.  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  always  rising 
early,  and  taking  much  exercise.  \\'hen  at  his  home  in 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  work  in  his  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew- 
Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
jxirtentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  until  his  death,  he  occupied  the  post  as  repre- 
sentative, towering  above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle' for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  'I  he 
battle  which  Mr.  Adams  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
the  proslavery  party  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  Its  moral  daring  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury, 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination  : 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  his 
body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  by  the  lapse  of 
fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  simple  faith  of  a  little 
child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night,  before 
he  slept,  the  prayer  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 
his  infant  years. 

On  the  2rstof  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  floor 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  paraly- 
sis, and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  around  liim. 
For  a  time  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and 
said  "  This  is  the  end  of  earth  ;W\^y\  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  added,  ''/am  eontent"  These  were  the 
last    words  of    the    grand    "Old     Man     Eloquent." 


f 


<^-^'^i-^^^^<J)-===:^^ 


5A-  VENTH  PRESIDENT. 


-13 


-mm 


m 


^<.i,ai  ^<aLa2/(i^^•-<s~*^«"■=^^f^?T^f^^to]g:B 


NDREW  JACKSON,  the 
seventh  President  of  the 
■jj"  United  States,  was  born  in 
Waxhaw  settlement,  N.  C, 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
after  his  father's  death.  His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from  Ireland,  and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement, where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was 
universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly; and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,  made  visible,  which  was  at- 
tractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
17S1,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

Tlie  brute  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  desperate 
Dlow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
disabled  him,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  much  other  ill-treatment,  and 
were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  was  successful  'n    obtaining    their   exchange, 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illness 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  his  mother  soon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  su|)ported  himself  in  various  ways,  sjchas 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina,  of 
which  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  journeys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear, 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmish 
with  the  Sharp  Knife. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  sur[)rise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  husband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his  profes- 
sion, and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he  killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  the  eleven 
counties.  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  delegates. 
The  new  StAte  was  entitled  to  but  one  menil  er  ii\ 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jack-! 
son  was  chosen  that  member.  Moimting  his  horse  he 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress   then    held  its 


44 


ANDRE  IV  J  A  CKSOiY. 


i'jssijiis, — a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  admired 
Bonaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gen.  AVashington,  whose 
second  term  of  office  was  then  expiring,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  the  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  who  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  his  State,  which  position  he  held  for  six  years. 

When  the  war  of  1812  with  Great  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jackson,  wlio 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen.  Tackson 
offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hundred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make  an  at- 
tack r.pon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen.  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  Wilkinson.  The 
expeditit)u  reached  Natchez;  and  afteradelay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
the  men  were  ordered  back  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions;  and  he  became  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "  Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  part  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  [jistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
lingering  tipon  a  bed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  e.xterminate  the  white  set- 
ters, were  committing  the  most  awful  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Gen.  Jackson,  with 
liis  fractured  bone  just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Alabama. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fore  on 
oiie  f>f  the  bends  of  theTallanoosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Strother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men,  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
il'vs.  He  re.iched  their  fort,  called  Toliopeka  or 
Uorsc-shoe,  0.1  I'lo  27lh  of  March.  i8ia.     The   bend 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  brea.st- 
work  of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ample  suply  of  arras  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  quarter.  When 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  struck  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  everyone  of  the  nine  hundred  war- 
rios  were  killed  A  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
power  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  itsterriffic  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  haggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  came  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  upon  Ihe  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
campaign  to  so  successful  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  appointed  major-general. 

Late  in  .August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march.  Gen.  Jackson  came  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola,  landed 
a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fort, 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious 
assault  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length 
one  of  the  ships  was  blown  up    and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  littb; 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
And  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishalile  name.  Here  hfs 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  British  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six   hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  1824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  liis  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has 
perhaps  never  lieen  surpassed.  From  tlie  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  memorable 
in  the  annals  of  our  country;  applauded  by  one  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitace,  where 
he  died  June  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  Mr.  Jack- 
son's   life    were   that    of   a    devoted  Christian    man. 


^  7  2^^^  ^^z^3  U^.^'z..^ 


EIGHTH  PRESIDENT. 


47 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth      President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.   5, 
1782.     He  died  at  the  same 
)late,  July    24,    1862.       His 
body   rests  in   the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite    shaft  fifteen  feet 
high,  liearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  half  way  up    on   one    face, 
w         The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unbounded  by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van  P.uren 
of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  earliest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  Ijanks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  e.xemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  retpiired  of  him 
liefore  he  could  be  admitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
a  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  witli  indefatigable  industry.  After 
5i)ending  six  ye.nrs  in  an  office  in  bis    native  village, 


he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Rei)ublican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  Mr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had, 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listenkig  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  the 
cause  of  State  Rights ;  though  at  that  time  the  Fed- 
eral party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  town 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  th^; 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years, 
constantly  gaining  strength  by  contending  in  the- 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mi. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consump- 
tion, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  ovei 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lawyer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  public  interest. 
In  t8i  2,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  18 15,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Attorney-General,  and  the  ne.\t  year  moved 
to  Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State. 

'iVhile  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
piominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic   party,   he   had 


+8 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  iirerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  property  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State. 

In  1821  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
.States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
.lative  State.  His  course  in  this  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  rose  at  once  to  a 
conspicuous  position  as  anactive  and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 
Jie  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
jermiued  opposer  of  the  Administration,  ado|iting  the 
'State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
deemed  the  Federal  iiroclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

.Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 
seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the  United 
States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 
Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 
Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whetlier 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
g.arded  throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
uiost  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians. 
Zt  was  supposed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
;o  touch  the  secret  spiings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
;he  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion;  and  how  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secredy  and 
rtealthily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  that  he  outv/itted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Webster,  and  secure^i  results  which 
lew  tliought  then  could  be  accomplished. 

VV  ij  1  .\adrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
appointed  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
poiiiion  lie  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  immediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
sn-,iL.'  .iinunin.  The  .Se  late,  however,  when  il  met, 
refLSed    to    ratify   the    nomination,    and    he   leturned 


home,  apparently  untroubled ;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-election 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
frowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  liy  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor= 
ite ;  and  this,  probably  more  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  Execu 
tive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Constitution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  power  to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events. 
The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in 
volve  this  country  in  war  with  England,  the  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread  over  the  country,  all  were 
trials  to  his  wisdom.  The  financial  distress  was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re-election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  uiitil 
his  deatli. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  liabits, 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  and  the  distinguished  positions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  country,  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  homage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindfuwald^ 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  ihe  publics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  on. 
the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty  ;  eais,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoyirg  in  a  liealthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  hapjiiness  than  he  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life- 


^  J^^a^iyi^- 


'M.^ 


NJNTH  PRESIJJJ'.NT. 


S' 


f 


..-4. 


*i 


> 


4 


I     ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
w     SON,  the  ninth    President  of 
%     the    United   States,  was  born 
j/J      at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
His  father,    Benjamin    Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate     friend    of     George 
Washington,  w  as  early  elected 
a  meml)er  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuovis 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and    John    Hancock   were 
both  candidates  for  the  office   of 
speaker. 

Mr  Harrison  was  subsequently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice    re-elected.       His   son, 
i  William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 

in  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  education,  lie 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
Jhen  repaired  to  Philadelpliia  tostudy  medicine  undtr 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush,  and  the  guardianship  of 
iobert  Morris,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
■"igners  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
withstanding the  remonstrances  of  his  friends,  he 
abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
having  obtained  a  commission  of  Ensign  from  Presi- 


dent Washington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old. 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  a))- 
pointed  Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "  'I'he  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  porlion,  which 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  then  27  years  of  age,  was  ap- 
pointed by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  lie  discharged  these  res[)onsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  appointed  to  this  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  afterwards  liy  Presi- 
dent Madison. 

When  he  began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  with  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  Oneof  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Louisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  (lov.  Harrisoi. 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.   Abou' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOii 


i  iDnAnw 


5* 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawnese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  One  of 
these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or  "  The  Crouching 
Panther;"  the  other,  OUiwacheca,  or  "The  Prophet." 
Tecumseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  in  which  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  with  the  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  with  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  liis  fathers.  His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was 
an  orator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
Indian  as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree-tops  beneath  which 
they  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  an  orator :  he  was, 
in  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaugliter. 
(Jctober  28,  1812,  his  army  began  its  march.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
their  appearance  and  inquired  why  Gov.  Harrison  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a 
short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  for  a  meet- 
ing the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations. Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise. 
His  troops  were  posted  in  a  hollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
rest;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtrements  on,  his 
loaded  musket  by  his  side, and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  had  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  just  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  desperation  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
highly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English.  Their 
war-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
cus  yells,  the  Indian  bands  rushed  on,  not  doubting  a 
S])eedy  and  an  entire  victory.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
troops  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  aroand  them 
until  day  dawned :  they  then  made  a  simultaneous 
charge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore   them,    and    completely    routing    the    foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  from  the  Can- 
adas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  irom  the 
forest,  searching  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, plundering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  state  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  The  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hull  had  made 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  despairing  circumstances.  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
Detroit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  diflScult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet  all  the  r& 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  his  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  their  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursuing  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  carried  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consisted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle.  Thirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  the  battle. 
The  only  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
liefore  the  fire,  without  bread  or  salt. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  represent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  spoke,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  1S19,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  ol 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  him 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  election  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  any  President  had  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects.  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisv-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  the  4th  of  April;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States.  . 


'l/KL 


TENTIf  PRESIDENT. 


55 


A    OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
i.ja  Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born   in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  Marcli  29,  1790.   He 
was  the   favored  child    of  af- 
fluence and  high    social    po- 
sition.    At  the    earl)'   age    of 
twelve,  John  entered  \Villiani 
and    Mary  College  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
Init  seventeen  years  old.   After 
graduating,   he  devoted   him- 
self with    great    assiduity  to    the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father    and    p.irtly  with    Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
et of  the  court  in  which  he  was 
iiot  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  vears  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
L;giFlature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
w.is  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
alily  with  the  Democratic  party,  o[iposing  a  national 
bank,  internal  improvements  by  the  General  ^vern- 


ment,  a  protective  tariff,  and  advocatmg  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  the  close  of  his  second 
term  he  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  i]i  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  powerful 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes,  Covernor  of  his 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
cessful one.     His   po[)ularity  secured   his  re-election. 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  thtn  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  opponent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.     Mr.  Tyler  was  the  victor. 

\\\  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposi- 
tion. He  opposed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  Ijy  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,  by  liis  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  piinciples  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  wliich  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.     There  was  a  rplit  in  the   Democratic 


JOHN  TYLER. 


party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  showered  compli- 
ments upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-si.\.  His  career  had  been  very  brilliant.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  and  it  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  culture  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children  ;  and  he  again 
look  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
1839.  The  majoritv  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  Whig,  much  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  the  No:th:  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Ylx.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
that  time.  President  Harrison  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus  -cund  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occupant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  stability  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  Williamsburg  when  he  received  the 
unexpected  tidings  of  the  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  responsible 
office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  exceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long  life  he  had  been 
opposed  tc  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, hone:t  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  surround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own?  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
mony with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare?  This  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  cabinet  which  President  Harrison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccommended  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Wliigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  returned  it  with 
his  veto.      He   isuaaested,  however,  that  he  >vould 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  submitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  approval. 
It  was  passed  without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance 
between  the  Whigs  and  President  Tyler  were  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabmet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessaiy  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  away.  No  one  was  satisfied.  Tlie 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vituperation.  Whigs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassm.ents  of  office,  tothe  regret  of  neither  party,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unspeakable  relief.  His  first  wife, 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
and  in  June,  1844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  jiassed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charles-city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  mformation  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unnsual  attractions.  With  sufficient 
means  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
jxjlicy  had  helped  to  introduce. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the  State- 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  Cal- 
houn had  inaugurated.  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates. He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress; 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  b" 
force  of  arms,-  the  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,   he   was  taken   sick  and  soon   died. 


m 


.jC 


ELE  VEN  Til  PRESIDE N  7 '. 


59 


^\ 


JAMES  K.  FOIK.         ^ 


^'.^:.,^ 


(s) 


■i:^ 


ll  AMES  K.POLK,  the  eleventh 
'jk  President  of  the  United  States, 
#  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 
/j  N.  C,  Nov.  2,  1795.  His  par- 
^  ents  were  Samuel  and  Jane 
(Kno.x)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 
of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 
first  pioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1S06,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  and  soon  after  fol- 
lowed by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Polk  farnly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  tiie 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry Co.,  they  reared  their  log  huts, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  the  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
'  gradually  increased  in  wealth  until 

he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  common 
sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
leading  and  e.xpressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
uality and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  with  lofty 
principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  be  able  to  endure  a 


* 


sedentary  life,  got  a   situation   for   him   behind   the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  e.xtreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  \V'ith 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
years,  in  the  autumn  of  1S15,  entered  the  sophonwre 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  e.xemplaty  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  18 18,  with  the  highest  honors,  be* 
ing  deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Polk's  health  was  at  thi? 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  which  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
rela.\ation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Feli.x  Grundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polli 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  Init  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  had  [jrobably  beci 
slightly  acquainted  before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican. 
and  James  K.  Polk  ever  adhered  to  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  w;;s 
constantly  called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  th.-.t 
he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished   morals,   genial  ard 


6o 


/AMES  K.  POLK. 


:ourterus  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  jo)  s  and  griefs  of  others  which  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1823,  IMr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  his  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  until  1839,  he  was  con- 
tinue(/  in  that  office".  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair 
of  I'^nnessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
member,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous  ;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  point,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr  Polk  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  1 4th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  1841, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
3d  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
left  the  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message.  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
other  States.  In  the  meantime.  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent 


with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  countrj'.  He  was 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  he  erected  batteries- which  commanded  the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was  situated  on 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  wa: 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.  The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first 
called  one  of  "observation,"  then  of  "occupation," 
then  of  "invasion,  "was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully  slaughtered.  The  day  of  judgement 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  v.'as  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
that  the  war  was  brought  on. 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."  Mexico  was 
prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our  hands 
A\'e  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in  addition  to  Texas, 
all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. This  new  demand  embraced,  e.\clusive  of 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  This 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the 
size  of  New  York,  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There  were 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right :  there  were 
others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In  the  prosecution 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand  lives  and 
more  than  a  hundred  million  of  dollars.  Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  Jilarch,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
and  his  health  was  good  \\'ith  an  ample  fortune, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  happiness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge — was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississijjpi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  15th  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth 
year  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


ViV- 


TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


63 


"^ 


.  ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twdith 
®)  President  of  the  United  States, 
-'■^was  born  on  the  2  4tli  of  Nov., 
1784,  in  Orange  Co.,  Va.  His 
father.  Colonel  Taylor,  was 
a  Virginian  of  note,  and  a  dis- 
tinguished patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary 
was  an  infant,  his  father  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  a  few 
miles  from  Louisville.  In  this  front- 
'SIiK'  ier  home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  young  Zachary 
could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  feailess  and  self-reliant,  and 
•manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the  army  to  fight 
the  Indians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
In  1S08,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army  ;  and  lie  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  i\Iaryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  1S12,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison, on  his  march  to  Tippecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
■cd  by  Tecumseh.     Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbering    fifty  men,    many  of 
whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians,  stealthily, 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  upon  the  fort.  The.r 
approach  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Capt.  Taylor 
made  every  possible  preparation  to  meet  the  antici- 
pated assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  informed  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept 
them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared,  the 
garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour  before 
midnight  the  war  whoop  biurst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  his  post.  Every  man  knew  that 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  cap- 
ture, death  by  the  rnost  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor- 
ture. No  pen  can  describe,  no  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses- 
Until  si.\  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  then,  baffled  at  every  point, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  MajorTaylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fox  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  Init  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.     There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  in- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  on  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black-Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  efficient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
employments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  immediate  acquaintance. 
In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  com]jel 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  the  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty, 
hac'  promised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
he.e  secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
tc  ;he  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
after,  in  May,  1838,  was  appointed  to  the  chief  com- 
mand of  the  United  States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  such  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula.  Gen.  Taylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
:.nd  was  stationed  over  the  Department  of  the  South- 
west. This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
at  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
to  a  plantation  which  he  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue. 
Here  he  remained  for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
from  the  world,  but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 
imposed  upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the  latter  river 
being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Mexico 
was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
Mexicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
the  Nation.  Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  dress  and  his  unaffected 
simplicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
i\m  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

Tlie  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
■pread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lips.  The 
Whig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this  wonder- 
ful popularity  in  bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 
lettered, honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
nouncement, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it;  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  qualified  for  such  an 
office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  jiolitics  that, 
for  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
without  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
who  had  been  long  years  in  the  public  ser\'ice  found 
*!.iir  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose   name 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista.  It  is  said  that  Daniel  M'ebster,  in  his  haste  re- 
marked, "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a  fine 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre- 
pared such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful 
should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The  popularity  of 
the  successful  warrior  swept  the  land.  He  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  over  two  opposing  candidates, — 
Gen.  Cass  and  E.K-President  Martin  Van  Buren. 
Though  he  selected  an  excellent  cabinet,  the  good 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  position, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufferings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy ,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slaveiy 
stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850. 
His  last  words  were,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  I  have  endeavored  to  do  my  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the 
affections  of  the  people;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoioughly  acquainted  with 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  With  a  good  store  of 
common  sense.  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  world.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  jx)sts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignorance.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  his  hal 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket, — in  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
offender  to  be  a  coxcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  i)hrase, 
'touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  In  shorf 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortable,  laboi- 
saving  contempt   for  learning  of  every  kind." 


i-t^</s      <y  ^ 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


67 


^'MILLflRn  FILLMnHE.' 


$;;C$««#;;ce*s«$x^^S:S*-sis-»&*;;C$'S'S7&#*A$*-SK$>i<*;K$'4^;K$'S>$;^^^^ 


_g_^ 


^^ 


J^ 


ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
tceiith  President  ofthe  LInited 
'  States,  was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y  .,  on 
the  yth  of  January,  iSoo.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  ow- 
ing to  misfortune,  in  humble  cir- 
cumstances. Of  his  mother,  tlic 
daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard, 
of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it  has  been 
said  that  she  possessed  an  intellect 
of  very  high  order,  united  with  much 
personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis- 
position, graceful  manners  and  ex- 
(piisite  sensibilities.  She  died  in 
1831  ;  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  proni- 
;be,  though  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
iTieans  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender  ad- 
vantages for  education  in  his  early  years.  The  com- 
mon r.chools,  which  lie  occasionally  attended  were 
very  imperfect  nistitutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
r.nd  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  upon  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy; 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
aid  had  laid  the  foundations  of  ai\  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  villiage,  where  some 


enterprising  man'  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a 
village  library.  This  jiroved  an  inestimable  blessing 
to  young  Fillmore.  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  every  leisure  moment  was  occupied  with 
books.  His  thirst  for  knowledge  became  insatiate 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  history, 
biography,  oratory,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en- 
kindled in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be- 
coming, almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed, 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  happened  tha' 
there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neighborhood  of  ample 
pecuniary  means  and  of  benevolence, — Judge  ^Valte^ 
AVood, — who  was  struck  with  the  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance of  young  Fillmore.  He  made  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  was  so  much  impressed  with  his  ability  and 
■attainments  that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  Tlie 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
no  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educa- 
tion had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  AVood  had 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  offered  to 
take  liim  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan  him  such 
money  as  he  needed.  Most  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion  abou': 
a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is  supposed  to 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col- 
lege. But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  Ii.tII- 
Hnd  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  meaas  as 


Oi 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1S23,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  v/as 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  fortune  or  in  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail   Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industrj', 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  elder  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1S29, 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  liad  never  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  politics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  AVhig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parties, 
that  his  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  dcgri  e  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autu-mn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress  He  entered  that  troubled 
irena  in  some  of  the  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  the 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep- 
utation and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
lie  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress ;  was  re- 
elected, and  took  his  seat  in  1S37.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  hmi  stiength  and 
•  confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  liis  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  Slate,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he   was   elected  Comptroller  of    the   State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  who  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  his  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  tiumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  netessary  to  associate  with  him  on  the  same 
ticket  some  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
namesof  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Fillmore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  apiwinted  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillmore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  both 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  conciliate 
the  South  ;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  .South  felt 
the  inadequacy  of  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  population  of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  power  of  the  Government  should 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr. 
Fillmore's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Ex|iedition 
was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Fill- 
more, having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supposed  that 
his  sympathies  were  ratlier  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  thus  forgotten  liy  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,    1874. 


FOURTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


T 


-^^»fei-    ^"FRANKLIN  FIERCE.-^^     -#prfi^>,. 


■j'g)^'i\t.J^t„tJAA.t^4>^^^^^ 


^^?t753^^       ...^^' 


^ 


RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the; 
fourteenth    President  of  the 
f  United  States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,    N.    H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,   who, 
with    his    own     strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a    home   in    the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    infle-xible    integrity;     of 
strong,   though    uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncom[)romis- 
ing  Democrat.      The   mother   of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate,  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  si.xth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  isride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speaking  kind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar;  in  body, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  si.xteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,  and 


genial  nature,  rendered  him  a  universal  favorite. 
There  was  something  very  peculiarly  winning  in  his 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree studied :  it  was  the  simple  outgushing  of  his 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierce 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private  worth.  The 
eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young  lawyer,  his 
father's  prominence  as  a  public  man,  and  the  brilliant 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering, all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the  faci- 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.  With  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen. 
Jackson  for  the  Presidency.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here 
he  served  for  four  yeats.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  ^Vithout  taking  an  active 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  duty, 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associatad. 

In  r837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States; 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  commenced 
his  administration.  He  was  the  youngest  member  in 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Means  Appleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every 
station  with  which  her  husband  was  honored.    Of  the 


72 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  upon  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  the  precariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health.  Fie  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  important  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  true  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Mexican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
tions, giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  compromise 
measures  met  cordially  with  his  approval ;  and  he 
strenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
mous fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
■  for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  ballotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States — Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pieice 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States   on    the  4th  of  March,    1853. 


His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  be- 
tween slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  its 
culminating  point.  It  became  evident  that  there  was 
an  "  irrepressible  conflict"  between  them,  and  that 
this  Nation  could  not  long  e.xist  "  half  slave  and  half 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad- 
ministration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate 
the  South  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on  every  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years'  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  alien- 
ated from  him.  The  anti-slaverj'  sentiment,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1S57,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  svirviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ;  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumption.  The 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di- 
vided our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr. 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to 
that  pro-slaver)'  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment. He  continued  to  reside  in  Concord  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October, 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of 
men,  an  honored  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Gen- 
erous to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al- 
leviation of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns- 
people were  often  gladened  by  his   material   bounty. 


CI 


(2y77z^_J  aWu^-^^z/p2.€^.^^f/P 


I'lFTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


75 


>»» 


\(^i^iS^C^^fC\\\fC^^&^iS>y?^< 


:k 


r./  (5>^ 


.'A'igii'^'^'^t^'^^'^^'^^taSitsg^'ggtifggit^t^, 


BUBifiaa 


i^c!.^i^<ss?<:^i^es?^>i^<i^<^^i?^^  ylv/ 


^^ 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  in  a  small 
frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the 
eastern  ridge  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  ill  Franklin  Co.,  Penn.,  on 
23dofA])ril,  1791.  The  j'lace 
where  the  humble  cabin  of  his 
ither  sti'od  was  called  Stony 
ISatter.  It  was  a  wild  and  ro- 
mantic spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moun- 
tains, witli  towering  summits  rising 
grandly  all  around.  His  father 
was  a  :;ative  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
a  poor  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
with  little  property  save  his 
own  strong  arms.  Five  years  afterwards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
form liis  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  few  social  or  intellectual 
ailvantagi  s.  When  James  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
progress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de- 
veloped remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
to  study  was  intense,  and  yet  his  native  powers    en- 


abled him  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects  with 
facility. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sport,  an  unerring  shot,  and  enlivened  with 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immediately 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1812,  when  he  was 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand 
with  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  State.  When  but 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  tlie  State  Senate  ore  of  the 
judges  of  the  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  of 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  who  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower  House. 
Daring  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he  occasionally 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1831,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  having  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  performed  with  ability,  which 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  Upon  his  return,  in 
1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  V.'ebster, 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  th.e  meas- 
ures proposed  by  President  Jackson,  of  m  ik/ng  repn- 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


suls  a^.iiiist  Fiance,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  .ig.iiii.it  that  country;  and  defended  the  course 
of  tne  i-'ccsident  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
rem  jval  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the  sup- 
porters of  his  administration.  Upon  this  question  he 
was  brought  into  direct  collision  with  Henry  Clay. 
He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  advocated  expunging 
from  the  journal  of  the  Senate  the  vote  of  censure 
against  Gen.  Jackson  for  removing  the  deposits. 
Earnestly  he  opposed  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the 
circulation  of  anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United 
States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  tlie  subject  of  slavery,  he  advo- 
cated that  they  should  be  respectfully  received;  and 
that  the  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Congress  had 
no  ix)wer  to  legislate  upon  the  subject.  "  Congress," 
said  he,  "might  as  well  undertake  to  interfere  with 
slavery  under  a  foreign  government  as  in  any  of  the 
States  where  it  now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct  of 
the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  crossing 
the  Nueces  by  the  American  troops  into  the  disputed 
!errito:y  was  not  wrong,  but  for  the  Me.xicans  to  cross 
the  Rio  Grande  into  that  territory  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read  with  pleasure  the 
account  of  the  course  our  Government  pursued  in  that 
movement 

Mr.  Biichanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  w^ith 
the  party  devoted  to  the  p;>rpetuation  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  agdinst  the  Wilmot  Proviso.  He  gave  his 
cordial  approval  to  the  compromise  measures  of  1S50, 
which  included  the  fugitive-slave  law.  Mr.  Pierce, 
u;:on  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  honored  Mr. 
Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nouiinated  Mr.  Buchanan  forthe  Presidency.  The 
political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  which 
oir  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the  friends  of 
^l;^very  were  on  one  side ;  all  the  advocates  of  its  re- 
striction arid  final  abolition,  on  the  other.  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, the  candidate  of  the  enemies  of  slavery,  re- 
•eived  114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
174,  and  was  elected.  The  popular  vote  stood 
1,340,618,  for  Fremont,  t, 224,750  for  Buchanan.  On 
March   4th,    1857,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only  four 
-rears  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  threescore  years  and 
ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
allied  in  political  principles  and  action  for  years,  were 
S'iiking  the  destruction  of  the  Government,  that  they 
might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a 
nation  whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery, 
[n  this  emergencv.  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly  be- 
wildered     He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed  prin- 


ciples, consistently  oppose  the  State-rights  party  in 
their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the  United  States, 
bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to.  administer  the  laws 
he  could  not,  without  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind, 
unite  with  those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  the  repub- 
lic.    He  therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard  bearer 
in  the  next  I'residential  canvass.  The  pro-slavery 
party  declared,  that  if  he  were  elected,  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from  their 
hands,  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  taking 
with  them,  as  they  retired,  the  National  Capitol  at 
Washington,  and  the  lion's  share  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  sympathy  with  the  pro-slavery 
party  was  such,  that  he  had  been  willing  to  ofTerthem 
far  more  than  they  had  ventured  to  claim.  All  the 
South  had  professed  to  ask  of  the  North  was  non- 
intervention upon  the  subject  of  slavery-.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan had  been  ready  to  offer  them  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  Government  to  defend  and  extend 
the  institution. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slaveholders 
claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  avow- 
ing that  Congress  had  no  power  to  prevent  it,  one  of 
the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of  governmental  im- 
becility was  exhibited  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He 
declared  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  enforce  its 
laws  in  any  State  which  had  withdrawn,  or  which 
was  attempting  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  This 
was  not  the  doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with 
his  hand  upon  his  sword  hilt,  he  exclaimed,  "The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved  I" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  1S60;  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  despair. 
The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston;  Fort  Sumpter 
was  besieged;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and  arsenals 
were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores  were  iiluii- 
dered  ;  and  our  custom-houses  and  jxist-ofifices  were 
appropriated  by  the  reliels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels,  and  the  imbecility  of  our 
Executive,  were  alike  marvelous.  The  Nation  looked 
on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to  glide  away, 
and  close  the  administration,  so  terrible  in  its  weak- 
ness At  length  the  long-looked-for  hour  of  deliver- 
ance came,  when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  to  receive  the 
scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
])leasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his  fame,' 
that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled  its  billows 
of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no  word  came 
from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that  our  countrv's 
banner  should  triumi  h  over  the  flag  of  the  rebellion. 
He  died  at  his  Wheatland    retreat,    June    i,    1868. 


<^     /2,-t^-ir- 


e^X^32*^<^T^ 


SIXTEE.VTH  F/iE^IDEyr. 


79 


^1  i  ABRAHAM  >  #>'<?=.<^-ii  <  LINCOLN.  >  % 


■*]  '■■■ .  y^^/.«$.!vi  i^^iv 


e^:  ■-:  ic 


the 

tlie 

in 

12, 


BRAHAM    LINCOLN, 

sixteenth  President  of 
•  United  States,  was  born 
Hardin  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb. 
1 809.  About  the  year  1 7  80,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincohi  left  Virginia  with  liis 
family- and  moved  into  the  then 
wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  still  a  young 
man,  while  worlving  one  day  in  a 
*  field,  was  stealthily  approached  bj' 
an  Indian  and  shot  dead.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five 
little  children,  three  boys  and  two 
girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
bo)s,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
whose  name  must  henceforth  fcever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  world. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
the  poorest  of  the  poor.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  read 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
■ess,  wandering  lioy,  seeking  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
'aborer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

When  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  buill  a  log- 
cabin  of  his  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
"  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  exclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 

When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  sold  his 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana    Where 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

Abraham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  could  not  have  had  a 
better  school  than  this  to  teach  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few  ;  but  these  he  read 
and  re-read  until  they  were  almost  committed  to 
memory. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  family 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  Th(^re  were  joys  and 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  Abraham's  sister 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mar- 
ried when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  Mr. 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830, 
and  emigrated  to  Macon  Co.,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  rearing 
another  log-cabin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  coriifortably  settled,  and  their 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  planted  with  corn,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the-  value  of 
education  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  unprove  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  ruin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  became 
strictly  temperate;  refusing  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor  to  pass  his  lips.  And  he  had  read  in 
God's  word,  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ;"  and  a  profane  expression  he 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  His 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  uncontarainated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired  laborer 
among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to  Springfield, 
where  he  was  employed  in  Iniilding  a  large  flat-boat. 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  down 
the  Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  New  Orleans.  Whatever  Abraham  Lin- 
coln undertook,  he  performed  so  faithfully  as  to  give 
great  satisfaction  to  his  employers.      In  this  advcn- 


So 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


Cure  hi.->  cuiployeis  were  so  well  pleased,  that  u[X)n 
his  r<;t.ira  tiiey  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

1.1  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.  He 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but 
was  defeated.  He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew 
Jackson  tlie  appointment  of  Postmaster  of  New  Salem, 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and  soon 
made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected  Mr. 
Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.  He 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed  of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
began  his  legal  studies.  When  the  Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back 
one  hundred  miles  lo  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1S39  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that  he  was 
soon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr,  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opiwsition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history.  The  issue  was  on  the 
ilavery  (Question,  and  he  took  the  broad  ground  of 
he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6th  of  June,  i860.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  An  immense  building  called  "The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  William  H  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
orominent.  It  was  generally  supposed  he  would  be 
tl>.e  nominee.  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  which  that  nomination  doomed  him : 
and  aslittle  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
10  his  country,  which  would  fix  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  wiiich  would  give  him 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countiymen,  second 
cnly,  if  second,  to  th.at  of  Washington. 

Election  day  came  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitution.illy  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  uixin   this    good 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this 
high  position.  In  February,  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started 
for  Washington,  stopping  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his 
way  making  speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  frought 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination 
were  afterwards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more had  arranged,  upon  his  arrival  to  "get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  with 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plot.  A  secret  and  special  train  was  provided  to 
take  him  from  HarrisL-urg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an 
unexpected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at 
half-past  ten  ;  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ot  the  Secessionists  with  theirCon- 
federate  gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  had 
started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincoln 
reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great   anxiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr  .Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opponents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  positions. 

During  no  other  administration  have  tlie  duties 
devolving  ui)on  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibilities  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  and 
feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in 
his  own  slfength  to  cope  with,  the  difficulties,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
determining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his 
trials,  bo»h  personal  and  national.  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
with  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  iS6t,  however,  plans  had  been 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  Ai)ril  14,  1865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  be  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, with  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them, 
very  reluctantlj'  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  AVilkes  Booth 
entered  the  box  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  gnef  by  the  death  of  its  ruler. 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  speechless 
anguish.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  fitly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  v'll 
live  with  that  of  Washington's,  iis  father;  hiscf^-.ntry- 
mcn  beins;  unable   to  decide    wbii  h  is   tl>.^   ureatec 


<^-:^h?'^^i(^z^f^ 


SJS  VUNTEENTH  I' RESIDED  T. 


^2 


.  teenth  President  of  the  United 
.^•^States.  The  early  lifr  of 
{  Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.  He 
was  born  December  29,  180S, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  parents, 
belonging  to  the  class  of  the 
"poor  whites  "  of  the  South,  ivere 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education  upon 
their  child.  When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  nis  life  while  herorically  endeavoring  to  save  a 
friend  from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living  with 
her  own   hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  ip.  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  speeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. /Vndrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow-workmen, 
learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  sp)eeches.      The  owner, 


pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book, 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  oi. 
ward  laboriously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreatior  to  devote  such  time  as  he  could  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1S26,  and  located  a*: 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pos 
sessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent 
in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a  favorite  with 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
aldennan,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs ;  identifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature, 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "stumped  the  State,"  advocating  Martin  ''an 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  thos . 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  muci; 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 
elections,  held  that  important  post  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these  resiwnsible  iwsi 
tions,  he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  ab-.. 


84 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1S57,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
and  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supported  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
be  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  free  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
South  persons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  neverashamedof  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pvide  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir,'' 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  not  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  iSuj,  ne 
i^as  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for  the 
Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
ern Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a  decided 
^tandin  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
must  be  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost."  He  returned  to  Tennessee,  and  repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own  life  to  protect  the  Unionists  of 
Tennesee.  Tennessee  having  seceded  from  the 
Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,  T862,  ap- 
pointed him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he 
established  the  most  stringent  military  rule.  His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.    In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  T5, 

1865,  became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
Jhey  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  punished;  that  the  Government  will  not 
always  bear  with  its  enemies  ;  that  it  is  strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  th€  blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."  Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  in  utter  inconsistency  with,  and  the  most  violent 


opposition  to.  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress ;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  possible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginniiig  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the    trial   began    March   23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him.  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  impotent!--, 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
alleled since  the  days  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to- im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Greenville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  T875.  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  exciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee, United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5  th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1S75,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.  M.,  July3T,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  3d  of  August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect 


/^^  a.^-^^^-^ 


BIGH  TJSKNTH  I'RESIDENT. 


87 


LYSSES     S.    GRANT,    the 
eighteenth    President   of  the 
^*  United  States,  was    born   on 
the  29th   of  April,    1822,   of 
Christian  parents,  in  a  lunnble 
'  home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  tlie 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his   father   moved    to    George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.   In  this  re- 
mote frontier   hamlet,    Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation.     At  the  age   of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1839,  he    entered 
the     Military    Academy     at     West 
^oint.     Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
joiid,  sensible  young  man    of  fair  abilities,    and    of 
sturdy,  honest  character.     He  took   respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.     In  June,  1843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  heutenant  of  in- 
fantry to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
scuri  Territory.     Two  years  he  past    in   these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond    and    exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resacade  la  Palma,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
he  performed  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  expedient  learned  of  the  Lidians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
side  of  the  anir»iil,  ran  the   gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
to  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rcy,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultei)ec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant   re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  causing  an   immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion   to   Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants.    Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his   commission  and  returned  to  the 
States;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.    He  had  but 
little  skill  as    a  farmer.      Finding  his    toil   not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at   Ga- 
lena, 111.     This  was  in  the  year  i860.    As  the  tidings 
of  tlie  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of    Capt.    Grant   in     his    counting-room,    he    said, — 
"Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army;  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.   I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.    I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their  services  were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in  the 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  formed  in  the 
State  in  belialf  of  the  Government.      On  the  15th  of 


88 


UL  YSSES  S.  GRA  NT. 


June,  t86i,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  array,  were  such 
that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
General  and  was  jjlaced  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared in  the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Heniy 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
immediately  made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military 
district  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains.  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  Hnes.  Then  came  the 
terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Te.xas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  wliich  he 
was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  wonderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  the  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
and  enter  u[X3n  th'>  duties  of  his  new  office. 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge  of 
the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National 
troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond,  the  nominal 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and  endeavor  there  to  de- 
stroy the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  promptly  as- 
sembled from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole 
continent  seemed  to  tremble  under  the  tramp  of  these 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field. 
Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.  Railway  trains 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.  His 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series  of 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en- 
ergy and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  April  9,   1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen. 
Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its  sal- 
vation. The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago. 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received  a 
majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  2r4  out  of  294 
electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican  party 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5  th  of  June,  1S72, 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphali- 
cally  indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292 
electoral  votes  being   cast   for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term.  Gen.  Grant 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  private 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  before 
bestowed  upon  any  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for  a  re- 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  firm 
nameof  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as 
General  of  the  Army  and  retired  by  Congress.  The 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23, 
1885,  the  nation  wen^  in  mourning  over  the  death  of 
the  illustrious  General. 


''*>v. 


^CA 


NINETEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


9* 


g  RUTHERl'OKD  B.  HJLTES. 


UTHERFORD  B.    HAYES, 

ft!)  the  nineteenth  President  of 
"'  the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  far  back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
tune ovwfaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
land in  16S0,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  wai,  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  lile.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  hjs  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  scythe-.;  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  aud  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes    the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  been 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  famlies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  are  traced  back  to 
1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  stocks 
ing,  or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  1812,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to   Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  nor  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayes  deter 
mined  to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malarial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son,  of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver- 
mont, and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak,  and  the 


RUTHl:-HFORD  B.  HAVES: 


subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birtli  that  he 
was  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaicer  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
quiring from  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs.  Hayes'  baby  died 
iast  night."  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor,  who  was  on 
familiar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
boy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
nim,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right !  Stick  to 
him.  You  have  got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  would  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"  You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "You 
vait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
President  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1S25,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  w..;nt  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  mother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle  Sardis  Birchard  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  his  education ;  and  as  the  boy's  health  had  im- 
proved, and  he  was  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
paration commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home;  but  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  professor  in  the 
Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.  He  en- 
tered Kenyon  College  in  183S,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in   1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow,  Esq., 
in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities  for  study  in 
Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1S45,  after  graduatmg  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  attorney-at-law 
with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
mained three  years,  acquiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincmnati,  where  his  ambi- 
tion found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  i)eriod,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  subse- 
(;uent  life.  One  of  these  was  his  marrage  with  Miss 
Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Webli,  of 
Chilicothe;  the  othei'  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
members  such  men  as'^hief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase, 


Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The 
maiTiage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon  American  woman 
hood.  The  Literary  Cluu  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulnejs  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judg;  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  ac- 
cept the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  ot 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council 
elected  him  for  tlie  unexpired  term. 

In  1 86 1,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was  ar 
the  zenith  of  his  professional  1:5..  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  found  him  eager  to  take  md 
arms  for  the  defense  of  his  coimtry. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious.  In 
October,  186 1,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  T862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  79th  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leave  his  old  comrades 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  he 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  while 
faint  and  bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,  "for gallant  and  distinguished  Fervices 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In 
the  course  of  his  arduous  services,  four  horses  were 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times. 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic. He  was  not  present  during  the  campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  army ;  but  he  finally  declared,  "  I 
shall  never  come  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  by 
the  way  of  Richmond."  Fle  was  re-elected  in  1866. 

Ir.  1867,  Gen  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio, 
over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thunnan,  a  populai  Democrat. 
In  r869  was  re-elected  over  George  H.  Pendleton. 
Ha  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in   1S75. 

Iw  1876  he  was  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Repub- 
lican Party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and  after  a 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  in 
augurated  Monday,  March  5,  1875.  He  served  his 
full  term,  not,  ktwever,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party, 
but  his  admiij'stration  was  an  average  on= 


TiVENTIETH  PRESIDENT. 


95 


„      ##;;s<&$z*r#-gjg<^$::g'&-g:g^SK$«'-S:S#-5;;s#>-g:sti-«-;;:s«>-;;::,- 


AMES  A.  GARFIELD,  uvca- 
tieth  President  of  the  United 
States,    was    born    Nov.    ig, 
1831,  in  the  woods  of  Orange, 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O      His    par- 
ents were  Abram  and    Eliza 
(Ballou)    Garfield,   both   of  New 
England  ancestry  and  from  fami- 
lies well  known  in  the  early  his- 
f  },   tory  of  that  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was  not  unlike  the  houses  of 
poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.  It 
..as  about  20x30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  the  spaces  be- 
.ween  the  logs  filled  with  clay.  His  father  was  a 
lard  working  farmer,  and  he  soon  had  his  fields 
.:leared,  an  orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built. 
The  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
heir  four  cliildren — Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and 
ames.  In  May,  1823,  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
.. 'acted  in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.  At 
iliis  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
riiomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps,  can 
(ell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his  brother's 
toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years  suc- 
ceeding his  father's  death,  but  undoubtedly  very 
much.  He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
xers  live  in  Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
penter work,  chopped  wood,  or  did  anything  that 
would  l)ring  in  a  few  dollars  to  aid  his  widowed 
mother  in  he'  struggles  to  keep  the  little    family  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  ashamed  of  his 
origin,  and  he  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youth  and  manhood,  neither  did  they 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor 
the  humblest  fjiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness 
of  want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  plain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  young  Garfield  until  hi 
was  about  sixteen   years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  c? 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.     He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.     She 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  th  • 
understanding,  however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtair 
some  other  kind  of  employment.     He  walked  all  the 
way  to  Cleveland.   This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city 
After  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get   aboard  a   lake  vessel,  and  not  meeting  witji 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal.     He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  when  he  wen': 
home,    and  attended   the   seminary    at   Chester  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and  the 
Eclectic  Institute,   teaching  a  few   terms  of  school  in 
the  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.     This   school 
was  started  by  the  Discii)les  of  Christ  in    1850,  of 
which  church  he  was   then  a  member.     He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way. 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  pupil."    He  soon 
"  exhausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1S56,  taking  one  of  the  highest  hon- 
ors of  his  class.     He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.     As  above  stated,  he    early 
united    with   the   Christian   or   Diciples    Church    at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and    places  where 
he  happened  to  be.     Dr.  Noah  Porter,  President  of 
Yale  College,  says  of  him  in  reference  to  his  relipioa  : 


go 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


"  President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religious  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  being,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
:ny  judgment  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
nis  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  showed  in  their  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called'  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  comnmnions 
in  which  they  have  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in 'social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some  of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
:hurch  of  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
trained,  and  in  which  he  served  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
larian  charity  for  all  'who  love  our  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph,  Nov.  1 1,  1S58,  who  proved  herself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  born  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 

Mr.  Garfieldmadehisfirstpoliticalspeechesin  1856, 
_'n  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  the  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  1861  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  had 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived his  commission  as  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug. 
14,  1861.  He  was  immediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
(Humphrey  Mirsliall)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
those,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplished,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  10,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  its  operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  memberof  the 
General  Court-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-John 
Porter.  He  was  then  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "  Chief  of  Staff." 

The  military  history  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  with 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  woir 

the  stars  01  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part  Ge?  Garfield  wa» 
elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862  from  the 
Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  si.xty  years 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and  Joshua 
R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  struggle  that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At  the  time  he  en- 
tered Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that 
body.  Ther*;  he  remained  by  successive  re- 
elections  until  he  was  elected  President  in  1880. 
Of  his  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says :  "  Since 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  question  which 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  a» 
tribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  whict 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  mstruction,  the  argu- 
ment on  one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance 
better  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings  by 
Mr.  Garfield."' 

Upon  Jan.  14,  18S0,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  liie 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention- 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on 
March  4,  1881,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad- 
ministration ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every 
day  it  grew  in  favor  with  the  people,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams 
College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the  depot,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man  stepped  behind 
'him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  und  as  he  did  so  tire 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  in.licting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  peop'e 
for  the  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For  eighty 
days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  rill  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent 
bearing  was  teaching  the  countrj-  and  the  world  the 
noblest  of  human  lessons — how  to  live  grandly  in  the 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass- 
ingly great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept. 
19^  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  on  the  ver)-  bank  of  the 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it. 
The  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe- 
cuted, in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  fouJ  deed. 


TWENTY-FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


99 


"..isS^ 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 

twenty-first    Presi'^.-m   of  the 

i,r'United    States    was    born    in 

Pranklin  Cour  t)-,  Vermont,  on 

4^    thefifthof Oc'ober,  1830,  andis 

the  oldest   of  a    family    of  two 

sons  and    five   daughters.     His 

father  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 

Arthur,  a  Baptist  c'  ,rgypian,  who 

emigrated  to   tb.s  countiy  from 

the  county  Antrim,   Ireland,    in 

his  iStli  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 

Newtonville,   neai    .Albany,   after  a 

long  and  successful  ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  S(  henectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
the  expiration  cf  that  time  came  to 
WjJ  New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  entered  the  office,  of  ex-Judge 
^  E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  After 
being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
in  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
but  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success- 
ful career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
soon  afterward  niarr'pd  the  daughter   of  Lieutenant 


Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 
sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  Arthur's 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon. 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  I'eople,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs 
Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1S56.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare. 
General  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  ride 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  quickly 


loo 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Company  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons and  the  other  lines  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  him  Engineev- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was  made  Insi)ec- 
tor  General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  Yoik,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  look  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
politics.  He  was  apjiointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the  greatest  political 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  the  continent.  It 
was  composed  of  the  leading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  of 
the  Democratic  i)arty,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
•vas  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
March  4,  188 1,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering, — those  moments  of 
anxious  suspense,  when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


tions were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark- 
able patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf- 
fering man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God- 
like. During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr. 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  his 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi- 
ciously begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar- 
field from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as  never 
before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any  other 
man,  vi^ept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the  duty  of 
the  Vice  President  to  Lssume  the  responsibilities  of 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in  New  York. 
Sept.  20,  1 88 1.  The  position  was  an  embarrassing 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from  the  facts  that  all 
eyes  were,  on  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do, 
what  policy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se- 
lect as  advisers.  The  duties  of  the  office  had  been 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness, 
and  many  important  measures  were  to  be  immediately 
decided  by  him ;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on 
this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  Iiis  own 
hands ;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  of 
affairs,  he  happily  surprised  the  nation,  acting  so 
wisely  that  but  few  criticised  his  administration. 
He  served  the  nation  well  and  faithfully,  until  the 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was 
a  popular  candidate  before  his  party  for  a  second 
term.  His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con- 
vention at  Chicago,  and  was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have 
been  selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party 
for  another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself 


"% 


xi^iyx^/^  C/^,^uc-C(lyiy^'( 


TWENTY-SECONn  PRESIDENT. 


•03 


ij 


TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND, the  twenty- second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
born  in  1837,  in  the  obscure 
town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 
half-story  white  house  which  is  still 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  humble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con  - 
trast  with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origin  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  of  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  possible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayette/ille  seemed 
to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  $50  for  his  services 
the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  $100  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
that  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he  did  not  e.\- 
hibit  as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  family  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
on  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
N.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  position  of  "  under-teacher  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


ro4 


S.   GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
ne  left  the  city  to  seek  his  fortune,  instead  of  going 
to  a  city.  He  first  thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as 
ihere  was  some  charra  in  that  name  for  him ;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to 
»sk  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stcck-breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
rpeak  enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
'aw,"  was  the  reply.  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
the  old  gentleman ;  "  do  you,  indeed  ?  What  ever  put 
Ihat  into  your  head?  How  much  money  have  you 
got.'"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  got 
anf." 

Aiter  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  while  he  could  "look  around."  One  day  soon 
ifterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  office  of  Rogers, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  Chem  what  he 
wanted.  .A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  and 
ne  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
nave  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
of  $3  or  %\  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat — he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  here,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "That's 
»v-here  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans  ; 
nut  in  due  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
e.xhibited  a  talent  for  e.xecutiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  all  their  metaphysical 
possibilities.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
't,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
ejected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punishment  upon  two 
criminals.  In  iSSt  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buffalo,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  certain  reforms 


in  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that 
city.  In  this  office,  as  well  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his 
performance  of  duty  has  generally  been  considered 
fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which  were  fer- 
reted out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential 
campaign.  As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an  iniqui- 
tous street-cleaning  contract :  "  This  is  a  time  for 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 
be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the  culmination  of 
a  mos  bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme 
to  betray  the  interests  of  the  people  and  to  worse 
than  squander  the  people's  money."  The  New  York 
Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended  Mr.  Cleve- 
land's administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there- 
upon recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire 
State.  To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882, 
and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made,  if 
any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  nation 
after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July 
rr,  1884,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at 
Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F. 
Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.;  and  he 
was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub- 
lican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President  Cleve- 
land resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in 
January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States,  in  which 
capacity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
March,  t8S5.  For  his  Cabinet  officers  he  selected 
the  following  gentlemen:  For  Secretary  of  State, 
Thomas  F.  Bayard,  of  Delaware ;  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  Daniel  Manning,  of  New  York ;  Secretary 
of  War,  William  C.  Endicott,  of  Massachusetts; 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  William  C.  Whitney,  of  New 
York;  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  of 
Mississippi;  Postmaster-General,  William  F.  Vilas, 
of  Wisconsin ;  Attorney-General,  A.  H.  Garland,  of 
Arkansas. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy  be- 
tween those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of 
silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  opposed,  Mr. 
Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter,  even  before  his 
inauguratioi\. 


•^^■ 


<i2-<^^-5^V't.<iit?*-z^ 


TWENTY-THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


107 


••o*o-@v"v1e)-o4o.. 


-<<-• 


ENJAMIN   HARRISON,  the 

owenty-tliird    rresidcnt,    is 
the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
historical  families  of  this 
country.     The  head  of  the 
,  ^.  ff_--,  ]  ■•'ri    family  was  a  Major  (ieneral 
■f>!r^S^i,^ '^    Harrison,  one  of   Oliver 
§**  Cromwell's  trusted   follow- 

ers and  figliters.  In  the  zenith  of  Crom- 
well's power  it  became  the  duty  of  this 
Harrison  to  participate  in  tlie  trial  of 
Charles  I,  and  afterward  to  sign  tlie 
de.aih  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subse- 
quently paid  for  this  with  his  life,  l)eing 
hung  Oct.  13,  1660.  His  descendants 
came  to  America,  and  the  next  of  tlie 
family  that  appears  in  history  is  Benja- 
-:.\n  'I.irrison,  of  Virginia, great-grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
after  whom  he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison 
was  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  during 
the  years  1 774-5-6,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 
Gen,   AVilliam  Henry   Harrison,  the  son  of  the 


distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a  suc- 
cessful career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of  1812, 
and  with -a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the  North- 
western Territor}',  was  elected  President  of  the 
United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut  short 
by  death  within  one  month  ifter  Iiis  inauguration. 
I'resident  Harrison  was  born  at  North  Bend, 
Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  ''0,  1833.  His  life  up  to 
the  time  of  his  graduation  by  the  Miami  University, 
at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful  one  of  a  coun- 
try lad  of  a  family  of  small  means.  His  father  was 
able  to  give  him  a  good  education,  and  nothing 
more.  He  became  engaged  while  at  college  to  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of  a  female  schoo' 
at  Oxford.  After  graduating  he  determined  to  en- 
tor  upon  the  study  of  the  law.  He  went  to  Cin 
cinnati  and  then  read  law  for  two  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  th.at  time  young  Harrison  receiv.  d  tt:: 
only  inheritance  of  his  life ;  his  aunt  dying  left  him 
a  lot  valued  at  $800.  He  regarded  this  legacy  as  a 
fortune,  and  decided  to  get  married  at  once,  taks 
tiiis  money  and  go  to  some  Eastern  town  an',  be- 
gin the  practice  of  law.  He  sold  his  lot,  and  with 
the  mone}'  in  his  pocket,  he  started  out  witii  his 
young  wife  to  fight  for  a  place  in  the  world.     Ke 


10? 


liElNdABIiM  HAKlilSON. 


cJecitled  to  go  to  Indianapolis,  which  was  even  at 
lliat  time  a  town  of  promise.  He  met  with  sliglit 
L'ncoui'agenient  at  first,  malcing  scarce!}'  anything 
liie  first  3'car.  He  woriicd  diligently,  ajjpljing  him- 
self closely  to  his  calling,  built  np  an  extensive 
practice  and  took  a  loading  rank  in  the  legal  pro- 
i'ession.     He  is  the  father  of  two  children. 

Ill  18CC  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  the 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Repoitcr,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speake-  He  can- 
vassed the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  bj'  a 
handsome  majority.  In  18{j2  he  raised  the  17th 
Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its  Colonel.  His 
regiment  was  composed  of  the  rawest  of  material, 
out  Col.  Harrison  emploj'ed  all  his  time  at  first 
mastering  military  tactics  and  drilling  his  men, 
when  he  therefore  came  to  move  toward  the  East 
with  Sherman  his  regiment  was  one  of  the  best 
(allied  and  organized  in  the  arm}'.  At  Resaca  he 
especially  distinguished  himself,  and  for  his  bravery 
r.t  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made  a  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral, Gen.  riooker  speaking  of  him  in  the  most 
complimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the  field 
he  Supreme  Court  declared  the  office  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another  person 
was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the  time  of  leav- 
v.-jr  Indiana  with  his  regiment  until  the  fall  of  18G4 
he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence,  but  having  been 
nominated  that  year  for  the  same  oftice,  he  got  a 
thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and  during  that  time 
made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the  State,  and  was  elected 
for  another  term.  He  then  started  to  rejoin  Sher- 
man, but  on  the  way  was  stricken  down  with  scarlet 
_'ever,  and  after  a  most  trying  siege  made  his  way 
to  the  front  in  time  to  participate  in  the  closing 
incidents  of  the  war. 

In  18G8  Gen.  Harrison  declined  ::.  re-election  as 
jeporter,  and  resumed  the  pr.actice  of  law.  In  187(3 
he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although  de- 
/  'Gated,  the  brilliant  campaign  he  made  won  for  him 
a  National  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought,  es- 
pecial.y  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches.  In  1880, 
as  usnnl,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign, 
icnd  vfii  elected  to  theiUnited  States  Senate.  Here 
he  served  sis  years,  and  v/as  known  as  one  of  the 
ablest  men,  best  lawyer-"  .aid  strongest   debaters   in 


that  body.  "With  tiie  expiration  of  his  Senatorial 
term  he  returned  tf>  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
becoming  the  head  of  one  of  the  strongest  firms  in 
the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
inost  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country.  The 
convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in  June  and 
named  IMr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  standard  bearer 
of  the  Republican  partv,  was  great  in  every  partic- 
ular, and  on  this  account,  and  the  attitude  it  as- 
sumed uyon  the  vital  rpiestions  of  the  daj',  chief 
among  which  w.as  the  tariff,  awoke  a  deej)  interest 
in  the  campaign  throughout  the  Nation.  Shortly 
after  the  nomination  delegations  began  to  visit  Mr. 
Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his  home.  This  move- 
ment became  popular,  and  from  all  sections  of  thc- 
countr}^  societies,  clubs  and  delegations  journe3'ed 
thither  to  p.ay  their  respects  to  the  distinguished 
statesman.  The  popularity  of  these  was  greatly 
increased  on  account  of  the  remarkable  speeches 
made  by  Mr.  Harrison.  He  spoke  dail}-  all  through 
the  summer  and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delega- 
tions, and  so  varied,  masterly  and  eloquent  were 
his  speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 

On  account  of  iiis  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and  his 
l>ower  as  a  debater,  he  w.as  called  upon  at  an  un- 
commonly early  age  to  take  part  in  the  discussion 
of  the  gre.at  questnms  th.at  then  began  to  agitate 
the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising  ant: 
sla\ery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some  of  tlie 
n.ost  eminent  Democratic  sjieakers  of  his  State. 
No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade  desired  to 
be  pitted  with  him  again.  AVith  all  his  eloq-'ence 
as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  oratorical  effect, 
but  his  words  always  went  like  bullets  to  the  mark 
He  is  iKircly  American  in  his  ideas  and  is  a  spier 
did  typo  of  the  American  statesman.  Gifted  witi 
(piick  perception,  a  logical  mind  and  a  ready  tongue, 
he  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  impromptu 
speakers  in  the  Nation.  Many  of  these  si)eeches 
.'i|)arkled  with  the  rarest  of  eloquence  and  contained 
arguments  of  greatest  weight.  Many  of  his  terse 
statements  have  already  become  ai)horisms.  Origi- 
nal in  thought,  precise  iu  logic,  terse  in  statement, 
yet  withal  faultless  in  eloquence,  he  is  recognized  as 
the  sound  statesman  and  bril'ian*:  orator  o^"  the  day 


M%^ 


'tPU^-t^O^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


HADRACH  BOND,  Uie  first 
Governor  of  Illinois  after  its 
organization  as  a  State,  serving 
from  1818  to  1822,  was  born  in 
J  Frederick  County,  Maryland, 
in  the  year  1773,  and  was 
raised  a  farmer  on  his  father's 
plantation,  receiving  only  a  plain 
Englibh  education.  He  emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1794,  when  it  was  a 
part  of  the  "Northwest  Territory," 
continuing  in  the  vocation  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  native 
State,  in  the  "  New  Design,"  near 
Eagle  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
County.  He  served  several  terms  as 
a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Indiana  Territory,  after  it  was  organized  as  such, 
and  in  1812-14  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  taking  his  seat  Dec.  3, 
I  Si  2,  and  serving  until  Oct.  3,  (814.  These  were 
the  times,  the  reader  will  recollect,  when  this  Gov- 
ernment had  its  last  struggle  with  Great  Britain. 
The  year  1812  is  also  noted  in  the  history  of  this 
State  as  that  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
was  held.  It  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Nov.  25,  and 
adjourned  Dec.  26,  following. 

While  serving  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  Mr.  Bond 
was  instrumental  in  procuring  the  right  of  pre-emp- 
tion on  the  public  domain.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
term  at  Washington  he  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
Public  Moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  then  the  capital  of  the 
Territory.      In   company    with   John   G.    Comyges, 


Thomas  H.  Harris,  Charles  Slade,  Michael  Jones, 
Warren  Brown,  Edward  Humphries  and  Charles  W 
Hunter,  he  became  a  proprietor  of  the  site  of  the 
initial  city  of  Cairo,  which  they  hoped,  from  its  favor- 
able location  at  the  junction  of  the  two  greav 
rivers  near  the  center  of  the  Great  West,  would 
rapidly  develop  into  a  metropolis.  To  aid  the  enter- 
prise, they  obtained  a  special  charter  from  the  Legis- 
lature, incorporaUng  both  the  City  and  the  Bank  of 
Cairo. 

In  1818  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  the  first  Governor 
of  the   State  of  Illinois,   being  inaugurated  Oct.  6 
that  year,  which  was   several  weeks  before  Illinois 
was    actually    admitted.     The  facts  are  these:     In 
January,  1818,  the  Territorial  Legislature  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a 
State,   Nathaniel  Pope  being  then    Delegate.     The 
petition  was  granted,  fixing  the  northern  line  of  the 
State  on  the  latitude  of  the  southern  extremity  of 
Lake  Michigan;  but  the  bill  was  afterward  so  amend- 
ed as  to  extend  this  line  to  its  present  latitude.     In 
July  a  convention  was  called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a 
constitution,  which,  however,  was   not   submitted  to 
the  people.     By  its  provisions,  supreme  judges,  pros 
ecuUng  attorneys,  county  and  circuit  judges,  record- 
ers and  justices  of  the  peace  were  all  to  be  appointed 
by  the  Governor  or  elected  by  the  Legislature.    This 
constitution  was  accepted  by  Congress  Dec.  30.      At 
that   time   Illinois   comprised   but   eleven  counties, 
namely,    Randolph,    Madison,    Gallatin,    Johnson, 
Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington 
and  Franklin,  the  northern  portion  of  the  State  be- 
ing mainly  in   Madison  County.     Thus  it   appears 
that  Mr.  Bond  was    honored  by   the    naming  of  a 


SHADRACH  BOND. 


county  before  he  was  elected  Governor.  The  present 
county  of  Bond  is  of  small  limitations,  about  60  to  80 
miles  south  of  Springfield.  For  Lieutenant  Governor 
the  people  chose  Pierre  Menard,  a  prominent  and 
worthy  Frenchman,  after  whom  a  county  in  this  State 
is  named.  In  this  election  there  were  no  opposition 
candidates,  as  the  popularity  of  these  men  had  made 
tlieir  promotion  to  the  chief  offices  of  the  Siate,  even 
before  the  constitution  was  drafted,  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. 

The  principal  points  that  excited  the  people  in 
reference  to  political  issues  at  this  period  were  local 
or  "internal  improvements,"  as  they  were  called. 
State  banks,  location  of  the  capital,  slavery  and  the 
personal  characteristics  of  the  proposed  candidates. 
Mr.  Bond  represented  the  "  Convention  party,"  for 
introducing  slavery  into  the  State,  supported  by  Elias 
Ke  It  Kane,  liis  Secretary  of  State,  and  John  Mc- 
Lean, while  Nathaniel  Pope  and  John  P.  Cook  led 
the  anti-slavery  element.  The  people,  however,  did 
not  become  very  much  excited  over  this  issue  until 
1S20,  when  the  f.imTas  Missouri  Compromise  was 
adopted  by  Congress,  limiting  slavery  to  the  south 
of  the  parallel  of  36°  30'  except  in  Missouri.  While 
this  measure  settled  the  great  slavery  controversy, 
so  far  as  the  average  public  sentiment  was  tempor- 
arily concerned,  until  1854,  when  it  was  repealed 
under  the  leidership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  issue 
as  considered  locally  in  this  State  was  not  decided 
until  1S24,  after  a  most  furious  campaign.  (See 
sketch  of  Gov.  Coles.)  The  ticket  of  1818  was  a 
compromise  one,  Bond  representing  (moderately)  the 
pro-slavery  sentiment  and  Menard  the  anti-slavery. 

An  awkward  element  in  the  State  government 
under  Gov.  Bond's  administration,  was  the  imperfec- 
tion of  the  State  constitution.  The  Convention 
wished  to  have  Elijah  C.  Berry  for  the  first  Auditor 
of  Public  Accounts,  but,  as  it  was  believed  that  the 
new  Governor  would  not  appoint  him  to  the  office, 
t-lie  Convention  declared  in  a  schedule  that  "  an 
auditor  of  public  accounts,  an  attorney  general  and 
such  other  officers  of  the  State  as  may  be  necessary, 
may  be  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly."  The 
Constitution,  as  it  stood,  vested  a  very  large  apixsint- 
ing  power  in  the  Governor ;  but  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  one  man  into  office,  a  total  change  was  made, 
and  the  power  vested  in  the  Legislature.  Of  this 
provision  the  Legislature   took  advantage,  and   de- 


clared that  State's  attorneys,  canal  commissioners, 
bank  directors,  etc.,  were  all  '"  officers  of  the  State  " 
and  must  therefore  be  appointed  by  itself  independ- 
ently of  the  Governor. 

During  Gov.  Bond's  administration  a  general  law 
was  passed  for  the  incorporation  of  academies  and 
towns,  and  one  authorizing  lotteries.  The  session  of 
1822  authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners, to  act  in  conjunction  with  like  commissioners 
appointed  by  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  report  on  the 
practicability  and  expediency  of  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Wabash  River;  also  inland  navigation 
generally.  Many  improvements  were  recommended, 
some  of  which  have  been  feebly  worked  at  even  till 
the  present  day,  those  along  the  Wabash  being  of  no 
value.  Also,  during  Gov.  Bond's  term  of  office,  the 
capital  of  the  State  was  removed  from  Kaskaskia  to 
Vandalia.  In  1820  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress 
authorizing  this  State  to  open  a  canal  through  the 
public  lands.  The  State  appointed  commissioners 
to  explore  the  route  and  prepare  the  necessary  sur- 
veys and  estimates,  preparatory  to  its  execution ; 
but,  being  unable  out  of  its  own  resources  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  it  was  abandoned 
until  some  time  after  Congress  made  the  grant  of 
land  for  the  purpose  of  its  construction. 

On  the  whole.  Gov.  Bond's  administration  was 
fairly  good,  not  being  open  to  severe  criticism  from 
any  party.  In  1S24,  two  years  after  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  brought  out  as  a  candi- 
date for  Congress  against  the  formidable  John  P. 
Cook,  but  received  only  4,374  votes  to  7,460  for  the 
latter.  Gov.  Bond  was  no  orator,  but  had  made 
many  fast  friends  by  a  judicious  bestowment  of  his 
gubernatorial  patronage,  and  these  worked  zealously 
for  him  in  the  campaign. 

In  1827  e.x-Gov.  Bond  was  appointed  by  the  Leg- 
islature, with  Wm.  P.  McKee  and  Dr.  Gershoni 
Jayne,  as  Commissioners  to  locate  a  site  for  a  peni- 
tentiary on  the  Mississippi  at  or  near  Alton. 

Mr.  Bond  was  of  a  benevolent  and  convivial  dis- 
position, a  man  of  shrewd  observation  and  clear  ap- 
preciation of  events.  His  person  was  erect,  stand- 
ing six  feet  in  height,  and  after  middle  life  became 
portly,  weighing  200  pounds.  His  features  were 
strongly  masculine,  complexion  dark,  hair  jet  and 
eyes  hazel ;  was  a  favorite  with  the  ladies.  He  died 
April  1 1,  1S30,  in  peace  and  contentment. 


Id^t^^-UA^)  Coxi<^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


"S 


lEbwarb  Coles. 


DWARD  COLES,  second 
Governor  of  Illinois,  1823- 
,  6,  was  born  Dec.  15,  1786, 
in  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  on 
the  old  family  estate  called 
"  Enniscorthy,"  on  the 
Green  Mountain.  His  fath- 
er, Jolin  Coles,  was  a  Colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Having  been  fit- 
ted for  college  by  private  tutors,  he 
was  sent  to  Hampden  Sidney,  where 
lie  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1805, 
when  he  was  removed  to  William  and 
Mary  College,  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
This  college  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
I  Soy,  a  short  time  before  the  final  and  graduating 
exami  lation.  Among  his  classmates  were  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  President  Jolm  Tyler,  Wm.  S.  Archer, 
United  Slates  Senator  from  Virginia,  and  Justice 
Baldwin,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
Presiilent  of  the  latter  college,  Bishop  Madison,  was 
a  cousin  of  President  James  Madison,  and  that  cir- 
cumstance was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Coles  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  the  President  and  re- 
ceiving a  position  as  his  private  secretary,  1809-15. 
The  family  of  Coles  was  a  prominent  one  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  their  mansion  was  the  seat  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Virginian  hospitality.  It  was  visited  by 
such  potables  as  Patrick  Heury,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Monroe,  the  Randolphs,  Tazewell,  Wirt,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  23,  young  Coles  found  himself  heir  to  a  plant- 
ation and  a  considerable  numl)er  of  slaves.  Ever 
since  his  earlier  college  days  his  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  slavery.     He    read    every- 


thing on  the  subject  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
listened  to  lectures  on  the  rights  of  man.  The  more 
he  reflected  upon  the  subject,  the  more  impossible 
was  it  for  him  to  reconcile  the  immortal  declaration 
"that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal  "  with  the 
practice  of  slave-holding.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
free  his  slaves  the  first  opportunity,  and  even  remove 
his  residence  to  a  free  State.  One  reason  vi^hich  de- 
termined him  to  accept  the  appointment  as  private 
secretary  to  Mr.  Madison  was  because  he  believed 
that  through  the  acquaintances  he  could  make  at 
Washington  he  could  better  determine  in  what  part 
of  the  non-slaveho!ding  portion  of  the  Union  he  would 
prefer  to  settle. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Coles  and  President 
Madison,  as  well  as  Jefferson  and  other  distinguished 
men,  were  of  a  very  friendly  character,  arising  from 
the  similarity  of  their  views  on  the  question  of  slavery 
and  their  sympathy  for  each  other  in  holding  doc- 
trines so  much  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment in  their  own  State. 

In  1857,  he  resigned  his  secretaryship  and  spent  a 
portion  of  the  following  autimin  in  exploring  the 
Northwest  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  lo- 
cation and  purchasing  lands  on  which  to  settle  his 
negroes.  He  traveled  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  with 
an  extra  man  and  horse  for  emergencies,  through 
many  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
determining  finally  to  settle  in  Illinois.  At  this  time, 
however,  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
Government  and  Russia,  and  Mr.  Coles  was  selected 
to  repair  to  St.  Petersburg  on  a  special  mission,  bear- 
ing important  papers  concerning  the  matter  at  issue. 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  the   Emperor   (Alex- 


ii6 


EDWARD  COLES. 


andcr)  of  the  error  committed  by  his  minister  at 
Washington,  and  tlie  consequent  withdrawal  of  the 
the  latter  from  the  post.  On  his  return,  Mr.  Coles 
visited  other  parts  of  Europe,  especially  Paris,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  Gen.  Lafayette. 

In  the  spring  of  i8ig,  he  removed  with  all  his 
negroes  from  Virginia  to  Edwardsville,  111.,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  them  their  liberty.  He  did  not 
make  known  to  them  his  intention  until  one  beautiful 
morning  in  April,  as  they  were  descending  the  Ohio 
River.  He  lashed  all  the  boats  together  and  called 
all  the  negroes  on  deck  and  made  them  a  short  ad- 
dress, concluding  his  remarks  by  so  expressing  him- 
self that  by  a  turn  of  a  sentence  he  proclaimed  in 
the  shortest  and  fullest  manner  that  they  were  no 
longer  slaves,  but  free  as  he  was  and  were  at  liberty 
to  proceed  with  him  or  go  ashore  at  their  pleas- 
ure. A  description  of  the  effect  upon  the  negroes  is 
best  desciibed  in  his  own  language  : 

"The  effect  upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared 
at  n-.e  and  then  at  each  other,  as  if  doubting  the  ac- 
curacy or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word, 
but  with  countenances  beaming  with  e.xpression  whicli 
no  words  could  convey,  and  which  no  language 
can  describe.  As  they  began  to  see  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  heard,  and  realize  their  situation,  there 
came  on  a  kind  of  hysterical,  giggling  laugh.  After 
a  pause  of  intense  and  unutterable  emotion,  bathed 
in  tears,  and  with  tremulous  voices,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  gratitude  and  implored  the  blessing  of  God 
on  me." 

Before  landing  he  gave  them  a  general  certificate 
of  freedom,  and  afterward  conformed  more  particu- 
larly with  the  law  of  this  State  requiring  that  each 
individual  should  have  a  certificate.  This  act  of 
Mr.  Coles,  all  the  more  noble  and  heroic  considering 
the  overwhelming  pro-slavery  influences  surrounding 
him,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  philan- 
thropist of  inodern  tiines. 

March  5,  1819,  President  Monroe  appointed  Mr. 
Coles  Registrar  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsvihe, 
at  that  time  one  of  the  principal  land  offices  in  the 
State.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  and  gaining 
many  friends  by  his  jwliteness  and  general  intelli- 
gence, the  greatest  struggle  that  ever  occurred  in 
Illinois  on  the  slavery  ques'.ion  culminated  in  the 
furious  contest  characterizing  the  campaigns  and 
elections  of  1822-4.  In  the  sumnrer  of  1823,  when  a 
new  Governor  was  to  be  elected  to  succeed  Mr. 
Bond,  the  pro-slavery  element  divided  into  factions, 
putting  forward  for  the  executive  office  Joseph 
Phillips,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  Thomas  C. 
Browne  and  Gen.  James  B.  Moore,  of  the  State  Mil- 
itia. The  anti-slavery  element  united  upon  Mr. 
(-oles,  and,  after  one  of  the  most  bitter  campaigns, 
succeeded  in  electing  him  as  Governor.  His  plural- 
ity over  Judge  Phillips  was  only  59  in  a  total  vote  of 


over  8,000.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  elected 
by  the  slavery  men.  Mr.  Coles' inauguration  speech 
was  marked  by  calmness,  deliberation  and  such  a 
wise  expression  of  appropriate  suggestions  as  to 
elicit  the  sanction  of  all  judicious  politicians.  But 
he  com|)roniised  not  with  evil.  In  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  the  seat  of  Government  being  then 
at  Vandalia,  he  strongly  urged  the  abrogation  of  the 
modified  form  of  slavery  which  then  existed  in  this 
State,  contrary  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  His  posi- 
tion on  this  subject  seems  the  more  remarkable,  when 
it  is  considered  that  he  was  a  minority  Governor,  the 
population  of  Illinois  being  at  that  time  almost  ex- 
clusively from  slave-holding  States  and  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  the  perpetuation  of  that  old  relic 
of  barbarism.  The  Legislature  itself  was,  of  course, 
a  reflex  of  the  popular  sentiment,  and  a  majority  of 
them  were  led  on  by  fiery  men  in  denunciations  of 
the  conscientious  Governor,  and  in  curses  loud  and 
deep  upon  him  and  all  his  friends.  Some  of  the 
public  men,  indeed,  went  so  far  as  to  head  a  sort  of 
mob,  or  "  shiveree  "  party,  who  visited  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  and  others  at  Vandalia  and  yelled 
and  groaned  and  spat  fire. 

The  Constitution,  not  establishing  or  permitting 
slavery  in  this  State,  was  thought  therefore  to  be 
defective  by  the  slavery  politicians,  and  they  desired 
a  State  Convention  to  be  elected,  to  devise  and  sub- 
mit a  new  Constitution;  and  the  dominant  politics 
of  the  day  was  "Convention"  and  "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both  parties  issued  addresses  to  the  people. 
Gov.  Coles  himself  being  the  author  of  the  address 
published  by  the  latter  party.  This  address  revealed 
the  schemes  of  the  conspirators  in  a  masterly  .nan- 
ner.  It  is  difficult  for  us  at  this  distant  day  to  esti- 
mate the  critical  and  extremely  delicate  situation  iii 
which  the  Governor  was  placed  at  that  time. 

Our  hero  maintained  himself  honorably  and  with 
supreme  dignity  throughout  his  administration,  and 
in  his  honor  a  county  in  this  State  is  named.  He 
was  truly  a  great  man,  and  thqse  who  lived  in 
this  State  during  his  sojourn  here,  like  those  who- 
live  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  were  too  near  to  see 
and  recognize  the  greatness  that  overshadowed  them. 

Mr.  Coles  was  married  Nov.  28,  1S33,  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  to  Miss  Sally  I_x)gan  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Roberts,  a  descendant  of  Welsh  ancestrv, 
who  cami  to  this  country  with  Wm.    Penn  in    1682. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service.  Gov. 
Coles  continued  his  residence  in  Edwardsville,  sup- 
erintending his  farm  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fond 
of  agriculture,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  agri- 
cultural society  in  the  State.  On  account  ^  ill 
health,  however,  and  having  no  family  to  tie  him 
down,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Eastern  cities. 
About  1832  he  changed  his  residence  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  died  July  7,  1868,  and  is  buried  at 
Woodland,  near  that  city. 


'  O  c^^-c^yi^^^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


^  fe^rf  ^ 


— ^..<^-4^4.^-».. 


■3 


INIAN  EDWARDS,  Govei  nor 
from  1827  to  1830,  was  a  son 
of  Benjamin  Edwards,  and 
was  born  in  Montgomery 
o  County,  Maryland,  in  March, 
"'  -^  \TT^-  His  domestic  train- 
^^'  ing  was  well  fitted  to  give 
his  mind  strength,  firmness  and 
honorable  princii)les,  and  a  good 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  elevated 
character  to  which  he  afterwards 
attained.  His  parents  were  Bap- 
tists, and  very  strict  in  their  moral 
principles.  His  education  in  early 
youth  was  in  company  with  and 
partly  under  the  tuition  of  Hon.  \Vm. 
Wirt,  whom  his  father  patronized^ 
and  who  was  more  than  two  years 
older.  An  intimacy  was  thus 
formed  between  them  which  was  lasting  for  life.  He 
was  further  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.  He  ne.Kt  commenced  the  study  of  law,  l.)ut 
before  completing  his  course  he  moved  to  Nelson 
County,  Ky.,  to  open  a  farm  for  his  father  and  to 
purchase  homes  and  locate  lands  for  his  brothers  and 
sisters.  Here  he  fell  in  the  company  of  dissolute 
companions,  and  for  several  years  led  the  life  of  a 
spendthrift.  He  was,  however,  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  as  the  Representative  of  Nelson 
i^ounty  before  he  was  2  i  years  of  age,  and  was  re- 
elected by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 


In  1798  he  was  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  the 
following  year  was  admitted  to  the  Courts  of  Tennes- 
see. About  this  time  he  left  Nelson  County  for 
Russellville,  in  Logan  County,  broke  away  from  his 
dissolute  companions,  commenced  a  reformation  and 
devoted  himself  to  severe  and  laborious  study.  He 
then  began  to  rise  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  soon 
became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  inside  of  four  years 
he  filled  in  succession  the  offices  of  Presiding  Judge 
of  the  General  Court,  Circuit  Judge,  fourth  Jndge  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  State, 
— all  before  he  was  32  years  of  age  !  \\\  addition,  in 
1802,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  of  a  battal- 
ion of  Kentucky  militia,  and  in  1804  was  chosen  a 
Presidential  Elector,  on  the  Jefferson  and  Clinton 
ticket.  In  1806  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
but  withdrew  on  being  promoted  to  the  Court  of 
Appeals. 

Illinois  was  organized  as  a  separate  Territory  in 
the  spring  of  iSog,  when  Mr.  Edwards,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  received 
from  President  Madison  the  appointment  as  Gover- 
nor of  the  new  Territory,  his  commission  bearing  date 
April  24,  1809.  Edwards  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  ia 
June,  and  on  the  i  ith  of  that  month  took  the  oaih  cf 
office.  At  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  Saline,  this  Government 
interest  then  developinginto considerable  proi)oniou.> 
in  Southern  Illinois.  Although  during  tlie  first  three 
years  of  bis  administration  he  had  the  power  to  make 
new  counties  and  appoint  all  the  officers,  yet  he  always 
allowed  the  people  of  each  county,  by  an   informal 


120 


NINIAN  EDWARDS. 


vote,  to  select  their  own  officers,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. The  noted  John  J.  Crittenden,  afterward 
United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  appointed 
by  Gev.  Edwards  to  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of 
the  Territory,  which  office  was  accepted  for  a  short 
time  only. 

The  Indians  in  t8io  committing  sundry  depreda- 
tions in  the  Territory,  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  a  long  correspondence  fol- 
lowed between  the  respective  Governors  concerning 
the  remedies,  which  ended  in  a  council  with  the  sav- 
ages at  Peoria  in  1S12,  and  a  fresh  interpretation  of 
the  treaties.  Peoria  was  depopulated  by  these  de- 
predations, and  was  not  re-settled  for  many  _years 
afterward. 

As  Gov.  Edwards'  term  of  office  expired  by  law  in 
181 2,  he  was  re-appointed  for  anotiier  term  of  three 
years,  and  again  in  1815  for  a  third  term,  serving 
until  the  organization  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  181 8 
and  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Bond.  At  this  time 
e.x-Gov.  Edwards  was  sent  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  his  colleague  being  Jesse  B.  Thomas.  As 
Senator,  Mr.  Edwards  took  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
acquitted  himself  honorably  in  all  the  measures  that 
came  up  in  that  body,  being  well  posted,  an  able  de- 
Liater  and  a  conscientious  statesman.  He  thought 
seriously  of  resigning  this  situation  in  i82i,but  was 
persuaded  by  his  old  friend,  Wm.  Wirt,  and  others  to 
continue  in  office,  which  he  did  to  the  end  of  the 
term. 

He  was  then  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico  by 
President  Monroe.  About  this  time,  it  appears  that 
Mr.  Edwards  saw  suspicious  signs  in  the  conduct  of 
Wm.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  and  an  ambitious  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  being  implicated  by  the  latter  in  some  of 
his  statements,  he  resigned  his  Mexican  mission  in 
order  fully  to  investigate  the  charges.  The  result 
was  the  exculpation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

Pro-slavery  regulations,  often  termed  "Black  Laws," 
disgraced  the  statute  books  of  both  the  Territory  and 
'.he  State  of  Illinois  during  the  whole  of  his  career  in 
Jiis  commonwealth,  and  Mr.  Edwards  always  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  freedom,  and  was  an  important 
;xtor  in  the  great  struggle  which  ended  in  a  victory 
for  his  party  in  1824. 

In  182&-7  the  Winnebago  and  other  Indians  com- 
mitted son-e  depredations  in  the  northern  part  of  the 


State,  and  the  white  settlers,  who  desired  the  lands 
and  wished  to  exasperate  the  savages  into  an  evacu- 
ation of  the  country,  magnified  the  misdemeanors  of 
the  aborigines  and  thereby  produced  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  races  so  great  as  to  precipitate  a  little  war, 
known  in  history  as  the  "Winnebago  War."  A  few 
chases  and  skirmishes  were  had,  when  Gen.  Atkinson 
succeeded  in  capturing  Red  Bird,  tlie  Indian  chief, 
and  putting  him  to  death,  thus  ending  the  contest,  at 
least  until  the  troubles  commenced  which  ended  in 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War  "  of  1832.  In  the  interpre- 
tation of  treaties  and  execution  of  their  provisions 
Gov.  Edwards  had  much  vexatious  work  to  do.  The 
Indians  kept  themselves  generally  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Michigan  Territory,  and  its  Governor, 
Lewis  Cass,  was  at  a  point  so  remote  that  ready  cor- 
respondence with  him  was  difficult  or  impossible. 
Gov.  Edwards'  administration,  however,  in  regard  to 
the  protection  of -the  Illinois  frontier,  seems  to  have 
been  very  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

For  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  Gov.  Edwards  resided  upon  his 
farm  near  Kaskaskia,  which  he  had  well  stocked  with 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  from  Kentucky,  also  with 
fruit-trees,  grape-vines  and  shrubbery.  He  estab- 
lished saw  and  grist-mills,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  mercantile  business,  having  no  less  than  eight  or  ten 
stores  in  this  State  and  Missouri.  Notwithstanding 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  nearly  always  pur- 
chased the  goods  himself  with  which  to  supply  the 
stores.  Although  not  a  regular  practitioner  of  medi- 
cine, he  studied  the  healing  art  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  took  great  pleasure  in  prescribing  for,  and 
taking  .care  of,  the  sick,  generally  without  charge. 
He  was  also  liberal  to  the  poor,  several  widows  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel  becoming  indebted  to  him 
even  for  their  homes. 

He  married  Miss  Elvira  Lane,  of  Maryland,  in 
1803,  and  they  became  the  affectionate  parents  of 
several  children,  one  of  whom,  especially,  is  weL 
known  to  the  people  of  the  '■  Prairie  State,"  namely, 
Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  once  the  Superintendent  c' 
Public  Instruction  and  still  a  resident  of  Springfield 
Gov.  Edwards  resided  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Kas- 
kaskia from  1809  to  1818;  in  Edwardsville  (named 
after  him)  from  that  time  to  1824;  and  from  the  lat- 
ter date  at  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  until  his 
death,  July  20,  1833,  of  .Asiatic  cholera.  Edwards 
County  is  also  named  in  his  honor. 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


:l%^€»s^^V®)S<®>^X£>^^ 


goto  ^e§!i0lfe.     ^# 


( )HN  REYNOLDS,  Governor  1831- 

i-^»»  4'  ^^'is  born  in  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  Feb.  26,  1788. 
His  father,  Robert  Reynolds  and 
his  mother,  nee  Margaret  Moore, 
were  botli  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1785,  land- 
ing at  Philadelphia.  The  senior 
Reynolds  entertained  an  undying 
liostility  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment. When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  about  six  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to 
Tennessee,  where  many  of  their 
relatives  had  already  located,  at  the  base  of  the 
Copper  Ridge  Mountain,  about  14  miles  northeast  of 
the  present  city  of  Knoxville.  There  they  were  ex- 
posed to  Indian  depredations,  and  were  much  molest- 
ed by  them.  In  1794  they  moved  into  the  interior 
of  the  State.  They  were  poor,  and  brought  up  their 
children  to  habits  of  manual  industry. 

In  1800  the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  111.,  with 
eight  horses  and  two  wagons,  encountering  many 
Hardships  on  the  way.  Here  young  Reynolds  passed 
the  most  of  his  childhood,  while  his  character  began 
to  develop,  the  most  prominent  traits  of  which  were 
ambition  and  energy.  He  also  adopted  the  principle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquors.     In  1807  the  family  made  another  removal, 


this  time  to  the  "  Goshen  Settlement,"  at  the  foot  of 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  three  or  four  miles  soutliwest 
of  Edwardsville. 

On  arriving  at  his  20th  year,  Mr.  Reynolds,  seeing 
tiiat  he  must  look  about  for  his  own  livelihood  and 
nut  yet  having  determined  what  calling  to  pursue, 
concluded  first  to  attend  college,  and  he  accordingly 
went  to  such  an  institution  of  learning,  near  Knox- 
ville, Tenn.,  where  he  had  relatives.  Imagine  his 
diffidence,  when,  after  passing  the  first  20  years  of 
liis  life  without  ever  having  seen  a  carpet,  a  papered 
wall  or  a  Windsor  chair,  and  never  having  lived  in  a 
shingle-roofed  house,  he  suddenly  ushered  himseh' 
into  the  society  of  the  wealthy  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville!  He  attended  college  nearly  two  years, 
going  through  the  principal  Latin  authors ;  but  it 
seems  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world  in  modern 
times,  had  but  very  little  use  for  his  Latin  in  after 
life.  He  always  failed,  indeed,  to  exhibit  any  gooo 
degree  of  literary  disciplme.  He  commenced  tlie 
study  of  law  in  Knoxville,  l)ut  a  pulmonary  trouble 
came  on  and  compelled  Iiim  to  change  his  mode 
of  life.  Accordingly  he  returned  home  and  re- 
cuperated, and  in  r8t2  resumed  his  college  and 
law  studies  at  Knoxville.  In  the  fall  of  1812  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Kaskaskia.  About  this  time 
he  also  learned  the  French  language,  which  he 
practiced  witli  pleasure  in  conversation  with  his 
family  for  many  years.  He  regarded  this  language 
as  being  superior  to  all  others  for  social    intercourse. 


124 


JOHN  REYNOLDS. 


From  his  ser.nces  in  the  West,  in  the  war  of  1812, 
he  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  Ranger."  He 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  then  Judge  Advocate. 

Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  first  law  office  in  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1814,  inthe  French  village  of 
Cahokia,  then  the  capital  of  St.  Clair  County. 

In  the  fall  of  1818  he  was  elected  an  Associate 
Justice  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  by  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1825  he  entered  more  earnestly  than 
ever  into  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  very  next  year 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  where  he 
acted  independently  of  all  cliques  and  private  inter- 
ests. In  1828  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  for 
the  first  time  distinctively  organized  as  such  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  usual  party  bitterness  grew  up  and 
raged  on  all  sides,  while  Mr.  Reynolds  preserved  a 
•udicial  calmness  and  moderation.  The  real  animus 
if  the  campaign  was  "  Jackson  "  and  "  anti-Jackson," 
"he  former  party  carr>'ing  the  State. 

In  August,  1830,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  elected  Gov- 
.rnor,  amid  great  excitement.  Installed  in  office,  he 
did  all  within  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, internal  improvements,  the  Illinois  «S:  Mich- 
igan Canal,  the  harbor  at  Chicago,  settling  the  coun- 
try, etc.;  also  reccmmended  the  winding  up  of  the 
State  Bank,  as  its  affairs  had  become  dangerously 
complicated.  In  his  national  politics,  he  was  a 
moderate  supporter  of  General  Jackson.  But  the 
most  celebrated  event  of  his  gubernatorial  admin- 
istration was  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  occurred 
in  1832.  He  called  out  the  militia  and  prosecuted 
the  contest  with  commendable  diligence,  appearing 
in  i)erson  on  the  battle-grounds  during  the  most 
critical  periods.  He  was  recognized  by  the  President 
as  Major-General.and  authorized  by  him  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
general  Government  the  war  was  terminated  without 
much  bloodshed,  but  after  many  serious  fights.  This 
war,  as  well  as  everything  else,  was  materially  re- 
tarded by  the  occurrence  of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the 
West.  This  was  its  first  appearance  here,  and  was 
llie  next  event  in  prominence  during  Gov.  Reynolds' 
term. 

South  Carolina  nullification  coming  up  at  this  time, 
r  was  heartily  condemned  by  both  President  Jackson 
c.nd  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  took  precisely  the  same 
grounds  as  the  Unionists  in  the  last  war. 

On  the  termination  of  his  gubernatorial  term  in 
•  834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, still  coiisidering  himself  a  backwoodsman,  as 
'  e  had  scarcely  been  outside  of  the  State  since  he 
became  of  age,  and  had  spent  nearly  all  his  youthful 
days  in  the  wildest  region  of  the  frontier.  His  first 
•nove  in  Congress  was  to  adopt  a  resolution  that  in 
all  elections  made  by  the  House  for  officers  the  votes 
should  be  given  viva  voce,  each  member  in  his  jilace 
naming  aloud  the  person  for  whom  he  votes.  This 
created  considerable  heated  discussion,  but  was  es- 


sentially adopted,  and  remained  the  controlling  prin- 
cipte  for  many  years.  The  ex-Governor  was  scarcely 
absent  from  his  seat  a  single  day,  during  eight  ses- 
sions of  Congress,  covering  a  period  of  seven  years, 
and  he  never  vacillated  in  a  party  vote;  but  he  failed 
to  get  the  Democratic  party  to  foster  his  "  National 
Road"  scheme.  He  says,  in  "My  Own  Times"  (a 
large  autobiography  he  published),  that  it  was  only 
by  rigid  economy  that  he  avoided  insolvency  while  in 
\Vashington.  During  his  sojourn  in  that  city  he  was 
married,  to  a  lady  of  the  place. 

In  1837,  while  out  of  Congress,  and  in  company 
with  a  few  others,  he  built  the  first  railroad  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  one  about  six  miles  long, 
leading  from  his  coal  mine  in  the  Mississippi  bluff  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis.  Having  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  locomotive,  they  operated  it 
by  horse-power.  The  next  spring,  however,  the  com- 
pany sold  out,  at  great  sacrifice. 

In  1839  the  ex-Governor  was  apix)inted  one  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners,  and  authorized  to  borrow 
money  to  prosecute  the  enterprise.  Accord' ngly,  he 
repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  succeeding  in  obtaining 
a  million  dollars,  which,  however,  was  only  a  fourth 
of  what  was  wanted.  The  same  year  he  and  his 
wife  made  at  our  of  Europe.  This  year,  also,  Mr. 
Reynolds  had  the  rather  awkward  little  resjxjnsibility 
of  introducing  to  President  Van  Buren  the  noted 
Mormon  Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a  "  Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In  1846  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County,  more  particu- 
larly for  the  pur[X)3e  of  obtaining  a  feasible  charter 
for  a  macadamized  road  from  Belleville  to  St.  Louis, 
a  distance  of  nearly  14  miles.  This  wasimmedia,tely 
built,  and  was  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
He  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1852,  when 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1S60,  aged 
and  infirm,  he  attended  the  National  Democratic 
Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  as  an  anti-Douglas 
Delegate,  where  he  received  more  attention  from  the 
Southern  Delegates  than  any  other  member.  He 
supported  Breckenridge  for  the  Presidency.  After 
the  October  elections  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
Lincoln,  he  published  an  address  urging  the  Demo- 
crats to  rally  to  the  support  of  Douglas.  Immedi- 
ately preceding  and  during  the  late  war,  his  corre- 
spondence evinced  a  clear  sympathy  for  the  Southern 
secession,  and  about  the  first  of  March,  1861,  he 
urged  upon  the  Buchanan  officials  the  seizure  of  the 
treasure  and  arms  in  the  custom-house  and  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  rather  talkative 
man,  and  apt  in  all  the  Western  phrases  and  catch- 
words that  ever  gained  currency,  besides  many  cun- 
ning and  odd  ones  of  his  own  manufacture. 

He  was  married  twice,  but  had  no  children.  He 
died  in  Belleville,  in  May,  1865,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


127 


>-i-^ — '"mtm-^i^^ — s^-i-<- — ■ 


I.LIAM  LEE  U.  EVVING, 
"-  Governor  of  Illinois  Nov.  3 
'ip  to  17,  1834,  was  a  native 
of  Kenlucky,  and  probably 
of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  bad 
a  fine  education,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  polisbed  manners  and 
refined  sentiment.  In  1830  John  Rey- 
nolds was  elected  Governor  of  the  State, 
and  Zadok  Casey  Lieutenant  Governor, 
and  fur  the  i)rincipal  events  that  followed, 
and  the  characteristics  of  the  times,  see 
sketch  of  Gov.  Reynolds.  The  first  we 
see  in  history  concerning  Mr.  Ewing,  in- 
forms us  that  he  was  a  Receiver  of  Public 
Moi.eys  at  Vandalia  soon  after  the  organization  of 
Wiis  State,  and  that  the  public  moneys  in  his  Jiands 
vere  deposited  in  various  banks,  as  they  are  usually 
.'  tJK  present  day.  In  1823  the  State  Bank  was 
obbed,  by  which  disaster  Mr.  Ewing  lost  a  thousand- 
dollar  deposit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  commission  as 
colonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  in  emergencies 
he  acled  also  as  Major.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
■^"/hen  i  vras  rumored  among  the  whites  that  Black 
Hawk  ar.d  his  men  had  encamped  somewhere  on 
Rock  River,  Gen.  Henry  was  sent  on  a  tour  of 
reconnoisance,  and  with  orders  to  drive  the  Indians 
from  the  State.  After  some  opposition  from  his 
subordinate  officers,  Henry  resolved  to  proceed  up 
Rock  River  in  search  of  the  enemy.  On  tlie  igth  of 
July,   early  in  the    morning,    five   baggage    wagons, 


camp  eijuipage  and  all  heavy  and  cumbersome  arti- 
cles were  piled  up  and  left,  so  that  the  army  might 
make  speedy  and  forced  marches.  For  some  miles 
the  travel  was  exceedingly  bad,  crossing  swamps 
and  the  worst  thickets;  but  the  large,  fresh  trail 
give  life  and  animation  to  the  Americans.  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Col.  Ewing  were  both  acting  as  Majors, 
and  composed  the  "  spy  corps  "  or  vanguard  of  the 
army.  It  is  supposed  the  army  marched  nearly  50 
miles  this  day,  and  the  Indian  trail  they  followed 
became  fresher,  and  was  strewed  with  much  property 
and  trinkets  of  the  red-skins  that  they  had  lost  or 
thrown  away  to  hasten  tlieir  march.  Daring  the 
following  night  tiiere  was  a  terrific  thunder-storm,  and 
the  soldiery,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  were  thor- 
oughly drenched. 

On  approaching  nearer  the  Indians  the  next  day. 
Gen.  Dodge  and  Major  Ewing,  each  commanding  a 
battalion  of  men,  were  placed  in  front  to  bring  on  the 
battle,  but  the  savages  were  not  overtaken  this  day 
Forced  marches  were  continued  until  tiiey  reached. 
Wisconsin  River,  where  a  veritable  battle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  about  68  of  Black  Hawk's 
men.  The  next  day  they  continued  the  chase,  and 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  trail  of  the  Indians 
leading  toward  the  Mississippi,  Maj.  Ewing  formed 
his  battalion  in  order  of  battle  and  awaited  tlie  order 
of  Gen.  Henry.  The  latter  soon  appeared  on  the 
ground  and  ordered  a  charge,  which  directly  resulted 
in  chasing  the  red  warriors  across  the  great  river. 
Maj.  Ewing  and  his  command  proved  particularly 
efficient  in  war,  as  it  seems  they  were  the  chief  actors 
in  driving  the  main  body  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  in- 


128 


WILLIAM  L.  D.  EWING. 


eluding  Black  Hawk  himself,  across  ihe  Mississippi, 
wliile  Gen.  Atkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  ex- 
pedition, with  a  body  of  the  army,  was  hunting  for 
tliem  'n  another  direction. 

In  the  above  affair  Maj.  Ewing  is  often  referred  to 
as  a  "General,"  whicli  title  he  had  derived  from  his 
connection  with  the  militia. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  (1S32) 
that  Lieutenant  Governor  Casey  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress and  Gen.  Ewing,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
Senate,  was  chosen  to  preside  over  that  body.  At 
ihe  August  election  of  1S34,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  also 
elected  to  Congress,  more  than  a  year  ahead  of  the 
time  at  which  he  could  actually  take  his  seat,  as  was 
then  the  law.  His  predecessor,  Chailes  Slade,  had 
just  died  of  Asiatic  cholera,  soon  after  the  elec- 
tion, and  Gov.  Reynolds  was  chosen  to  serve  out  his 
unexpired  term.  Accordingly  he  set  out  for  Wash- 
i:-;gton  in  November  of  that  year  to  take  his  seat  in 
Congress,  and  Gen.  Ewing,  by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
President  of  the  Senate,  became  Governor  of  the 
Stat3  of  Illinois,  his  term  covering  only  a  period  of 
15  davs,  namely,  from  the  3d  to  the  17th  days,  in- 
clusive, of  November.  On  the  17th  the  Legislature 
met,  and  Gov.  Ewing  transmitted  to  that  body  his 
message,  giving  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and  urging  a  contin- 
uance of  the  policy  adopted  by  his  predecessor;  and 
on  the  same  day  Governor  elect  Joseph  Duncan 
Tfas  sworn  into  office,  thus  relieving  Mr.  Ewing  from 


the  responsible  situation.  This  is  the  only  time  that 
such  a  juncture  has  happened  in  the  history  of  Illi- 
nois. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1835,  Gen.  Ewing  was 
elected  a  United  States  Senator  to  serve  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Elias  Kent  Kane,  deceased.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the 
early  politics  of  lUinoif,  and  a  county  in  this  State  is 
named  in  his  honor.  The  election  of  Gen.  Ewing  to 
the  Senate  was  a  protracted  struggle.  His  competi- 
tors were  James  Semple,  who  afterwards  held  several 
innxjrtant  offices  in  this  State,  and  Richard  M. 
Young,  afterward  a  United  States  Senator  and  a 
Supreme  Judge  and  a  man  of  vast  influence.  On 
the  first  ballot  Mr.  Semple  had  25  votes,  Young  19 
and  Ewing  18.  On  the  eighth  ballot  Young  was 
dropped ;  the  ninth  and  tenth  stood  a  tie  ;  but  on 
the  i2tli  Ewing  received  40,  to  Semple  37,  and  was 
accordingly  declared  elected.  In  1S37  Mr.  Ewing 
received  some  votes  for  a  continuance  of  his  term  in 
Congress,  when  Mr.  Young,  just  referred  to,  was 
elected.  In  1842  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  State 
Audit':>r  on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Ford. 

Gen.  Ewing  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  was  much  in  public  life.  In  person 
he  was  above  medium  height  and  of  heavy  build, 
with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  large-sized  head  and 
short  face.  He  was  genial,  social,  friendly  and 
affable,  with  fair  talent,  though  of  no  high  degree  of 
originality.    He  died  March  25,  1846. 


tat 


:.-i0% 


A 


> 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'3' 


^^(i  ^iGj2j2;^^"«r»<='««  6  .- 


W>f^ 


OSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor 
1S34-8,  was  born  at  Paris, 
Ky.,  Feb.  23,  1794.  At  the 
tender  age  of  19  years  he  en- 
listed in  the  war  against  Greal 
Britain,  and  as  a  soldier  he 
acquitted  himself  with  credit.  He 
was  an  Ensign  under  the  daunt- 
less Croghan  at  Lower  Sandusky, 
\i  or  Fort  Stephenson.  In  Illinois 
he  first  appeared  in  a  public  capa- 
city as  Major-General  of  the  Militia, 
a  position  which  his  military  fame 
had  procured  him.  Subsequently 
he  became  a  State  Senator  from 
I  Jackson  County,  and  is  honorably 
mentioned  for  introducing  the  first  bill  providing  for 
a  free-school  system.  In  1S26,  when  the  redoubt- 
able Joiin  P.  Cook,  who  had  previously  beaten  such 
men  as  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  ex- 
Gov.  Bond,  came  up  for  the  fourth  time  for  Congress, 
Mr.  Duncan  was  brought  forward  against  him  by  his 
friends,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  politicians. 
As  yet  he  was  but  little  known  in  the  State.  He  was 
an  original  Jackson  man  at  that  time,  being  attached 
to  his  political  fortune  in  admiration  of  the  glory  of 
his  militaiy  achievements.  His  chances  of  success 
against  Cook  were  generally  regarded  as  hopeless, 
but  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  undaunted.  His 
speeches,  though  short  and  devoid  of  ornament,  were 
full  of  good  sense.  He  made  a  diligent  canvass  of 
the  State,  Mr.  Cook  being  hindered  by  the  condition  of 
his  health.  The  most  that  was  expected  of  Mr. 
Duncan,  under  the  circumstances,  was  that  he  would 


obtain  a  respectable  vote,  but  without  defeating  Mr. 
Cook.  The  result  of  the  campaign,  however,  was  a 
source  of  surprise  and  amazement  to  both  friends 
and  foes,  as  Mr.  Duncan  canie  out  641  votes  ahead! 
He  received  6,321  votes,  and  Mr.  Cook  5,680.  Un- 
til this  deiwiitinent,  the  violence  of  party  feeling 
smoldering  in  the  breasts  of  the  people  on  account 
of  the  defeat  of  Jackson,  was  not  duly  appreciated. 
Aside  from  the  great  convention  struggle  of  1824,  no 
other  than  mere  local  and  pergonal  considerations 
had  ever  before  controlled  an  election  in  Illinois. 

From  the  above  date  Mr.  Duncan  retained  his 
seat  in  Co.igress  until  his  election  as  Governor  in 
.\ugust,  1834.  The  first  and  bloodless  year  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Rey- 
nolds to  the  position  of  Brigadier-General  of  the 
\olunteers,  and  he  conducted  his  brigade  to  Rock 
Island.  But  he  was  absent  from  the  State,  in  Wash- 
ington, during  the  gubernatorial  campaign,  and  did 
not  personally  participate  in  it,  but  addressed  circu- 
lars to  his  constituents.  His  election  was,  indeed, 
attributed  to  the  circumstance  of  his  absence,  be- 
cause his  estrangement  from  Jackson,  formerly  his 
political  idol,  and  also  from  the  Democracy,  largely 
in  ascendency  in  the  State,  was  complete;  but  while 
his  defection  was  well  known  to  his  Whig  friends, 
and  even  to  the  leading  Jackson  men  of  this  State, 
the  latter  were  unable  to  carry  conviction  of  that  fact 
to  the  masses,  as  mail  and  newspaper  facilities  at 
that  day  were  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  present 
time.  Of  course  the  Governor  was  much  abused 
afterward  by  the  fossilized  Jackson  men  who  re- 
garded party  ties  and  affiliations  as  above  all 
other  issues  that  could  arise;  but  he  was  doubtless 


132 


JOSEPH  DUNCAN. 


sincere  in  his  opposition  to  the  old  hero,  as  the  latter 
;;ad  vetoed  several  important  western  measures 
which  were  dear  to  Mr.  Duncan.  In  his  inaugural 
message  he  threw  off  the  mask  and  took  a  bold  stand 
rgain  St  the  course  of  the  President.  The  measures 
r.e  recommended  in  his  message,  however,  were  so 
desirable  that  the  Legislature,  although  by  a  large 
majority  consisting  of  Jackson  men,  could  not  refrain 
from  endorsing  them.  These  measures  related 
.'uainly  to  bai:ks  and  internal  improvements. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Duncan  was  Governor  that  tlie 
people  of  Illinois  went  whirling  on  with  bank  and  in- 
ternal improvement  schemes  that  well  nigh  bank- 
-upted  the  Slate.  The  hard  times  of  1837  came  on, 
and  the  disasters  that  attended  the  inauguration  of 
Jiese  plans  and  the  operation  of  the  banks  were  mu- 
tually charged  upon  the  two  political  parties.  Had 
any  or.e  man  autocratic  power  to  introduce  and 
carry  on  any  one  of  these  measures,  he  would  proba- 
bly have  succeeded  to  (he  satisfaction  of  the  public; 
oUt  as  many  jealous  men  had  hold  of  the  same  plow 
handle,  no  success  followed  and  each  blamed  the  other 
for  the  failure.  In  this  great  vorte-x  Gov.  Duncan 
was  carried  along,  suffering  the  like  derogation  of 
character  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

At  the  height  of  the  excitement  the  Legislature 
"  provided  for  "  railroads  from  Galena  to  Cairo,  Alton 
to  Sliawneetown,  Alton  to  Mount  Carrael,  Alton  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  State  in  the  direction  of 
Terre  Haute,  Quincy  via  Springfield  to  the  Wabash, 
Bloomington  to  Pekin,  and  Peoria  to  Warsaw, — in  all 
about  1,300  miles  of  road.  It  also  provided  for  the 
improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  Great  and  Little  Wabash  and  Rock  Rivers  ; 
also  as  a  placebo,  $200,000  in  money  were  to  be  dis- 
tributed to  the  various  counties  wherein  no  improve- 
ments were  ordered  to  be  made  as  above.  The 
estimate  for  the  expenses  for  all  these  projects  was 
:laced  at  a  little  over  $10,000,000,  which  was  not 
more  inan  half  enough!  That  would  now  be  equal  to 
saddling  upon  the  State  a  debt  of  $225,000,000!  It 
was  sufficient  to  bankrupt  the  State  several  times 
over,   even   counting  all  the   possible  benefits. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  ever  occurred 
:n  this  fair  State  was  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Love- 
'oy  in  the  fall  of  1837,  at  Alton,  during  Mr.  Duncan's 
term  as  Governor.  Lovejoy  was  an  "  Abolitionist," 
editing  the  Observer  at  that  place,  and  the  pro- 
slavery  slums  there  formed  themselves  into  a  mob. 


and  after  destroying  successively  three  presses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  surrounded  the  warehouse 
where  the  fourth  press  was  stored  away,  endeavoring 
to  destroy  it,  and  where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends 
were  entrenching  themselves,  and  shot  and  killed  the 
brave  reformer! 

About  this  time,  also,  the  question  of  removing  the 
State  capital  again  came  up,  as  the  20  years'  limit  for 
its  existence  at  Vandalia  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
There  was,  of  course,  considerable  excitement  over 
the  matter,  the  two  main  points  competing  for  it  be- 
ing Springfield  and  Peoria.  The  jealousy  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  not  even  yet,  45  years  afterward,  fully 
allayed. 

Gov.  Duncan's  term  expired  in  1838.  In  1S42 
he  was  again  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  this  time  by  the  Whig  party,  against  Adam 
W.  Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  County,  the  nominee  of  tiie 
Democrats.  Charles  W.  Hunter  was  a  third  candi- 
date for  the  same  position.  Mr.  Snyder,  however,  died 
before  the  campaign  had  advanced  very  far,  and  his 
party  substituted  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected, 
receiving  46,901  votes,  to  38,584  for  Duncan,  and 
909  for  Hunter.  The  cause  of  Democratic  success 
at  this  time  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  temporary 
support  of  the  Mormons  which  they  enjoyed,  and  the 
want  of  any  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  masses, 
that  Mr.  Ford  was  opposed  to  any  given  policy  en- 
tertained in  the  respective  localities. 

Gov.  Duncan  was  a  man  of  rather  limited  educa- 
tion, but  with  naturally  fine  abilities  he  profited 
greatly  by  his  various  public  services,  and  gathered 
a  store  of  knowledge  regarding  public  affairs  which 
served  him  a  ready  purpose.  He  possessed  a  clear 
judgment,  decision,  confidence  in  himself  and  moral 
courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of  right.  In  his 
deportment  he  was  well  adapted  to  gain  the  admira- 
tion of  the  people.  His  intercourse  with  them  was 
both  affable  and  dignified.  His  portrait  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  from  which  the  accompanying  was 
made,  represents  him  as  having  a  swarthy  complex- 
ion, high  cheek  bones,  broad  forehead,  piercing  black 
eyes  and  straight  black  hair. 

He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville,  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
died,  after  a  short  illness,  Jan.  15,  1844,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  leaving  a  wife 
but  no  children.  Two  children,  born  to  them,  had 
died  in  infancy. 


^^ 


r-/cM.i^^^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'3S 


S^(^^fjHOMAS  CARLIN,  the  sixth 
Governor  of  the  State  of 
lUinois,  serving  from  1838 
to  1S42,  was  also  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  beuig  born  near 
Frankfort,  that  State,  July 
t8,  1789,  of  Irish  paternity. 
The  opportunities  for  an  education 
being  very  meager  in  his  native 
place,  he,  on  approaching  years  of 
judnnent  and  maturity,  applied 
himself  to  those  branches  of  learn- 
ing that  seemed  most  important, 
and  thus  became  a  self-made  man  ; 
and  his  taste  for  reading  and 
N*-'  ^5v^"'^  study  remained  with  him  through 
'^(ci'^^y^  life.  In  1803  his  father  removed 
10  Missouri,  then  a  part  of  "  New  Spain,"  where  he 
died  in  18 10. 

In  18 1  2  young  Carlin  came  to  Illinois  and  partici- 
pated in  all  the  "ranging"  service  incident  to  the 
war  of  that  period,  proving  himself  a  soldier  of  un- 
daunted bravery.  In  1814  he  married  Rebecca 
Huitt,  and  lived  for  four  years  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
scjri,  where  he  followed  farming,  and  then  removed 
to  Greene  County.  He  located  the  town  site  of  Car- 
ro»'lon,in  that  county,  and  in  1825  made  a  liberal 
donation  of  land  for  county  building  purposes.  He 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  that  county  after  its  separate 
organization,  and  afterward  was  twice  elected,  as  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  to  the  Illinois  Senate.  In  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  commanded  a  spy  battalion,  a 
post  of  considerable  danger.  In  1834  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Jackson  to  the  position  of 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  and  to  fulfill   the  office 


more  conveniently  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Quincy. 

While,  in  1838,  the  unwieldy  internal  improvement 
system  of  the  State  was  in  full  operation,  witli  all  its 
expensive  machinery,  amidst  bank  suspensions 
throughout  the  United  States,  a  great  stringency  in 
the  money  market  everywhere,  and  Illinois  bonds 
forced  to  sale  at  a  heavy  discount,  and  the  "  hardest 
times"  exisring  that  the  peopVe  of  the  Prairie  State 
ever  saw,  the  general  election  of  State  officers  was 
apiiroaching.  Discreet  men  who  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  subsidence  of  the  public  infatua- 
tion, met  with  disappointment.  A  Governor  and 
Legislature  were  to  be  elected,  and  these  were  now 
looked  forward  to  for  a  repeal  of  the  ruinous  State 
policy.  But  the  grand  scheme  had  not  yet  lost  its 
dazzling  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the  people. 
Time  and  experience  had  not  yet  fully  demonstrated 
its  utter  absurdity.  Hence  the  question  of  arresting 
its  career  of  profligate  expenditures  did  not  become 
a  leading  one  with  the  dominant  party  during  the 
camp.iign,  and  most  of  the  old  members  of  the  Leg- 
islature were  returned  at  this  election. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Democrats,  in  State 
Convention  assembled,  nominated  Mr.  Carlin  for  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  S.  H.  Anderson  for  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  while  the  Whigs  nominated  Cyrus  Ed- 
wards, brother  of  Ninian  Edwards,  forraeriy  Governor, 
and  W.  H.  Davidson.  Edwards  came  out  strongly 
for  a  continuance  of  the  State  policy,  while  Car'i:: 
remained  non-committal.  This  was  the  first  tmie 
that  the  two  main  political  parties  in  this  State  were 
unembarrassed  by  any  third  party  in  the  field.  The 
result  of  the  election  was:  Cadin,  35,573;  Ander- 
son, 30,335  ;  Edwards,  29,629  ;  and  Davidson,  28,- 

Ti.'i- 

Upon  the  meeting  of  the  subsequent  Legislature 

(1839),  the  retiring  Governor  CDuncan)  in    his  mes- 


136 


THOMAS  CARLIN. 


sage  spoke  in  emphatic  terms  of  the  impolicy  of  the 
internal  improvement  system,  presaging  the  evils 
threatened,  and  uiged  that  body  to  do  their  utmost 
to  correct  the  great  error ;  yet,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Legislature  not  only  decided  to  continue  the  policy 
but  also  added  to  its  burden  by  voting  more  appro- 
priations and  ordering  more  improvements.  Although 
the  money  market  was  still  stringent,  a  further  loan 
of  $4,000,000  was  ordered  for  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal  alone.  Cn'cago  at  that  time  began  to 
loom  up  and  promise  to  be  an  important  city,  even 
the  great  emporium  of  the  West,  as  it  has  since  in- 
deed came  to  be.  Ex-Gov.  Reynolds,  an  incompe- 
tent financier,  was  commissioned  to  effect  the  loan, 
and  accordingly  hastened  to  the  East  on  this  respons- 
ible errand,  and  negotiated  the  loans,  at  considera- 
ble sacrifice  to  the  State.  Besides  this  embarrassment 
tc  Carlin's  administration,  the  Legislature  also  de- 
clared that  he  had  no  authority  to  appoint  a  Secretary 
of  State  until  a  vacancy  existed,  and  A.  P.  Field,  a 
Whig,  who  had  already  held  the  post  by  apix)intment 
through  three  administrations,  was  determined  to 
keep  the  place  a  while  longer,  in  spite  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin's preferences.  The  course  of  the  Legislature  in 
ihis  regard,  however,  was  finally  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  a  quo  warranto  case  brought  up 
before  it  by  John  A.  McClernand,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor had  nominated  for  the  office.  Thereupon  that 
dignified  body  was  denounced  as  a  "Whig  Court!" 
endeavoring  to  establish  the  principle  of  life-tenure 
of  office. 

A  new  law  was  adopted  re-organizing  the  Judici- 
ary, and  under  it  five  additional  Supreme  Judges 
were  elected  by  the  Legislature,  namely,  Thomas 
Ford  (afterward  Governor),  Sidney  Breese,  Walter  B. 
Scales,  Samuel  H.  Treat  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
all  Democrats. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Carlin's  administration  that  the 
noisy  campaign  of  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too  "  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  a  Whig  victory.  This,  however, 
did  net  affect  Illinois  politics  very  seriously. 

Another  prominent  event  in  the  West  daring  Gov. 
Carlin's  term  of  office  was  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  Mcrnions  and  their  removal  from  Independence, 
Mo.,  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  1840.  At  the  same  time 
they  began  to  figure  somewhat  in  State  politics.  On 
account  of  their  believing — as  they  thought,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament — that    they  should    have 


"  all  things  common,"  and  that  consequently  "  all 
the  earth  "  and  all  that  is  upon  it  were  the"  Lord's  " 
and  therefore  the  property  of  his  "  saints,"  they 
were  suspected,  and  correctly,  too,  of  committing 
many  of  the  deeds  of  larceny,  robbery,  etc.,  that 
were  so  rife  throughout  this  country  in  those  days. 
Hence  a  feeling  of  violence  grew  up  between  the 
Momions  and  "anti-Mormons."  In  the  State  of 
^Missouri  the  Mormons  always  supported  the  Dem- 
ocracy until  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Democratic 
government,  when  they  turned  their  support  to  the 
Whigs.  They  were  becoming  numerous,  and  in  the 
Legislature  of  1840-1,  therefore,  it  became  a  matter 
of  great  interest  with  both  parties  to  conciliate  these 
people.  Through  the  agency  of  one  John  C.  Ben- 
nett, a  scamp,  the  Mormons  succeeded  in  rushing 
througli  the  Legislature  (both  parties  not  daring  to 
oppose)  a  charter  for  the  city  of  Nauvoo  which  vir- 
tually erected  a  hierarchy  co-ordinate  with  the  Fed- 
eral Government  itself  In  the  fall  of  1841  the 
Governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  upon  Gov. 
Carlin  for  the  body  of  Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
as  a  fugitive  from  justice.  Gov.  Carlin  issued  the 
writ,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  returned  unserved. 
It  was  again  issued  in  1S42,  and  Smith  was  arrested, 
but  w.xs  either  rescued  by  his  followers  or  discharged 
by  the  municipal  court  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

In  December,  1841,  the  Democratic  Convention 
nominated  .A.dam  W.  Snyder,  of  Belleville,  for  Gov- 
ernor. As  he  h.ad  been,  as  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, rather  friendly  to  the  Mormons,  the  latter 
naturally  turned  their  support  to  the  Democratic 
party.  The  next  spring  the  Whigs  nominated  Ex- 
Gov.  Duncan  for  the  same  office.  In  the  meantime 
the  Mormons  began  to  grow  more  odious  to  the 
masses  of  the  people,  and  the  comparative  prospects 
of  the  respective  parties  for  success  became  very 
problematical.  Mr.  Snyder  died  in  May,  and 
Thomas  Ford,  a  Supreme  Judge,  was  substituted  as 
a  candidate,  and  was  elected. 

At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  Mr.  Carlin 
removed  back  to  his  old  home  at  Carrollton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as  before  liis  ele- 
vation to  office,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  iS/g 
he  served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  D.  Fry  in  the 
Illinois  House  of  Representatives,  and  died  Feb.  4, 
1852,  at  his  residence  at  Carrollton,  leaving  a  wife 
and  seven  children. 


0, 


l^^^-fH/^OL^ 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


*39 


isjffiaaE^    —->s; 


_l^AS^t<^ 


1*L® 


■•..<■■' 


A 


^w 


^3=H=^ 


3HOMAS  FORD,  Governor 
from  1842  to  1846,  and  au- 
thor of  a  very  interesting 
history  of  Illinois,  was  born 
at  Uniontown,  Pa.,  in  the 
year  1 800.  His  mother,  after 
the.  deatli  of  her  first  hus- 
d  (Mr.  Forquer),  married  Rob- 
Ford,  who  was  killed  in  1802, 
the  Indians  in  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  conse- 
quently left  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, with  a  large  family,  mostly 
girls.  With  a  view  to  better  her 
condition,  she,  in  1804,  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  it  had  been  cus- 
tomary by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment to  give  land  to  actual  settlers;  but  upon  her 
arrival  at  St.  Louis  she  found  the  country  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  liberal  policy  toward  set- 
tlers changed  by  the  new  ownership.  After  some 
sickness  to  herself  and  family,  she  finally  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  some  three  miles  south  of  Water- 
loo, but  the  following  year  moved  nearer  the  Missis- 
sippi  bluffs.     Here   young   Ford    received    his  first   i 


schooling,  under  the  instructions  of  a  Mr.  Humphrey, 
for  which  he  had  to  walk  three  miles.  His  mother, 
though  lacking  a  thorough  education,  was  a  woman 
of  superior  mental  endowments,  joined  to  energy 
and  determination  of  character.  She  inculcated  in 
her  children  those  high-toned  principles  which  dis- 
tinguished her  sons  in  public  life.  She  exercised  a 
rigid  economy  to  provide  her  children  an  education ; 
but  George  Forquer,  her  oldest  son  (six  years  older 
than  Thomas  Ford),  at  an  early  age  had  to  quit 
school  to  aid  by  his  labor  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  afterward  became  an  eminent  man  in  Illinois 
affairs,  and  but  for  his  early  death  would  probably 
have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Young  Ford,  with  somewhat  better  opportunities, 
received  a  better  education,  though  limited  to  the 
curriculum  of  the  common  school  of  those  pioneer 
times.  His  mind  gave  early  promise  of  superior  en- 
dowments, with  an  inclination  for  mathematics.  His 
proficiency  attracted  the  attention  of  Hon.  Daniel  P. 
Cook,  who  became  his  efficient  patron  and  friend. 
The  latter  gentleman  was  an  eminent  Illinois  states- 
man who,  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  obtained  a  grant 
of  300,000  acres  of  land  to  aid  in  completing  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal,  and  after  whom  the 
county  of  Cook  was  named.     Through  the  advice  of 


I40 


THOMAS  FORD. 


this  genileman,  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law;  but  Forquer,  then  merchandising,  re- 
gardin;4  liis  education  defective,  sent  him  to  Transyl- 
vania University,  where,  however,  he  remained  but 
one  term,  owing  to  Forquer's  failure  in  business.  On 
his  return  he  alternated  his  law  reading  with  teach- 
ing school  for  support. 

In  1829  Gov.  Edwards  appointed  hira  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  in  1S31  he  was  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Reynolds,  and  after  that  he  was  four  times  elected  a 
Judge  by  the  Legislature,  without  0|>position,  twice  a 
Circuit  Judge,  once  a  Judge  of  Chicago,  and  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when,  in  1841, 
the  latter  tribunal  was  re-organized  by  the  addition 
of  five  Judges,  all  Democrats.  Ford  was  assigned  to 
the  Ninth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  while  in  this  capacity 
he  was  holding  Court  in  Ogle  County  he  received  a 
notice  of  his  nomination  by  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion for  the  office  of  Governor.  He  immediately  re- 
signed his  place  and  entered  upon  the  canvass.  In 
August,  1842,  he  was  elected,  and  on  the  8th  of  De- 
cember following  he  was  inaugurated. 

All  the  offices  which  he  had  held  were  unsolicited 
by  him.  He  received  them'upon  tlie  true  Jefferson- 
Jan  principle, — Never  to  ask  and  never  to  refuse 
office.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  Judge  he  stood 
deservedly  high,  liut  his  cast  of  intellect  fitted  him 
rather  for  a  writer  upon  law  than  a  practicing  advo- 
cate in  the  courts.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  was  void 
of  the  moving  power  of  eloquence,  so  necessary  to 
success  with  juries.  As  a  Judge  his  opinions  were 
"ound,  lucid  and  able  expositions  of  the  law.  In 
practice,  he  was  a  stranger  to  the  tact,  skill  and  in- 
sinuating address  of  the  politician,  i)Ut  he  saw  through 
the  arts  of  demagogues,  as  well  as  any  man.  He  was 
plain  in  his  demeanor,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  at 
one  time  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office, 
during  a  session  of  the  Legislature,  he  was  taken  by 
a  stranger  to  be  a  seeker  for  the  position  of  door- 
keeper, and  was  waited  upon  at  his  hotel  near  mid- 
r.ight  by  a  knot  of  small  office-seekers  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  "combination  !  " 

Mr.  Ford  had  not  the  "  brass  "  of  the  ordinary 
politician,  nor  that  impetuosity  which  characterizes  a 
political  leader.  He  cared  little  for  money,  and 
hardly  enough  for  a  decent  support.  In  person  he 
was  of  small  stature,  slender,  of  dark  complexion, 
with  black  hair,  sharp  features,  deep-set  eyes,  a 
pointed,  aquiline  nose  having  a  decided  twist  to  one- 
side,  and  a  small  mouth. 

TJ-.e  three  most  important  events  in  Gov.  Ford's 
r.dministration  were  the  establishment  of  tlie  high 
linancial  credit  of  the  State,  the  "  Mormon  War  "and 
.he  Mexican  War. 

In  the  first  of  tliese  the  Governor  proved  himself 
'.o  be  eir;inentlv  wise.  On  coming  into  office  he  found 
'he  State  liadly  piralyzed  by  the  ruinous  effects  of 
Uie    notocious  "iiiteriial   impiovenient "    schemes    of 


the  preceding  decade,  with  scarcely  anything  to 
show  by  way  of  "improvement."  The  enterprise 
that  seemed  to  be  getting  ahead  more  than  all  the 
rest  was  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  As  this 
promised  to  be  the  most  important  thoroughfare, 
feasible  to  the  people,  it  was  well  under  headway  in 
its  construction.  Therefore  the  State  policy  was 
almost  concentrated  upon  it,  in  order  to  rush  it  on  te 
comi>letion.  Tlie  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  State 
was  growing  so  large  as  to  frighten  the  people,  and 
they  were  about  ready  to  entertain  a  proposition  for 
repudiation.  But  the  Governor  had  the  foresight  to 
recommend  such  measures  as  would  maintain  the 
public  credit,  for  which  every  citizen  to-day  feels 
thankful. 

But  perhaps  the  Governor  is  remembered  more  for 
his  connection  with  the  Mormon  troubles  than  for 
anything  else;  for  it  was  during  his  term  of  office 
that  the  "  Latter-Day  Saints  "  became  so  strong  at 
Nauvoo,  built  their  temple  there,  increased  their  num- 
bers throughout  the  country,  committed  misdemean- 
ors, taught  dangerous  doctrines,  suffered  the  loss  of 
their  leader,  Jo  Smith,  l)y  a  violent  death,  were  driven 
out  of  Nauvoo  to  the  far  West,  etc.  Having  been  a 
Judge  for  so  many  years  previously,  Mr.  Ford  of 
course  was  no  i-coniniittal  concerning  Mormon  affairs, 
and  was  llierefore  claimed  by  both  parties  and  also 
accused  by  each  of  sympathizing  too  greatly  with  the 
other  side.  Mormonism  claiming  to  be  a  system  of 
religion,  the  Governor  no  doubt  was  "  between  two 
fires,"  and  felt  compelled  to  touch  the  matter  rather , 
"  gingerly,"  and  doubtless  felt  greatly  relieved  when 
that  pestilential  people  left  the  State.  Such  compli- 
cated matters,  especially  when  religion  is  mixed  up 
with  them,  expose  every  person  participating  in 
them  to  criticism  from  all  parties. 

The  Mexican  War  was  l)egun  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  and  was  continued  into  the  gubernatorial  term 
of  Mr.  Ford's  successor.  The  Governor's  connection 
with  tliis  war,  however,  was  not  conspicuous,  as  it 
was  only  administrative,  commissioning  officers,  etc. 

Ford's  "  History  of  Illinois  "  is  a  very  readable  and 
entertaining  work,  of  450  small  octavo  pages,  and  is 
destined  to  increase  in  value  with  the  lapse  of  time. 
It  exhibits  a  natural  flow  of  compact  and  forcible 
thought,  never  failing  to  convey  the  nicest  sense.  In 
tracing  with  his  trenchant  pen  the  devious  operations 
of  the  professional  politician,  in  wliich  he  is  inimit- 
-aljle,  his  account  is  open,  perhaps,  to  the  objection 
that  all  his  contemporaries  are  treated  as  mere  place- 
seekers,  while  many  of  them  have  since  been  judged 
by  the  people  to  be  worthy  statesmen.  His  writings 
seem  slightly  open  to  the  criticism  that  they  exhibit 
a  little  splenetic  partiality  against  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries who  were  prominent  during  his  term  of 
office  as  Governor. 

"fhe  death  of  Gov.  Ford  took  place  at  Peoria,  111., 
Nov.  2,  1850. 


^^^^^Jt-V^^^S^^^M^^X- 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


143 


^^^  I       Augustus  €.  French.        | 


i:i 


i-s^ 


(:^^ 


«>S— «S — c><sfr<r(l 


"■^  '/^^UGUSTUS  C.    FRENCH, 

Governor  of  Illinois  from 
1846  to  1852,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Hill,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire, 
Hfi  Aug.  2,  1808.  He  was  a 
descendant   in    the   fourth 


generation  ot  Nathaniel 
French,  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  1687  and  settled  in  Saybury,  Mass. 
In  early  life  young  French  lost  his 
father,  bat  continued  to  receive  in- 
struction from  an  exemplary  and 
Christian  mother  until  he  was  19  years 
old,  wlien  she  also  died,  confiding  to 
his  care  and  trust  four  younger  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.  He  discharged  his  trust  with 
parental  devotion.  His  education  in  early  life  was 
such  mainly  as  a  common  school  afforded.  For  a 
brief  period  he  attended  Dartmouth  College,  but 
from  pecuniary  causes  and  the  care  of  his  brothers 
and  sister,  he  did  not  graduate.  He  subsequently 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1831,  and 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  first  at 
Albion,  Edwards  County,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  law.  The  following  year  he 
removed  to  Paris,  Edgar  County.  Here  he  attained 
eminence  in  his  profession,  and  entered  public  life 
by  representing  that  county  in  the  Legislature.  A 
strong  attachment  sprang  up  between  him  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

In  1839,  Mr.  French  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
the  United  States  Laud  Office  at  Palestine,  Craw- 
ford County,  at  which  place  he  was  a  resident   when 


elevated  to  the  gubernatoiial  chair.  In  1844  he  was 
a  Presidential  Elector,  and  as  such  he  voted  for 
James  K.  Polk. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1846,  meet- 
ing at  Springfield  Feb.  10,  nominated  Mr.  French 
for  Governor.  Other  Democratic  candidates  were 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  Calhoun  (subsequently  of 
Lecompton  Constitution  notoriety),  Walter  B.  Scales. 
Richard  M.  Young  and  A.  W.  Cavarly, — an  array  of 
very  able  and  prominent  names.  Trumbull  was  per- 
haps defeated  in  the  Convention  by  the  rumor  that 
he  was  opposed  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
as  he  had  been  a  year  previously.  For  Lieutenant 
Governor  J.  B.  Wells  was  chosen,  while  other  candi- 
dates were  Lewis  Ross,  Wm.  McMurtry,  Newton 
Cloud,  J.  B.  Hamilton  and  VV.  W.  Thompson.  The 
resolutions  declared  strongly  against  the  resuscita- 
tion of  the  old  State  Banks. 

The  Whigs,  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority,  held 
their  convention  June  8,  at  Peoria,  and  selected 
Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  Scott  County,  for  Governor, 
and  Gen.  Nathaniel  G.  Wilco.x,  of  Schuyler,  for 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

In  the  campaign  the  latter  exposed  Mr.  French's 
record  and  connection  with  the  passage  of  the  in- 
ternal improvement  system,  urging  it  against  his 
election;  but  in  the  meantime  the  war  with  Mexico 
broke  out,  regarding  which  the  Whig  record  was  un- 
popular in  this  State.  The  war  was  the  absorbing 
and  dominating  question  of  the  period,  sweeping 
every  other  political  issue  in  its  course.  The  elec- 
tion in  , August  gave  Mr.  French  58,700  votes,  and 
Kilpatrick  only  36,775.  Richard  Eells,  Abolitionist 
candidate  for  the  same  office,   received   5,152    vot«s. 


144 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH. 


By  the  new  Constitution  of  1S4S,  a  new  election  for 
State  officers  was  ordered  in  November  of  that  year, 
before  Gov.  French's  term  was  half  out,  and  he  was 
re-elected  for  the  term  of  four  years.  Ho  was  there- 
fore the  incu.nheni  for  six  consecutive  years,  the 
only  Governor  of  this  State  who  has  ever  served  in 
tliat  capacity  so  long  at  one  time.  As  there  was  no 
organized  opposition  to  his  election,  he  received  67,- 
453  votes,  to  5,639  for  Pierre  Menard  (son  of  the 
first  Lieutenant  Governor),  4,748  for  Charles  V. 
Dyer,  3,834  for  W.  L.  D.  Morrison,  and  1,361  for 
James  L.  D.  Morrison.  But  Wm.  McMurtry,  of 
Knox  County,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor,  in 
place  of  Joseph  B.  Wells,  who  was  before  elected 
and  did  not  run  again. 

Governor  French  was  inaugurated  into  office  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  which  closed 
during  the  summer  of  1847,  although  the  treaty  of 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  not  made  until  Feb.  2, 
1848.  The  policy  of  Gov.  French's  party  was  com- 
mitted to  that  war,  but  in  connection  with  that  affair 
he  was,  of  course,  only  an  administrative  officer. 
During  his  term  of  office,  Feb.  19,  1847,  the  Legisla- 
ture, by  special  permission  of  Congress,  declared  that 
all  Government  lands  sold  to  settlers  should  be  im- 
mediately subject  to  State  taxation;  before  this  they 
were  exempt  for  five  years  after  sale.  By  this  ar- 
ringement  the  revenue  was  materially  increased. 
.\bout  the  same  lime,  the  distribution  of  (iovernment 
land  warrants  among  the  Mexican  soldiers  as  bounty 
threw  upon  the  market  a  great  quantity  of  good 
binds,  and  this  enhanced  the  settlement  of  the  State. 
The  same  Legislature  authorized,  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Governor,  the  sale  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  (from  Springfield  to  Meredosia,  the 
fust  in  the  State  and  now  a  section  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific)  It  sold  for  $100,000  in  bonds, 
although  it  had  cost  the  State  not  less  than  a  million. 
The  salt  wells  and  canal  lands  in  the  Saline  reserve 
in  Gallatin  County,  granted  by  the  general  Govern- 
ment to  the  State,  were  also  authorized  by  the 
Governor  to  be  sold,  to  api)ly  on  the  State  debt.  In 
1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  accruing  State 
revenue,  exclusive  of  specific  appropriations,  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the 
treasur)'.  The  aggregate  taxable  property  of  the 
State  at  this  time  was  over  $too,ooo,ooo,  and  t'-- 
population  851,470. 


In  1849  the  Legislature  adopted  the  township  or- 
ganization law,  which,  however,  proved  defective, 
and  was  properly  amended  in  1851.  At  its  session 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Assembly  also  passed 
a  law  to  exempt  homesteads  from  sale  on  executions 
This  beneficent  measure  had  been  repeatedly  vvrgecj 
upon  that  body  by  Gov.  French. 

In  1S50  some  business  men  in  St.  Louis  corft- 
menced  to  build  a  dike  opposite  the  lower  part  of 
their  city  on  the  Illinois  side,  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
in  its  channel  near  St.  Louis,  instead  of  breaking 
away  from  them  as  it  sometimes  threatened  to  do. 
Tiiis  they  undertook  without  permission  from  the 
Legislature  or  Executive  authority  of  this  State  ;  and 
as  many  of  the  inhabitants  thera  complained  that 
the  scheme  would  inundate  and  ruin  much  valuable 
land,  there  was  a  slight  conflict  of  jurisdictions,  re- 
sulting in  favor  of  the  St.  Louis  project;  and  since 
then  a  good  site  has  existed  there  for  a  city  (East  St. 
Louis),  and  now  a  score  of  railroads  center  there. 

It  was  in  September,  1850,  that  Congress  granted 
to  this  State  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  in  aid  of 
the  completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
which  constituted  the  most  important  epoch  in  the 
railroad — we  might  say  internal  improvement — his- 
tory of  the  State.  The  road  was  rushed  on  to  com- 
pletion, whiclr  accelerated  the  settlement  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  State  by  a  good  class  of  industrious  citi- 
zens, and  by  the  charter  a  good  income  to  the  State 
Treasury  is  paid  in  from  the  earnings  of  the  road. 

In  185  I  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing 
free  stock  banks,  v/hich  was  the  source  of  much  leg- 
islative discussion  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  we  have  not  space  further  to  particularize 
concerning  legislation.  Gov.  French's  administra- 
tion was  not  marked  by  any  feature  to  be  criticised, 
while  the  country  was  settling  up  as  never  before. 

In  stature.  Gov.  French  was  of  medium  height, 
squarely  built,  light  complexioned,  with  ruddy  face 
and  pleasant  countenance.  In  manners  he  was 
plain  and  agreeable.  By  nature  he  was  son.iewhat 
diffident,  but  he  was  often  very  outspoken  in  his  con- 
victions of  duty.  In  public  speech  he  was  not  an 
orator,  but  was  chaste,  earnest  and  jiersuasive.  In 
business  he  was  accurate  and  methodical,  and  in  his 
administration  he  kept  up  the  credit  of  the  State. 

He  died  in  1S65,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  St 
Glair  Co.,  111. 


SS^^: 


GO  VERNOKS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


»47 


i^^l  %<>  lEattes^ 


■^iORL    A.    MATTESON,    Governor 
,f^  1853-6,  was  born  Aug.  8,    1808, 
;::'        in  Jefferson  County,  New  York, 
to  which  place  his  father  had  re- 
moved from  Vermont  three  years 
before.     His  father  was  a  farmer 
in  fair  circumstances,  but  a  com- 
mon  English   education  was  all 
that  his  only  son  received.   Young 
Joel    first  tempted  fortune  as  a 
small    tradesman     in     Prescott, 
Canada,  before   he   was   of  age. 
He  returned  from  that  place  to 
liis  home,  entered   an   academy, 
taught  school,  visited    the  prin- 
)al  Eastern  cities,  improved  a  farm  liis   father  had 
ven  him,  made  a  tour  in  the  South,  worked  tiiere 
building  railroads,   experienced   a   storm   on   tlie 
Lilf  of  Mexico,  visited  the  gold  diggings  of  Northern 
iorgia,  and  returned  via  Nashville  to  St.  Louis  and 
rough  Illinois  to  his  fatlier's  home,  when  he  inar- 
:d.     In   1833,  having  sold   his  farm,  he  removed, 
th  his  wife  and  one  child,  to  Illinois,  and  entered 
;laim  on  Government  land   near  the  head  of  An 
ble  River,  in   what  is   now  Kendall  County.     At 
It  time  there  were  not  more  than   two  neighbors 
ihin  a  range  of  ten   miles  of  his  yilace,  and  only 
:ee  or  four  houses  l.<etween  him  and  Chicago.     He 
sued  a  large  farm.     His   family    was  boarded    1 2 


miles  away  while  he  erected  a  house  on  his  claim, 
sleeping,  during  this  time,  under  a  rude  pole  shed. 
Here  his  life  was  once  placed  in  imminent  peril  by 
a  huge  prairie  ratdesnake  sharing  his  bed. 

In  1S3S  he  bought  largely  at  the  Government  land 
sales.  During  the  speculative  real-estate  mania  which 
broke  out  in  Chicago  in  1 836  and  spread  over  the  State, 
he  sold  his  lands  under  the  inflation  of  that  period' 
and  removed  to  Joliet.     In  1S38  he  became  a  heavy 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.     Upon 
the  completion  of  his  job  in   1841,  when  hard  times 
prevailed,  business  at  a  stand,  contracts  paid  in  State 
scrip;  when  alt  the   public  works  except   the  canal 
were  abandoned,  the  State  offered  for  sale  700  tons 
of  railroad  iron,  which  was   purchased  by  Mr.  Mat- 
teson  at  a  bargain.     This  he  accepted,  shipped  and 
sold   at    Detroit,  realizing   a    very  handsome  profit, 
enough  to  pay  off  all  liis  canal  debts  and  leave  him  a' 
surplus  of  several  thousand  dollars.     His  enterprise 
next  prompted  him  to   start  a  woolen  mill  at  Joliet, 
in  which  he  prospered,  and  which,  after   successive 
enlargements,  became  an  enormous  establishment. 

In  1842  he  was  first  elected  a  State  Senator,  but, 
by  a  bungling  apportionment,  John  Pearson,  a  Senator 
holding  over,  was  found  to  be  in  the  same  district, 
and  decided  to  be  entitled  to  represent  it.  Mat- 
teson's  seat  was  declared  vacant.  Pearson,  however 
wuh  a  nobleness  difficult  to  appreciate  in  this  day  of 


f48 


JOEL  A.  MATTESON. 


greed  for  office,  unwilling  to  represent  his  district 
under  the  circumstances,  immediately  resigned  his 
unexpired  term  of  two  years.  A  bill  was  passed  in  a 
few  hours  ordering  a  new  election,  and  in  ten  days' 
time  Mr.  Malteson  was  returned  re-elected  and  took 
his  seat  as  Senator.  From  his  well-known  capacity 
as  a  business  man,  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance,  a  position  he  held  during 
this  half  and  two  full  succeeding  Senatorial  terms, 
discharging  its  important  duties  with  ability  and  faith- 
fulness. Besides  his  extensive  woolen-mill  interest, 
when  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal  under  the  new 
loan  of  $r, 600,000  he  again  became  a  heavy  con- 
tractor, and  also  subsequently  operated  largely  in 
Imilding  railroads.  Thus  he  showed  himself  a  most 
energetic  and  lliorough  business  man. 

He  was  nominated  for  (Governor  by  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Convention  which  met  at  Springfield 
.■\pril  20,  1852.  Other  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention were  D.  L.  Gregg  and  F.  C.  Sherman,  of 
Cook;  John  Dement,  of  Lee  ;  Thomas  L.  Harris,  of 
Menard;  Lewis  W.  Ross, of  Fulton;  and  D.  V.  Bush, 
of  Pike.  Guslavus  Koerner,  of  St.  Clair,  was  nom- 
inated for  Lieutenant  Governor.  For  the  same  offices 
llie  Whigs  nominated  Edwin  B.  Webb  and  Dexter  A. 
Knowlton.  Mr.  Matteson  received  80,645  votes  at 
the  election,  while  Mr.  Webb  received  64,408.  Mat- 
teson's  forte  was  not  on  the  stump;  he  had  not  cul- 
tivated the  art  of  oily  flattery,  or  the  faculty  of  being 
all  things  t6  all  men.  His  intellectual  qualities  took 
rather  the  direction  of  efficient  executive  ability.  His 
turn  consisted  not  so  much  in  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  party,  or  the  powerful  advocacy  of  great  gov- 
ernmental principles,  as  in  those  more  solid  and 
enduring  operations  which  cause  the  physical  devel- 
opment and  advancement  of  a  State, — of  commerce 
and  business  enterprise,  into  which  he  labored  with 
success  to  lead  the  people.  As  a  politician  he  was 
just  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  botli  in  official  and 
private  life  he  then  stood  untainted  and  free  from 
blemish.  As  a  man,  in  active  benevolence,  social 
lirtues  and  all  the  amiable  (jualities  of  neighbor  or 
citizen,  he  had  few  superiors.  His  messages  present 
a  perspicuous  array  of  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
State,  and  are  often  couched  in  forcible  and  elegant 
diction. 

The  greatest  excitement  during  his  term  of  office 
was  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  by  Con- 


gress, under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1854,  when  the  bill  was  passed  organizing  the  Terri- 
tory of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  A  large  jwrtion  of 
the  Whig  party  of  the  North,  through  their  bitter  op- 
position to  the  Democratic  party,  naturally  drifted 
into  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  and  thus  led  to  what 
was  temporarily  called  the  "  Anti-Nebraska  "  party, 
while  the  followers  of  Douglas  were  known  as  "  Ne- 
braska or  Douglas  Democrats."  It  was  during  this 
embryo  stage  of  the  Republican  party  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  forward  as  the  "Anti-Nebraska" 
candidate  for  the  United  States  Senatorship,  while 
Gen.  James  Shields,  the  incumbent,  was  re-nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats.  But  after  a  few  Viallotings 
in  the  Legislature  (1855),  these  men  were  dropped, 
and  Lyman  Trumbull,  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat, 
was  brought  up  by  the  fonner,  and  Mr.  Matteson, 
then  Governor,  by  the  latter.  On  the, nth  ballot 
Mr.  Trumbull  obtained  one  majority,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly declared  elected.  Before  Gov.  Matteson 's 
term  expired,  the  Republicans  were  fully  organized 
as  a  national  party,  and  in  1S56  put  into  the  field  a 
full  national  and  State  ticket,  carrying  the  State,  but 
not  the  nation. 

The  Legislature  of  1855  passed  two  very  import- 
ant measures, — the  present  free-school  system  and  a 
submission  of  the  Maine  liquor  law  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  The  latter  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority 
of  the  popular  vote. 

During  the  four  years  of  Gov.  Matteson's  admin- 
istration the  taxable  wealth  of  the  .State  was  about 
trebled,  from  $137,818,079  to  11349,951,272;  the  pub- 
lic debt  was  reduced  from  $17,398,985  to  $12,843,- 
144;  taxation  was  at  the  same  time  reduced,  and  the 
State  resumed  paying  interest  on  its  debt  in  New 
York  as  fast  as  it  fell  due;  railroads  were  increased 
in  their  mileage  from  something  less  than  400  to 
about  3,000 ;  and  the  population  of  Chicago  was 
nearly  doubled,  and  its  commerce  more  than  quad- 
rupled. 

Before  closing  this  account,  we  regret  that  we  have 
to  say  that  Mr.  Matteson,  in  all  other  respects  an 
upright  man  and  a  good  Governor,  was  implicated 
in  a  false  re-issue  of  redeemed  canal  scrip,  amount- 
ing to  $224,182.66.  By  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Cir- 
cuit Court  the  State  recovered  the  principal  and  all 
tlie  interest  excepting  $27,500. 

He   died  in    the   winter  of  1872--3,   at  Chicago. 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'SI 


m- 


Lj'g;»i'Vi'ia^<as?i^i '^,^'^i^'v.^':1^rai^i£i'^^s^'•^'■'A.n«:lVv  :'l^^l^;'l^■^ 


o-S^-<aS!)>-i»e--c 


.LIAM   H.  BISSELL,  Gov- 
ernor   1857-60,   was    born 
•;.:;  y\])ril    25,    i8n,    in    the 
Stale    of   New    York,    near 
Pain  led  Post,  Yates  County. 
-h"^^^''^-  His    parents     were     obscure, 
'  honest,    God-fearing     people, 

u  ho  reared  their  children  under  the  daily 
examijle  of  iudusUy  and  frugality,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  class  of  Eastern 
society.  Mr.  Bissell  received  a  respecta- 
ble but  not  thorough  academical  education. 
By  assiduous  application  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  medicine,  and  in  his  early 
manhood  came  West  and  located  in  Mon- 
roe County,  this  Slate,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  that  profession.  But  he  was  not  enam- 
ored of  his  calling;  he  was  swayed  by  a  broader 
ambition,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
healing  art  and  its  arduous  duties  failed  to  yield  him 
furtlier  any  charms.  In  a  few  years  he  discovered 
his  choice  of  a  profession  to  be  a  mistake,  and  when 
he  approached  the  age  of  30  he  sought  to  begin 
anew.  Dr.  Bissell,  no  doubt  unexpectedly  to  him- 
self, discovered  a  singular  facility  and  charm  of 
speech,  the  exercise  of  which  acquired  for  him  a 
ready  local   notoriety.     It  soon  came  to  be  under- 


stood tliat  he  desired  to  abandon  his  profession  and 
take  up  that  of  the  law.  During  terms  of  Court  he 
would  spend  his  time  at  the  county  seat  among  the 
members  of  the  Bar,  who  extended  to  him  a  ready 
welcome. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  should  drift 
into  public  life.  In  1840  he  was  elected  as  a  Dem- 
ocrat to  the  Legislature  from  Monroe  County,  and 
was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  On  his  re- 
turn home  he  qualified  himself  for  admission  to  the 
Bar  and  speedily  rose  to  the  front  rank  as  an  advo- 
cate. His  powers  of  oratory  were  captivating.  With  a 
pure  diction,  charming  and  inimitable  gestures, 
clearness  of  statement,  and  a  remarkable  vein  of  sly 
humor,  his  efforts  before  a  jury  told  with  irresistible 
effect.  He  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  for  the  Circuit  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  that  position  he  fully  discharged  his  duty  to  the 
State,  gained  the  esteem  of  the  Bar,  and  seldom 
failed  to  convict  the  offender  of  the  law. 

In  stature  he  was  somewhat  tall  and  slender,  and 
with  a  straight,  military  bearing,  he  presented  a  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
his  head  well  poised,  though  not  large,  his  address 
pleasan't  and  manner  winning.  He  was  exemplary 
in  his  habits,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind  parent. 
He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  James, 


'52 


WILL/ AM  H   BISSELL. 


ot  Monroe  County,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
i)olh  daugliters.  She  died  sooa  after  the  year  1840, 
and  Mr.  B.  married  for  his  second  wife  a  daugliter 
of  Elias  K.  Kane,  previously  a  United  States  Senator 
from  this  State.  She  survived  hi.n  'uit  a  short  time, 
and  died  without  issue. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  was  declared  in  1846, 
Mr.  Bissell  enlisted  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  his 
regiaient,  over  Hon.  Don  Morrison,  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote, — 807  to  6.  Considering  the  limiied 
opportunities  he  had  had,  he  evinced  a  high  order  of 
military  talent.  On  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista 
he  acquitted  himself  with  intrepid  and  distinguished 
ability,  contributing  with  his  regiment,  the  Second 
Illinois,  in  no  small  degree  toward  saving  the  waver- 
ini;  fortunes  of  our  arms  during  that  long  and 'fiercely 
contested  battle. 

After  his  return  home,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  his  opponents  being  the 
Hons.  P.  B.  Fouke  and  Joseph  Gillespie.  He  served 
two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  an  ardent  politician. 
During  the  great  contest  of  1850  he  voted  in  favor 
of  the  adjustment  measures;  but  in  1854  he  opposed 
tiie  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  act  and 
therefore  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of  Douglas,  and 
thus  became  identified  with  the  nascent  Republican 
party. 

During  his  first  Congressional  term,  while  the 
Southern  members  were  following  their  old  practice 
of  intimidating  the  North  by  bullying  language, 
and  claiming  most  of  the  credit  for  victories  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  Jefferson  Davis  claiming  for  the 
Mississippi  troops  all  the  credit  for  success  at  Buena 
Vista,  Mr.  Bissell  bravely  defended  tlie  Northern 
troops;  whereupon  Davis  challenged  Bissell  to  a  duel, 
which  was  accepted.  This  matter  was  brought  u)) 
against  Bissell  when  he  was  candidate  for  Governor 
and  during  his  term  of  office,  as  the  Constitution  of 
this  State  forbade  any  duelist  from  holding  a  State 
office. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party  first  put  fortii 
a  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont,  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  same  party  nominated  Mr.  Bissell 
for  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  John  Wood,  of  Quincy, 
for  Lieutenant  Governor,  while  the  Democrats  nomi- 
nated Hon.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  Adams  County, 
for  Governor,  and  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook 
Countv,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.     The  result  of  the 


election  was  a  plurality  of  4,729  votes  over  Richard- 
son. The  .\merican,  or  Know-Nothing,  party  had  a 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  Legislature  was  nearly  bal- 
anced, but  was  politically  opposed  to  the  Governor. 
His  message  to  the  Legislature  was  short  and  rather 
ordinary,  and  was  criticised  for  e.xpressing  the  sup- 
posed obligations  of  the  people  to  the  incorporators 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  and  for  re- 
opening the  slavery  question  by  allusions  to  the 
Kansas  troubles.  Late  in  the  session  an  apportion- 
ment bill,  based  upon  the  State  census  of  1855,  was 
passed,  amid  much  partisan  strife.  The  Governor 
at  first  signed  the  bill  and  then  vetoed  it.  A  furious 
debate  followed,  and  the  question  whether  the  Gov- 
ernor had  the  authority  to  recall  a  signature  was 
referred  to  the  Courts,  that  of  last  resort  deciding  in 
favor  of  the  Governor.  Two  years  afterward  another 
outrageous  attempt  was  made  for  a  re-apportionment 
and  to  gerrymander  the  State,  but  the  Legislature 
failed  to  pass  the  bill  over  the  veto  of  the  Governor. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Bissell's  administration  that 
the  notorious  canal  scrip  fraud  was  brought  to  light, 
'mplicating  ex-Gov.  Matteson  and  other  prominent 
State  officials.  The  principal  and  interest,  aggregat- 
ing $255,500,  was  all  recovered  by  the  State  except- 
ing $27,500.     (See  sketch  of  Gov.  Matteson.) 

In  1859  an  attempt  was  discovered  to  fraudu- 
lently refund  the  Macalister  and  Stebbins  bonds  and 
thus  rob  the  State  Treasury  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  The  State  Government  was  impli- 
cated in  this  affair,  and  to  this  day  remains  unex- 
plained or  unatoned  for.  For  the  above,  and  other 
matters  previously  mentioned,  Gov.  Bissell  has  been 
severely  criticised,  and  he  has  also  been  most  shame- 
fully libelled  and  slandered. 

On  account  of  e.\posure  in  tiie  army,  the  remote 
cause  of  a  nervous  form  of  disease  gained  entrance 
into  his  system  and  eventually  developed  paraplegia, 
affecting  his  lower  extremities,  which,  while  it  left 
his  body  in  comparative  health,  deprived  him  of  loco- 
motion except  by  the  aid  of  crutches.  While  he  was 
generally  hopeful  of  ultimate  recovery,  this  myste- 
rious disease  pursued  him,  without  once  relaxing  its 
stealthy  hold,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  March  18, 
i86o,  over  nine  months  before  the  expiration  of  his 
gubernatorial  term,  at  the  early  age  of  48  years.  He 
died  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  0/ 
which  he  har*  been  a  member  since  1S54. 


Go  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'55 


■^ 


-^ 


''-:}  iHN  WOOD,  Governo.-  i  S60-1 ,  and 
tn*=  the  first  settler  of  Qiiincy,  111, 
was  boni  in  the  town  of  Sempro- 
nius  (now  Moravia),  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1798.  He  was 
the  second  child  and  only  son  of 
Dr.  Daniel  Wood.  His  mother, 
nee  Catherine  Crause,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  died 
while  he  was  an  infant.  Dr. 
Wood  was  a  learned  and  skillful 
physician,  of  classical  attain- 
ments and  proficient  in  several 
modern  lai.guages,  who,  after 
serving  throughout  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  as  a  Surgeon,  settled  on  the  land  granted 
him  by  the  Government,  and  resided  there  a  re- 
spected and  leading  influence  in  his  section  until  his 
death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  92  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  impelled  by  the  spirit 
of  Western  adventure  then  pervading  everywhere, 
left  his  home,  Nov.  2,  r8i8,  and  passed  the  succeed- 
mg  winter  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  following  sum- 
mer he  pushed  on  to  Illinois,  landing  at  Shawneetown, 
and  spent  the  fall  and  following  winter  in  Calhoun 
County.  In  1820,  in  company  with  Willard  Keyes, 
he  settled  in  Pike  County,  about  30  miles  southeast 
of  Quincy,  where  for  the  next  two  years  he  pursued 
farming.  In  1821  he  visited  "the  Bluffs"  (as  the 
present  site  of  Quincy  was  called,  then  uninhabited) 
and,  pleased  with  its  prospects,  soon  after  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  near  by,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing fall  (1822)  erected  near  the  river  a  small  cabin, 


•^ 


18  X  20  feet,  the  first  building  ill  Quincy ,  of  whii  If 
he  then  became  the  first  and  for  some  months  the 
only  occupant. 

About  this  time  he  visited  his  old  friends  in  Pike 
County,  chief  of  whom  was  William  Ross,  the  lead- 
ing man  in  building  up  the  village  of  Atlas,  of  that 
county,  which  was  thought  then  to  be  the  possible 
commencement  of  3  city.  One  day  they  and  others 
were  traveling  together  over  the  country  between  the 
two  points  named,  making  observations  on  the  com- 
parative merits  of  the  respective  localities.  On  ap- 
proaching the  Mississippi  near  Mr.  Wood's  place, 
the  latter  told  his  companions  to  follow  him  and  he 
would  show  them  where  he  was  going  to  build  a  city. 
They  went  about  a  mile  off  the  main  trail,  to  a  high 
l)oint,  from  which  the  view  in  every  direction  was 
most  magnificent,  as  it  had  been  for  ages  and  as  ye; 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  Before  them  swept 
liy  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters,  yet  unburdened  by 
navigation.  After  Mr.  Wood  had  expatiated  at 
length  on  the  advantages  of  the  situation,  Mr.  Ross 
replied,  "  But  it's  too  near  Atlas  ever  to  amount  to 
anything!" 

Atlas  is  still  a  cultivated  farm,  and  Quincy  is  .-> 
city  of  over  30,000  population. 

In  1824  Mr.  Wood  gave  a  newspaper  notice, 
as  the  law  then  prescribed,  of  his  intention  to  apply 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new 
county.  This  was  done  the  following  winter,  result- 
ing in  the  establishment  of  the  present  Adams 
County.  During  the  next  summer  Quincy  was  se- 
lected as  the  county  seat,  it  and  the  vicinity  then 
containing  but  four  adult  male  residents  and   half 


'5" 


rOHN  WOOD. 


that  number  of  females.  Sinoe  that  period  Mr.  ] 
Wood  resided  at  the  place  of  his  early  adoption  un- 
til his  death,  and  far  more  than  any  other  man  was 
he  identified  with  every  measure  of  its  progress  and 
liistory,  and  almost  continuously  kept  in  public  posi- 
tions. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  town  Trustees,  and  after 
ihe  place  became  a  city  he  was  often  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  many  times  elected  Mayor,  in  the 
""ace  of  a  constant  large  opposition  political  majority. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  In  1856, 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  was 
chosen  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  on  the 
ticket  with  Wm.  H.  Bissell  for  Governor,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter,  March  18,  i860,  he  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Executive  chair,  which  he  occupied  until 
Gov.  Yates  was  inaugurated  nearly  ten  months  after- 
ward. 

Nothing  very  marked  characterized  the  adminis- 
tration of  Gov.  Wood.  The  great  anti-slavery  cam- 
paign of  i860,  resulting  in  the  election  of  the  honest 
r.linoisan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  occurred  during  the  short  period 
while  Mr.  Wood  was  Governor,  and  tne  excitement 
and  issues  of  that  struggle  dominated  over  every 
other  consideration, — indeed,  supplanted  them  in  a 
great  measure.  The  people  of  Illinois,  during  all 
that  time,  were  passing  the  comparatively  petty  strifes 
under  Bissell's  administration  to  the  overwhelming 
issue  of  preserving  the  whole  nation  from  destruction. 
In  :86i  ex-Gov.  Wood  was  one  of  the  five  Dele- 
gates from  Illinois  to  the  "  Peace  Convention  "  at 
Washingtoii,  and  in  April  of  the  same  year,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the    Rebellion,   he    was    appointed 


Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  which  position 
he  held  throughout  the  war.  In  1864  he  took  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  137th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  with 
whom  he  served  until  the  period  of  enlistment  ex- 
pired. 

Politically,  Gov.  Wood  was  always  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Whig  and  Republican  parties.  Few 
men  have  in  personal  experience  comprehended  so 
many  surprising  and  advancing  local  changes  as 
vested  in  the  more  than  half  century  recollections  of 
Gov.  Wood.  Sixty-four  years  ago  a  solitary  settler 
on  the  "Bluffs,"  with  no  family,  and  no  neighbor 
within  a  score  of  miles,  the  world  of  civilization  away 
behind  him,  and  the  strolling  red-man  almost  his 
only  visitant,  he  lived  to  see  growing  around  him, 
and  under  his  auspices  and  aid,  overspreading  the 
wild  hills  and  scraggy  forest  a  teaming  city,  second 
only  in  size  in  the  State,  and  surpassed  nowhere  in 
beauty,  prosperity  and  promise ;  whose  people  recog- 
nize as  with  a  single  voice  the  proverbial  honor  and 
liberality  that  attach  to  the  name  and  lengthened 
life  of  their  pioneer  settler,  "the  old  Governor." 

Gov.  Wood  was  twice  married, — first  in  January, 
1826,  to  Ann  M.  Streeter,  daughter  of  Joshua  Streeter, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  had 
eight  children.  Mrs.  W.  died  Oct.  8,  1863,  and  in 
June,  1865,  Gov.  Wood  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  widow 
of  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Holmes.  Gov.  Wood  died  June  4, 
18S0,  at  his  residence  in  Quincy.  Four  of  his  eight 
cliildren  are  now  living,  namely:  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
iCcw.  John  Tillson;  Daniel  C,  who  married  Mary  J. 
Abernethy;  John,  Jr.,  who  married  Josephine  Skinner, 
and  Joshua  S.,  who  married  Annie  Bradley.  The 
last  mentioned  now  resides  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
all  the  rest  are  still  at  Quincy. 


D 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


159 


-¥ 


4- 


ICHARD  YATES,  the  "War 
Governor,''  1 86 1-4,  was  born 
Jan.  18,  1818,  oil  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  Warsaw, 
Gallatin  Co.,  Ky.     His  father 

#''  moved  in  18^1  to  Illinois,  and 
afier   stopping   for   a   time  in 
■    ~     "       ■  Springfield,   settled  at    Island 

Grove,  Sangamon  County.  Here, 
after  attending  school,  Richard  joined 
the  family.  Subsequently  he  entered 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville, 
where,  in  1837,  he  graduated  with 
first  honors.  He  chose  for  his  pro- 
fession the  law,  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Har- 
din being  his  instructor.  After  ad- 
mission to  the  Bar  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  an 
advocate. 

Gifted  with  a  fluent  and  ready  oratory,  he  soon 
appeared  in  the  political  hustings,  and,  being  a 
passionate  admirer  of  the  great  ^Vhig  leader  of  the 
West.  Henry  Clay,  he  joined  his  political  fortunes  to 
he  party  of  his  idol.  In  1840  he  engaged  with  great 
'■•rdor  in  the  exciting  "  hard  cider  "  campaign  for 
rfarrison.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  Morgan  County,  a  Democratic 
stronghold.  He  served  three  or  four  terms  in  the 
Legislature,  and  such  was  the  fascination  of  his  ora- 
tory that  by  1S50  his  large  Congressional  District, 
extending  from  Morgan  and  Sangamon  Counties 
lOrth  to  include  LaSalle,  unanimously  tendered  him 
tne  Whig  nomination  for  Congress.  His  Democratic 
opponent  was  Maj.  Thomas  L.  Harris,  a  very  pop- 
■alar  man  who  had  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  who  had 
oeaten  Hon.  Stephen  T.  Logan  for  the  same  position. 


I    two    years    before,  by   a  large   majority.     Yates  way 
j    elected.     Two   years    later    he    was   re-elected,  over 
John  Calhoun. 

It  was  during  Yates  second  term  in  Congress  that 
the  great  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  agitated,  and  the  bars  laid  down  for  re- 
opening the  dreaded  anti-slavery  question.  He  took 
strong  grounds  against  the  repeal,  and  thus  became 
identified  with  the  rising  Republican  party.  Conse- 
quently he  fell  into  the  minority  in  his  district,  which 
was  pro-slavery.  Even  then,  in  a  third  contest,  he 
fell  behind  Major  Harris  only  zoo  votes,  after  the 
district  had  two  years  before  given  Pierce  2,000 
majority  for  President. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  of  i860  met  at 
Decatur  May  9,  and  nominated  for  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor Mr.  Yates,  in  preference  to  Hon.  Norman  B. 
Judd,  of  Chicago,  and  Leonard  Svvett,  of  Blooming- 
ton,  two  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  State,  who  were 
also  candidates  before  the  Convention.  Francis  i\. 
Hoffman,  of  DuPage  County,  was  nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  This  was  the  year  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  President,  a  period  re- 
membered as  characterized  by  the  great  v/hirlpuol 
which  precipitated  the  bloody  Wir  of  the  Rebellion. 
The  Douglas  Democrats  nominated  J.  C.  Allen  of 
Crawford  County,  for  Governor,  and  Lewis  W.  Ro-s. 
of  Fulton  County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The 
Breckenridge  Democrats  and  the  Bell-Everett  |)arty 
had  also  full  tickets  in  the  field.  After  a  most  fear- 
ful campaign,  the  result  of  the  election  gave  Mr. 
Yates  172,196  votes,  and  Mr.  Allen  159,253.  Mr. 
Yates  received  over  a  thousand  more  votes  than  did 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 

Gov.  Yates  occupied  the  chair  of  State  diying  the 


i6o 


RICHARD     YA  TES. 


most  critical  period  of  our  country's  history.  la  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  involved  tiiat  of  each  Stale. 
The  life  struggle  of  the  former  derived  its  sustenance 
from  the  loyalty  of  the  latter;  and  Gov.  Yates 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation,  and  proved  himself 
both  loyal  and  wise  in  ui)holdiiig  the  Government. 
He  had  a  deep  hold  upon  the  affections  of  tlie 
people,  won  by  his  moving  eloquence  and  genial 
manners.  Erect  and  symmetrical  in  person,  of  ])re- 
possessing  appearance,  with  a  winning  address  and  a 
magnetic  power,  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  ele- 
ments of  ixjpularity.  His  oratory  was  scholarly  and 
captivating,  his  hearers  hardly  knowing  \\\\y  they 
were  transported.  He  was  social  and  convivial.  In 
the  latter  respect  he  was  ultimately  carried  too  far. 

The  very  creditable  military  efforts  of  this  State 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  putting  into  the 
field  the  enormous  numljcr  of  about  200,000  soldiers, 
were  ever  promptly  and  ably  seconded  by  his^excel- 
lency ;  and  the  was  ambitious  to  deserve  the  title  of 
"the  soldier's  friend."  Immediately  after  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  repaired  to  the  field  of  carnage  to  look 
after  the  wounded,  and  his  appeals  for  aid  were 
promptly  resi»nded  to  by  the  peoiile.  His  procla- 
mations calling  for  volunteers  were  impassionate 
appeals,  urging  upon  the  people  the  duties  and  re- 
quirements of  patriotism  ;  and  his  special  message 
in  1S63  to  the  Democratic  Legislature  of  this  State 
pleading  for  material  aid  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  of  Illinois  regiments,  breathes  a  deep  fervor 
of  noble  sentiment  and  feeling  rarely  equaled  in 
beauty  or  felicity  of  expression.  Generally  his  mes- 
sages on  political  and  civil  affairs  were  able  and  com- 
prehensive. During  his  administration,  however, 
there  were  no  civil  events  of  an  engrossing  cliaracter, 
although  two  years  of  his  time  were  replete  with 
partisan  quarrels  of  great  bitterness.  Military  ar- 
rests, Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  riot  in  Fulton 
County,  attempted  suppression  of  the  Ciiicago  Times 
and  the  usurping  State  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1862,  were  the  chief  local  tO|)ics  that  were  exciting 
during  the  Governor's  term.  This  Convention  assem- 
bled Jan.  7,  and  at  once  took  the  high  position  that 
■"•iC  law  calling  it  was  no  longer  binding,  and  that  it 

ad  supreme  power;  that  it  represented  a  virtual 
assemblage  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  was 
sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  all  power  necessary  to 
vffect  9  peaceable  revolution  of  tlie  State  Government 


and  to  the  re-establishment  of  one  for  the  "happiness, 
prosperity  and  freedom  of  the  citizens,"  limited  only 
by  the  Federal  Constitution.  Notwithstanding  the 
law  calling  the  Convention  required  its  members  to 
take  an  oath  to  supiwrt  the  Constitution  of  the  Slate 
as  well  as  that  of  the  general  Government,  they 
utterly  refused  to  lake  such  oath.  They  also  as- 
sumed legislative  powers  and  passed  several  im[)ort- 
ant  "laws!"  Interfering  with  the  (then)  [jresent 
executive  duties.  Gov.  Yates  was  provoked  to  tell 
them  plainly  that  "  he  did  not  acknowledge  the  right 
of  the  Convention  to  instruct  him  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty." 

In  1863  the  Governor  astonished  the  Democrats 
l)y  "  proroguing  "  their  Legislature.  This  body,  after 
a  recess,  met  June  2,  that  year,  and  soon  began  to 
waste  time  upon  various  partisan  resolutions  ;  and, 
while  the  two  houses  were  disagreeing  upon  the 
question  of  adjourning  ««6'  du-,  the  Governor,  having 
the  authority  in  such  cases,  surprised  them  all  by 
adjourning  them  "  to  the  Saturday  next  preceding  the 
first  Monday  in  January,  1865  !"  This  led  to  great 
excitement  and  confusion,  and  to  a  reference  of  the 
Governor's  act  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  decided  in 
liis  favor.  Then  it  was  the  Court's  turn  to  receive 
abuse  for  weeks  and  months  afterward. 

During  the  autumn  of  1S64  a  conspiracy  was  de- 
tected at  Chicago  which  had  for  its  object  the  liber- 
ation of  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Douglas,  the 
burning  of  the  city  and  the  inauguration  of  rebellio:i 
in  the  North.  Gen.  Sweet,  who  had  charge  of  tlie 
camp  at  the  time,  first  had  his  suspicions  of  danger 
aroused  by  a  number  of  enigmatically  worded  letters 
which  passed  through  the  Camp  postoflice.  .\  de- 
tective afterward  discovered  that  the  rebel  Gen. 
Marmaduke  was  in  the  city,  under  an  assumed 
name,  and  he,  with  other  rebel  officers — Grenfell, 
Morgan,  Cantrell,  Buckner  Morris,  and  Charles 
Walsh — was  arrested,  most  of  whom  were  convicted 
by  a  court-martial  at  Cincinnati  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment, — Grenfell  to  be  hung.  The  sentence 
of  the  latter  was  afterward  commuted  to  imprison- 
ment for  life,  and  all  the  others,  after  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  were  pardoned. 

In  March,  1873,  Gov.  Yates  was  appointed  a  Gov- 
ernment Director  of  ihe  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in 
whicb.  office  he  continued  until  his  decease,  at  .St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  the  27th  of  November  following. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


163 


MieJiard  J.  Ogles 


^#, 


:'*r 


— }- 


#-#- 


-{— 


f^ICHARl)  J.  OGLESBY,  Gov- 
ernor 1865-8,  and  re-elected 
in  1 87 2  and  1884,  was  born 
July  25,  1824,  in  Oldham  Co., 
Ky., — the  State  which  might 
t«C-^  be  considered  the  "  mother  of 
Illinois  Governors."  Bereft  of 
"^  his  parents  at  the  tender  age 
of  eight  years,  his  early  education 
y/s.'i  neglected.  When  12  years  of 
age,  and  after  he  had  worked  a  year 
and  a  half  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
he  removed  with  an  uncle,  Willis 
Oglesby,  into  whose  care  he  had 
been  committed,  to  Decatur,  .  this 
State,  where  he  continued  his  ap- 
prenticeship as  a  mechanic,  working  six  months  for 
Hon.  E.  O.  Smith. 

In  1844  he  commenced  studying  law  at  Spring- 
field, with  Judge  Silas  Robbins,  and  read  with  him 
one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1845,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at 
Sullivan,  the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  next  year  the  war  with  Mexico  was  com- 
menced, and  in  June,  1846,  Mr.  Oglesby  volunteered, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  Fourth  Illinois 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo. 

On  his  return  he  sought  to  perfect  his  law  studies 
by  attending  a  course  of  lectures  at  Louisville,  but 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  California  "gold  fever  "  in 
1849,  he  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  driving  a  six-mule  team,  with  a  com- 


pany of  eight  men,  Henry  Prather  being  the  leader. 

In  1852  he  returned  home  to  Macon  County,  and 
was  placed  that  year  by  the  Whig  party  on  the  ticket 
of  Presidential  Electors.  In  1856  he  visited  Europe, 
.\sia  and  Africa,  being  absent  20  months.  On  his 
return  home  he  resu  ned  the  practice  of  law,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Gallagher,  Wait  &  Oglesby. 
In  185S  he  was  the  Rei)ublican  no.ainee  for  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  the 
Hon.  James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat.  In  i860  he 
was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  Senate ;  and  on  the 
evening  the  returns  of  this  election  were  coming  in, 
Mr.  Oglesby  had  a  fisticuff  encounter  with  "Cerro 
Gordo  Williams,"  in  which  he  came  out  victorious, 
and  which  was  regarded  as  "  the  first  fight  of  the 
Rebellion."  The  following  spring,  when  the  war 
had  commenced  in  earnest,  his  ardent  nature 
quickly  responded  to  the  demands  of  patriotism  a  id 
he  enlisted.  The  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
the  second  one  in  the  State  raised  to  suppress  the 
great  Rebellion. 

He  was  shortly  entrusted  with  im[)ortant  coni- 
mands.  For  a  time  he  was  stationed  at  Bird's  Point 
and  Cairo;  in  April  he  was  promoted  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral; at  Fort  Donelson  his  brigade  was  in  the  van, 
being  stationed  on  the  right  of  General  Grant's  army 
and  the  first  brigade  to  be  attacked.  He  lost  500 
men  before  re-inforcements  arrived.  Many  of  these 
men  were  from  Macon  County.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Corinth,  and,  in  a  brave  charge  at  this 
place,  was  sliot  in  the  left  lung  with  an  ounce  ball, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in   expectation  of  xwy 


164 


RICHARD  J.    OGLESBY. 


mediate  death.  That  rebel  ball  he  carries  to  this 
day.  On  his  partial  recovery  he  was  promoted  as 
Major  General,  for  gillaiitiy,  his  cominissioa  to  rank 
from  November,  1862.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  i6th  Army 
Corps,  but,  owing  to  inability  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  he  relinquished  this  command  in  July,  that 
year.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  refused  to  accept  his 
resignation,  and  he  was  detailed,  in  December  follow- 
ing, to  court-martial  and  try  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Army  at  Washington,  where  he  remained  until 
May,  1864,  when  he  returned  home. 

The  Republican,  or  Union,  State  Convention  of 

1864  was  lield  at  SpriuLifieid,  May  25,  when  Mr. 
Oglesby  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  Governor, 
while  other  candidates  before  the  Convention  were 
Allen  C.  Fuller,  of  Boone,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  of  Sanga- 
mon, and  John  M.  Palmer,  of  Macoupin.  Wm. 
Bross,  of  Chicago,  was  nominated  for  Lieutenant 
Governor.  On  the  Democratic  State  ticket  were 
James  C.  Robinson,  of  ("lark,  for  Governor,  and  S. 
Corning  Judd,  of  Fulton,  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  general  election  gavj  Gen.  Oglesby  a  majority 
of  about  31,000  votes.  The  Republicans  had  also  a 
majority  in  both  th"  Legislature  and  in  the  repre- 
sentation in  Congress. 

Gov.  Oglesby  was  duly  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1S65. 
The  day  before  the  fiist  time  set  for  his  installation 
death  visited  his  hj  ne  at  Decatur,  and  look  from  it 
iiis  only  son,  an  intelligent  and  sprightly  lad  of  si.x 
years,  a  great  favorite  of  the  bereaved  i)arents.  This 
caused  the  inauguration  to  be  postponed  a  week. 

The  political  events  of  the  Legislative  session  of 

1865  were  the  election  of  ex-Gov.  Yates  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  ratification  of  the  13th 
amend. nent  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
abolishing  slavery.  This  session  also  signalized 
itself  by  repealing  the  notorious  "  black  laws,"  part 
of  which,  although  a  dead  letter,  had  held  their  place 
upon  the  statute  books  since  1S19.  Also,  laws  re- 
quiring the  registration  of  voters,  and  establishing  a 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  were  passed  by  this  Leg- 
islature. But  the  same  body  evinced  that  it  was  cor- 
ruptly influenced  by  a  mercenary  lobby,  as  it  adopted 
some  bad  legislation,  over  the  Governor's  veto,  nota- 
bly an  amendment  to  a  charter  for  a  Chicago  horse 
railway,  granted  in  1859  for  25  years,  and  now 
souglit  to  be  extended  99  years.  As  this  measure 
was  promptly  passed  over  his  veto  by  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  he  deemed  it  useless  further  to 
attempt  to  check  their  headlong  career.  At  this 
session  no  law  of  a  general  useful  character  or  public 
interest  was  perfected,  unless  we  count  such  the 
burning  over  of  the  canal  to  Chicago  to  be  deepened. 
The  session  of  1867  was  still  more  productive  of 
private  and  special  acts.  Many  omnibus  bills  were 
nrop^sed,  and  some  passed.  Tiie  contests  over  the 
,:ca'ion  of  the   Industrial  College,  the  Capital,  the 


Southern    t''enitentiary,   and    the  canal   enlargement 
and   Illinois   River   improvement,   dominated  every 
thing  else. 

During  the  year  1872,  it  became  evident  that  if 
the  Republicans  could  re-elect  Mr.  Oglesby  to  the 
office  of  Governor,  they  could  also  elect  him  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  they  desired  to  do. 
Accordingly  they  re-nominated  him  for  the  Exec  u- 
tive  chair,  and  placed  ui)on  the  ticket  with  him  for 
Lieutenant  Governor,  John  L.  Beveridge,  of  Cook 
County.  On  the  other  side  the  Democrats  pat  into 
the  field  Gustavus  Koerner  for  Governor  and  John 
C.  Black  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  election 
gave  the  Republican  ticket  majorities  ranging  from 
35>334  tt)  56,174, — ihe  Democratic  defection  being 
caused  mainly  by  their  h.iving  an  old-time  Whig  and 
Abolitionist,  Horace  Greeley,  on  the  national  ticket 
for  President.  According  to  the  general  understand- 
ing had  beforehand,  as  soon  as  the  Legislature  met 
it  elected  Gov.  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
whereupon  Mr.  Beveridge  became  Governor.  Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's  term  expired  March  4,  1S79,  having 
served  his  party  faithfully  and  exhibited  an  order  of 
statesmanship  beyond  criticism. 

During  the  campaign  of  1SS4  Mr.  Oglesby  was 
nominated  for  a  "third  term"  as  Executive  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  against  Carter  H.  Harrison,  Mayor 
of  Chicago,  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  Both 
gentlemen  "  stumped  "  the  State,  and  while  the  peo- 
])le  elected  a  Legislature  which  was  a  tie  on  a  joint 
ballot,  as  between  the  two  parties,  they  gave  the 
jovial  "  Dick"  Oglesby  a  majority  of  15,018  for  Gov- 
ernor, and  he  was  inaugurated  Jan.  30,  1885.  The 
Legislature  did  not  fully  organize  until  this  date,  0:1 
account  of  its  equal  division  between  tlie  two  main 
parties  and  the  consequent  desperate  tactics  of  eacli 
party  to  checkmate  the  latter  in  the  organization  of 
the  House. 

Gov.  Oglesby  is  a  fine-appearing,  affable  man,  witli 
regular,  well  defined  features  and  rotund  face.  la 
stature  he  is  a  little  above  medium  height,  of  a  large 
frame  and  somewhat  fleshy.  His  physical  ap|>ear- 
ance  is  striking  and  preiwssessing,  while  his  straight- 
out,  not  to  say  bluff,  manner  and  speech  are  well 
calculated  favorably  to  imjjress  the  average  masses. 
Ardent  in  feeling  and  strongly  committed  to  the  pol- 
icies of  his  party,  he  intensifies  Republicanism 
among  Republicans,  while  at  the  same  time  his  jovial 
and  liberal  manner  prevents  those  of  the  opposite 
party  from  hating  him. 

He  is  quite  an  effective  stump  orator.  With  vehe- 
ment, ])assionate  and  scornful  tone  and  gestures, 
tremendous  physical  power,  which  in  speaking  he 
exercises  to  the  utmost;  with  frequent  descents  to 
the  grotesque;  and  with  abundant  homely  compari- 
sons or  frontier  figures,  expressed  in  the  broadest 
vernacular  and  enforced  with  stentorian  em[)hasis, 
he  delights  a  promiscuous  audience  beyond  measure. 


d—^-'^CL^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'^f^^'Sii^'o^. 


P^    \J' AIL  1\     AVJLt'     JL    J^  JU  1\JL  EU  A\u  ly/lf 


t    t/y       nilN  Mc  AULEY  PALMER,  Gov- 
■*    ■         *i   ernor     1869-72,     was     born    on 

4  \li\t'*  r  Eagle  Creek,  Scott  Co.,  Ky., 
Sept.  13,  1817.  During  his  in- 
fancy, his  father,  who  had  been 
a  soldier  in  tlie  war  of  181 2,  re- 
moved to  Christian  Co.,  Ky., 
wliere  lands  were  cheap.  Here 
the  future  Governor  of  the  great 
Prairie  State  s|jent  his  childhood 
and  received  such  meager  school- 
ing as  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled country  afforded.  To  this 
he  added  materially  by  diligent 
^^^'  reading,  for  v.'hich  he  evinced  an 

eady  ajjlitude.  His  father,  an  ardent  Jackson  man, 
was  also  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  sentiments,  wliich 
he  thoroughly  impressed  upon  his  children.  In  1831 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  County. 
Here  the  labor  of  improving  a  farn\  was  pursued  for 
ab:  ut  two  years,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
iud'.her  broke  up  the  family.  About  this  time  Alton 
College  was  opened,  on  the  "manual  labor  "  system, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1834  young  Palmer,  with  his 
elder  brother,  Elihu,  entered  this  school  and  remained 
18  months.  Next,  for  over  three  years,  he  tried 
variously  coopering,  peddling  and  school-teaching. 

Duiing    the   summer  of   1838  he  formed  the  ac- 
quain'ince  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then   making  his 


first  canvass  for  Congress.  Young,  eloquent  and  in 
political  accord  witli  Mr.  Palmer,  he  won  his  confi- 
dence, fired  his  ambition  and  fixed  his  purpose.  The 
following  winter,  while  teaching  near  Canton,  he  be- 
gan to  devote  his  spare  time  to  a  desultory  reading 
of  la.v,  and  in  the  spring  entered  a  law  office  at  Car- 
liaville,  making  his  home  with  his  elder  brother, 
Elihu.  (The  latter  was  a  learned  clergyman,  of  con- 
siderable orginality  of  thought  and  doctrine.)  On 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar,  Douglas  being  one  of  his  examiners. 
He  was  not  immediately  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  woOld  have  located  elsewhere  than  Carlinville 
had  he  the  requisite  means.  Thus  his  early  poverty 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  to  it  he  now  attributes 
the  success  of  his  life. 

From  1839  on,  while  he  diligently  pursued  his 
profession,  he  participated  more  or  less  in  local 
politics.  In  1843  he  became  Probate  Judge.  lu 
1 847  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, where  he  took  a  leading  part.  In  1852  hi, 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the  special 
session  of  February,  1854,  true  to  the  anti-slaver) 
sentiments  bred  in  hiin,  he  took  a  firm  stand  in  op 
position  to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
and  when  the  Nebraska  question  became  a  part; 
issue  he  refused  to  receive  a  re-nomination  for  th( 
Senatorship  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  issuinj 
a  circular  to  that  effect.     A    few    weeks   afterward 


j6S 


JOHN  MC  AULEV  PALMER. 


however,  hesitating  to  break  with  his  party,  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  Congressional  Convention  which  nomi- 
T.  L.  Harris  against  Richard  Yates,  and  which 
unqualifiedly  approved  the  principles  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act.  But  Inter  in  the  campaign  he  made 
the  plunge,  ran  for  the  Senate  as  an  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat,  and  was  elected.  The  following  winter 
he  put  in  nomination  for  the  United  States  Senate 
Mr.  Trumbull,  and  was  one  of  the  five  steadfast  men 
who  voted  for  him  until  all  the  Whigs  came  to  their 
support  and  elected  their  man. 

In  1856  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Convention  at  Bloomington.  He  ran  for  Congress  in 
1859,  but  was  defeated.  In  i860  he  was  Republican 
Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  at  large.  In  1S61 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  Delegates  (all  Re- 
publicans) sent  by  Illinois  to  the  peace  congress  at 
Washington. 

When  the  civil  conflict  broke  out,  he  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the 
i4ih  111.  Vol.  Inf ,  and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Island  No.  10;  at  Farmington,  where  he  skillfully 
extricated  his  command  from  a  dangerous  position  ; 
at  Stone  River,  where  his  division  for  several  hours, 
Dec.  31,  1862,  held  the  advance  and  stood  like  a 
rock,  and  for  his  gallantry  there  he  was  m.nde  Mnjor 
General;  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  and  Van  Cleve's 
divisions  for  two  hours  maintained  their  position 
when  they  were  cut  off  by  overpowering  numbers 
Under  Gen.  Sherman,  he  was  assigned  to  the  14th 
Army  Corps  and  participated  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
At  Peach-Tree  Creek  his  prudence  did  much  fo  avert 
disaster.  In  February,  1865,  Gen.  Palmer  was  as- 
signed to  the  military  administration  of  Kentucky, 
which  was  a  delicate  post.  That  State  was  about 
half  rebel  and  half  Union,  and  those  of  the  latter 
element  were  daily  fretted  by  the  loss  of  their  slaves. 
He,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  rules  of  common  law, 
trembled  at  the  contemplation  of  his  extraordinary 
[wwer  over  the  persons  and  property  of  his  fellow 
men,  with  which  he  was  vested  in  his  capacity  as 
military  Governor ;  and  he  exhibited  great  caution  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  post. 

Gen.  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois by  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met 
ai  Peori  I  May  6,  1868,  a'ld  his  nomination  would 
probably  have  been  ma  le  by  acclainalion  liad  he  not 
persistently  declared  ihat  he  could  not  accept  a  can- 


didature for  the  office.  The  result  of  the  ensuing 
election  gave  Mr.  Palmer  a  majority  of  44,707  over 
John  R.  Eden,  the  Democratic  nominee. 

0.1  tlie  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1869,  the  first  thing  to  arrest  public  attention  was 
that  portion  of  the  Governor's  message  which  took 
broad  Slate's  rights  ground.  This  and  some  minor 
pjints,  whijh  were  mare  iu  keeping  with  the  Demo- 
cratic sentiment,  constituted  the  e.itering  wedge  f  )r 
the  criticisms  and  reproofs  he  afterward  received 
fio'.n  the  Republican  party,  and  ultimately  resulted 
in  his  entire  aleniation  from  the  Litter  element.  The 
Legislature  just  referred  to  was  noted  for  the  intro- 
duction of  numerous  bills  in  the  interest  of  private 
parties,  which  were  embarrassing  to  the  Governor. 
Among  the  public  acts  passed  was  that  which  limited 
railroad  charges  for  passenger  travel  to  a  maximum 
of  three  cents  per  mile ;  and  it  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto.  Also,  they  passed,  over  his  veto, 
the  "tax-grabbing  law"  to  pay  r?.ilror.i  subscriptions, 
the  Chicago  Lake  Front  bill,  etc.  The  r;ew  State 
Constitution  of  1S70,  far  superior  to  the  old,  was  a 
peaceful  "  revolution"  which  took  place  during  Gov. 
Palmer's  term  of  office.  The  suffering  caused  by  the 
great  Chicago  Fire  of  October,  1871,  was  greatly 
alleviated  by  the  prompt  responses  of  his  excellency. 

Since  the  expiration  of  Gov.  Palmers 's  term,  he  has 
been  somewhat  prominent  in  Illinois  jwlitics,  and 
h;is  been  talked  of  by  many,  especially  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  as  the  best  man  in  the  State  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  His  business  during  life  has 
been  that  of  the  law.  Few  excel  him  in  an  accurate 
appreciation  of  the  depth  and  scope  of  its  principles- 
The  great  number  of  his  able  veto  messages  abun- 
dantly testify  not  only  this  but  also  a  rare  capacity  to 
l)oinl  them  out.  He  is  a  logical  and  cogent  reasoner 
and  an  interesting,  forcible  and  convincing  speaker, 
though  not  fluent  or  ornate.  Without  brilliancy,  his 
dealings  are  rather  with  facts  and_  ideas  than  with 
appeals  to  passions  and  prejudices.  He  is  a  patriot 
and  a  statesman  of  very  high  order.  Physically  he  is 
above  the  medium  height,  of  robust  frame,  ruddy 
complexion  and  sanguine-nervous  temperament.  He 
has  a  largo  cranial  development,  is  vivacious,  social 
in  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  unostentatious  in  his 
habits  of  life,  democratic  in  his  hain'ts  and  manner; 
and  is  a  true  American  in  his  fundamental  principle* 
of  statesmanship. 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


17  > 


J  '..'i  V.^ -■.'^g^ti;S^^*S'^^g^^i5s'■^*;^n^^^i^^'£.^l'j^.'^^>'g1'S§:>'^ga'^i'^^^.^^^^^ 


.  :Mf ¥f fiiagf .    ffi 


crura 


/:rv'^ — -n  i> 

OHN    LOWRiR  BEVER- 

111  .  s*  IDGE,  Covernor  iS73-6,was 
It^/lK  bom  ill  tlie  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  6,  1824.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Ann  Bevcr- 
idge.  His  father's  parents,  An- 
drew and  Isabel  Beveridge,  be- 
fore their  marriage  emigrated 
from  Scotland  just  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  in 
Washington  County.  His  father 
was  tiie  eldest  of  eight  brothers,  the 
youngest  of  whom  was  60  years  of 
age  when  the  first  one  of  the  num- 
ber died.  His  mother's  parents, 
James  and  Agnes  Hoy,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  also  in 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  their 
first-born,  whose  "  native  land  "was 
the  wild  ocean.  His  parents  and 
grand[)arents  lived  beyond  the  time 
allotted  to  man,  their  average  age 
being  over  So  years.  They  belonged  to  the  "  Asso- 
ciate   Cluiich,"   a    seceding    Presbyterian     body     of 


America  from  the  old  Scotch  school ;  and  so  rigid 
was  the  training  of  young  Beveridge  that  he  never 
heard  a  sermon  from  any  other  minister  except  that 
of  his  own  denomination  until  he  was  in  his  19th 
year.  Later  in  life  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  relation  he  still 
holds. 

Mr.  Beveridge  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, but  his  parents,  who  could  obtain  a  livelihood 
only  by  rigid  economy  and  industry,  could  not  send 
him  away  to  college.  He  was  raised  upon  a  farm, 
and  was  in  his  i8th  year  when  the  family  removed 
to  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  when  that  section  was 
very  sparsely  settled.  Chicago  had  less  than  7,000 
inhabitants.  In  this  wild  West  he  continued  as  a 
farm  laborer,  teaching  school  during  the  winter 
months  to  supply  the  means  of  an  education.  In  the 
fill  of  1842  he  attended  one  term  at  the  academy  at 
Granville,  Putnam  Co.,  111.,  and  subsequently  sever.il 
terms  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Ogle  Co.,  111.,  completing  the  academic  course.  At 
this  time,  the  fall  of  1845,  '^'^  parents  and  brothers 
were  anxious  to  have  him  go  to  college,  even  though 
lie  had  not  money  sufficient;  but,  njt  willing  to  bur- 
den the  family,  he  packed  his  trunk  and  with  only 
$40    in   money    started    South    to   seek    his  fortune 


JOHN  L.  liEVERIBGE. 


Poor,  alone,  without  friends  and  influence,  he  thus 
entered  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

First,  he  taught  school  in  Wilson,  Overton  and 
Jackson  Cos.,  Tenn.,  in  which  experience  he  under- 
went considerable  mental  drill,  both  in  book  studies 
and  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  the  South,  but  did  not  learn 
to  love  the  institution  of  slavery,  although  he  ad- 
mired many  features  of  Southern  character.  In  De- 
cember, 1847,  he  returned  North,  and  Jan.  20,  184S, 
he  married  Miss  Helen  M.  Judson,  in  the  old  Clark- 
Street  M.  E.  church  in  Chicago,  her  father  at  that 
time  being  Pastor  of  the  society  there.  In  the  spring 
of  1S48.  he  returned  with  his  wife  to  Tennessee, 
where  his  two  children.  Alia  May  and  Philo  Judson, 
were  born. 

In  the  fall  of  rS49,  through  the  mismanagement 
of  an  associate,  he  lost  what  little  he  had  accumu- 
lated and  was  left  in  debt.  He  soon  managed  to 
earn  means  to  pay  his  debts,  returned  to  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sycamore,  the  county  seat.  On  arrival 
from  the  South  he  had  but  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  in 
money,  and  scanty  clothing  and  bedding  for  himself 
and  family.  He  borrowed  a  little  money,  practiced 
law,  worked  in  public  offices,  kept  books  for  some  of 
the  business  men  of  the  town,  and  some  railroad  en- 
gineering, till  the  spring  of  r854,  when  he  removed 
to  Evanston,  12  miles  north  of  Chicago,  a  place  then 
but  recently  laid  out,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Northwestern  University,  a  Methodist  institution. 
Of  the  latter  his  father-in-law  was  then  financial 
agent  and  business  manager.  Here  Mr.  Beveridge 
prospered,  and  the  next  year  (1855)  opened  a  law 
office  in  Chicago,  where  he  found  the  battle  some- 
what hard;  but  he  persevered  with  encouragement 
and  increasing  success. 

Aug.  12,  1861,  his  law  partner,  Gen.  John  F. 
Farnsworth,  secured  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  authorized  Mr.  Beveridge  to  raise  a 
company  for  it.  He  succeeded  in  a  few  days  in  rais- 
ing the  company,  of  course  enlisring  himself  along 
with  it.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  St.  Charles, 
111.,  was  mustered  Jn  Sept.  iS,  andon  its  organiza- 
tion Mr.  B.  was  elected  Second  Major.  It  was  at- 
tached, Oct.  Ti,  to  the  Eighth  Cavalry  and  to  the 
Army  of  t1ie  Potoniar.  He  served  with  tlic  regiment 
until  November,  1863,  participating  in  some  40  bat- 


tles and  skirmishes  :  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  the  seven  days 
fight  around  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  He  commanded  the  regiment 
the  greaterpart  of  the  summer  of  1863,  and  it  was  while 
lying  in  camp  this  year  that  he  originated  the  policy 
of  encouraging  recruits  as  well  as  the  fighting  capac- 
ity of  the  soldiery,  by  the  wholesale  furlough  system. 
It  worked  so  well  that  many  other  officers  adopted 
it.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  recruited  another  com- 
pany, against  heavy  odds,  in  January,  1864,  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  17th  111.  Cav.,  and 
skirmished  around  in  Missouri,  concluding  with  the 
reception  of  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith's 
army  in -Arkansas.  In  1865  he  commanded  various 
sub-districts  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  mustered 
out  Feb.  6,  1866,  safe  from  the  casualties  of  war  and 
a  stouter  man  than  when  he  first  enlisted.  His  men 
idolized  him. 

He  then  returned  to  Chicago,  to  practice  law,  with 
no  library  and  no  clientage,  and  no  polirical  experi- 
ence e-xcept  to  help  others  into  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1866  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Cook  County,  serving 
one  term;  next,  until  November,  1870,  he  practiced 
law  and  closed  up  the  unfinished  business  of  his 
office.  He  was  then  elected  State  Senator;  in  No- 
vember, 187 1,  he  was  elected  Congressman  at  large; 
in  November,  1872,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Oglesby;  the  latter  be- 
ing elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  Air.  Beveridge  became 
Governor,  Jan.  21,  1873.  Thus,  inside  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  Congressman  at  large.  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  Governor.  The  principal  events  oc- 
curring during  Gov.  Beveridge 's  administration  were: 
The  completion  of  the  revision  of  the  statutes,  begun 
in  1869;  the  partial  success  of  the  "farmers'  move- 
ment;" "  Haines'  Legislature  "  and  IlHnois'  exhibit  at 
the  Centennial. 

Since  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term  ex-Gov 
Beveridge  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bever- 
idge &  Dewey,  bankers  and  dealers  in  commercial 
paper  at  7 1  Dearborn  Street  (McCorraick  Block), 
Chicago,  and  since  November,  iSSi,  he  has  also  been 
.Assistant  United  States  Treasurer:  office  in  the 
Government  Building.  His  residence  is  still  at  Ev- 
anston. 

He  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  yet  residing  in 
De  Kail)  County — James  H.  Beveridge,  Mrs.  Jennet 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Isabel  French. 


GO  VERA'ORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


>75 


8BMLB  Y  M,   CULLOM. 


HELBY  U.  CULLOM,  Gover- 
nor 1877-83,15  the  sixth  child 
of  the  kite  Richard  N.  Cullom, 
and  was  born  Nov.  22,  1829,111 
Wayne  Co.,  Ky.,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided,  and  whence 
both  the  Ilhnois  and  Tennessee 
branches  of  the  family  originated.  In 
the  followiuL;  year  the  family  emi- 
grated to  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
Tazewell  Co.,  111.,  when  that  section 
was  very  sparsely  settled.  They  lo- 
cated on  Deer  Creek,  in  a  grove  at 
the  time  occupied  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, attracted  there  l)y  the  superior 
hunting  and  fishing  afforded  in  that 
vicinity.  The  following  winter  was 
known  as  the  "  hard  winter,"  the  snow  being  very 
rleep  and  lasting  and  the  weather  severely  cold;  and 
trie  family  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  boiled  corn  or 
hominy,  and  some  wild  game,  for  several  weeks.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  R.  N.  Cullom  became  a  prom- 
inent citizen  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
Legislature,  both  before  and  after  the  removal  of  the 
cajiital  from  Vaiidalia  to  Springfield.    He  died  about 

'873- 

Until  about  19  years  of  age  young  Cullom  grew  up 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  school  as  he  had 
opix)rtunity  daring  the  winter.  Within  this  time, 
nowever,  he  spent  several  months  teachinc  <:chool, 


and  in  the  following  summer  he  "broke  prairie  "with 
an  ox  team  for  the  neighbors.  With  the  money  ob- 
tained by  these  various  ventures,  he  undertook  a 
course  of  study  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary,  a 
Methodist  institution  at  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  County; 
but  tlie  sudden  change  to  the  in-door  life  of  a  stu- 
dent told  severely  upon  his  health,  and  he  was  taken 
home,  being  considered  in  a  hopeless  condition.  While 
at  Mt.  Morris  he  heard  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  make 
his  first  speech. 

On  recovering  health,  Mr.  Cullom  concluded  to 
study  law,  under  the  instruction  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
at  Springfield,  who  had  by  this  time  attained  some 
notoriety  as  an  able  lawyer;  but  the  latter,  being  ab- 
sent from  his  office  most  of  the  time,  advised  Mr. 
Cullom  to  enter  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards. 
After  about  a  year  of  study  there,  however,  his  health 
failed  again,  and  lie  was  obliged  to  return  once  more 
to  out-door  life.  Accordingly  he  bought  hogs  for 
packing,  for  \.  G.  Tyng,  in  Peoria,  and  while  he  re- 
gained his  health  he  gained  in  purse,  netting  $400  in 
a  few  weeks.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
went  to  Springfield,  where  he  was  soon  elected  City 
Attorney,  on  the  .\nti-Nebraska  ticket. 

In  1856  he  ran  on-  the  Fillmore  ticket  as  a  Presi- 
dential Elector,  and,  although  failing  to  be  elected  as 
such,  he  was  at  the  same  ti^ne  elected  a  Representa- 
tive in  tiie  Legislature  from  Sangamon  County,  by  a 
local  coalition  of  the  American  and  Republican  par- 
ties. On  the  organizatio  1  of  the  Hoase,  lie  received 
the  vote  of  the  Fillmore  men  for  Speaker.    Practicing 


fj6 


SHELB  V  M.    CULLOM. 


law  until  iS6o,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  a  Rei)ublican,  while  the  county  went  Demo- 
cratic on  the  Presidential  ticket.  In  January  follow- 
ing he  was  elected  Speaker,  probably  the  youngest 
man  who  luid  ever  presided  over  an  Illinois  Legis- 
lature. After  the  session  of  1861,  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  State  Canstitational  Convention  called  for 
that  year,  but  was  d.;feated,  and  thus  escaped  the 
disgrace  of  being  connected  with  that  abortive  parly 
scheme  to  revolutionize  the  State  Government.  In 
1862  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  but 
was  defeated.  The  same  year,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln  on  a  Government 
Commission,  in  company  with  Gov.  Boutwell  of 
Massachusetts  and  Cnarles  A.  Dana,  since  of  the 
New  York  Sun,  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Quartermaster's  and  Commissary  Departments  at 
Cairo.     He  devoted  several  months  to  this  duty. 

In  1864  he  enteied  upon  a  larger  political  field, 
being  nominated  as  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  Eighth  (Springfield)  District,  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  JohnT.  Stuart,  who  had 
been  elected  in  1862  by  about  1,500  majority  over 
Leonard  Swett,  then  of  Bloomington,  now  of  Chicago. 
The  result  was  the  election  of  Mr.  Cullom  in  Novem- 
ber following  by  a  majority  of  1,785.  In  1866  he 
was  re-elected  to  Congress,  over  Dr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  by 
the  magnificent  majority  of  4,103!  In  1868  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  defeating  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Edward  ^ 
another  of  his  old  preceptors,  by  2,884  votes. 

During  his  first  term  in  Congress  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  E.xpenditures  in 
tlie  Treasury  Department;  in  his  second  term,  on 
the  Committees  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  0:1  Territories  ; 
and  in  his  third  term  he  succeeded  Mr.  Ashley,  of 
O'.iio,  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the  latter.  He  intro- 
duced a  bill  in  the  House,  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
law  in  Utah,  which  caused  more  consternation  amont; 
the  Mormons  than  any  measure  had  previously,  but 
which,  though  it  passed  the  House,  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

The  Republican  Convention  which  met  May  25, 
18/6,  nominated  Mr.  Cullom  for  Governor,  while  the 
other  contestant  was  Gov.  Beveridge.  For  Lieuten- 
aiu-Governor  they  nominated  Andrew  Shuman,  editor 
of  the  Cliicago  Journal.  For  the  same  offices  the 
Democrat?,  combining  with  the  Anti-Monopolists, 
Dlaced    in    nomination    Lewis   Steward,    a  wealthy 


farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  A.  A.  Glenn.  The 
result  of  the  election  was  rather  close,  Mr.  Cullom 
obtaining  only  6,800  majority.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  8,  1877. 

Great  depression  prevailed  in  financial  circles  at 
this  time,  as  a  consequence  of  the  heavy  failures  of 
1873  and  afterward,  the  effect  of  which  had  seemed 
to  gather  force  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  Gov. 
CuUom's  first  administration.  Tliis  unspeculative 
period  was  not  calculated  to  call  forth  any  new 
issues,  but  the  Governor's  energies  were  at  one  time 
put  to  task  to  quell  a  spirit  of  insubordination  that 
had  been  begun  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  among  the  laboring 
classes,  and  transferred  to  Illinois  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis  and  Braidwood,  at  which  places  laboring 
men  for  a  short  time  refused  to  work  or  allow  others 
to  work.  These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  and 
the  wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion. 

In  May,  1880,  Gov.  Cullom  was  re-nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  against  Lyman  Trumbull,  by  the 
Democrats;  and  although  the  former  party  was  some- 
what handicapped  in  the  campaign  by  a  zealous 
faction  opposed  to  Grant  for  President  and  to  Grant 
men  for  office  generally,  Mr.  Cullom  was  re-elected 
by  about  314,565,  to  277,532  for  the  Democratic  State 
ticket.  The  Greenback  vote  at  the  same  tune  was 
about  27,000.  Both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  again 
became  Republican,  and  no  representative  of  the 
Greenback  or  Socialist  parties  were  elected.  Gov. 
Cullom  was  inaugurated  Jan.  10,  1S81.  In  his  mes- 
sage he  announced  that  the  last  dollar  of  the -State 
debt  had  been  provided  for. 

March  4,  1883,  the  term  of  David  Davis  as  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois  expired,  and  Gov.  Cul- 
lom was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  This  promoted 
Lieutenant-Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the  Gov- 
ernorship. Senator  Cullom's  term  in  the  United 
States  Senate  will  expire  March  4,  1889. 

As  a  practitioner  oflaw  Mr.  C.  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cullom,  Scholes  &  Mather,  at  Spring- 
field ;  and  he  has  also  been  President  of  the  State 
National  Bank. 

He  has  been  married  twice, — the  first  time  Dec. 
12,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  by  whom  he  had 
two  daughters;  and  the  second  time  May  5,  1863, 
to  Julia  Fisher.  Mrs.  C  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  with  which  religious  body  Mr, 
(".  is  also  in  sympathy. 


I 


^:^ 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'79 


A'7^WWS)7^^^ 


'S^;;s#?;"^i"s-*5>s::cf!^:;ir€^:i?-'#'^"s#s:s**Sig^$;;s*2**;;s^*s;s#^^ 


I  f  el(i^  lp[.  ^mfK\illei\ 


Ni-5r<^,:s-.s*f;i^*S;g^>$;K$*f;:,^-v;:;c«>=^::;T-s>S;S<#*;:s-'**; 


^^-^Kfe^ 


OHN  MARSHALL  HAMIL- 
TON, Governor  1883-5,  '^^^ 
born  May  28,  1847,  in  a  log 
house  upon  a  farm  about  two 
miles  from  Richwood,  Union 
County,  Ohio.  His  father  was 
Samuel  Hamilton,  the  eldest  son 
of  Rev.  \Vm.  Hamilton,  who,  to- 
gether with  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
'*'  Samuel  Hamilton,  was  among  the 
early  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in 
Ohio.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was,  before  her  marriage, 
Mrs.  Nancy  McMorris,  who  was 
jorn  and  raised  m  Fauquier  or  Lou- 
doun County,  Va.,  and  related  to  the 
two  large  families  of  Youngs  and  Marshalls,  well 
known  in  that  commonwealth ;  and  from  the  latter 
family  name  was  derived  the  middle  name  of  Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton's  father  sold  out 
his  little  pioneer  forest  home  in  L^nion  County,  O., 
and,  loading  his  few  household  effects  and  family 
(of  six  children)  into  two  emigrant  covered  wagons, 
moved  to  Roberts  Township,  Marshall  Co.,  111.,  being 
21  days  on  the  route.  Swamps,  unbridged  streams 
and  innumerable  hardships  and  privations  met  them 
on  their  way.  Their  new  home  had  been  previously 
selected  by  the  father.  Here,  after  many  long  years 
of  toil,  they  succeeded  in  paying  for  the  land  and 
making  a  comforta^'ip  home.     John  was,  of  course, 


brought  up  to  hard  manual  labor,  with  no  schooling 
except  three  or  four  montiis  in  the  year  at  a  common 
country  school.  However,  he  evinced  a  capacity 
and  taste  for  a  high  order  of  self-education,  by 
studying  or  reading  what  books  he  could  borrow,  as 
the  family  had  but  very  few  in  tlie  house.  Much  of 
his  study  he  prosecuted  by  the  light  of  a  log  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  chimney  place.  The  financial 
panic  of  1857  caused  the  family  to  come  near  losing 
their  home,  to  pay  debts;  but  the  father  and  two 
sons,  William  and  John,  "buckled  to''  and  perse 
vered  in  hard  labor  and  economy  until  they  redeemed 
their  place  from  the  mortgage 

When  the  tremendous  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  i860  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Rob- 
erts Township,  young  Hamilton,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  took  a  zeal- 
ous part  in  favor  of  Lincoln's  election.  Makingspeci.il 
efforts  to  procure  a  little  money  to  buy  a  uniform,  lie 
joined  a  company  of  Lincoln  Wide-Awakes  at  Mag- 
nolia, a  village  not  far  away.  Directly  after  the 
ensuing  election  it  became  evident  that  trouble 
would  ensue  with  the  South,  and  this  Wide-Awake 
company,  like  many  others  throughout  the  country, 
kept  up  its  organization  and  transformed  itself  into  a 
military  company.  During  the  ensuing  summer  thev 
met  often  for  drill  and  became  proficient ;  but  when 
they  offered  themselves  for  the  war,  young  Hamilton 
was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth,  he  being  then 
but  14  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of  1S63-4  lie 
attended   an  academy  at   Henry,   Marshall  County. 


tSo 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON. 


and  in  the  following  May  he  again  enlisted,  for  the 
fourth  time,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  141st  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  a  regiment  then  being  raised  at  Elgin,  111., 
for  the  100-day  service.  He  took  with  him  13  other 
lads  from  liis  neighborhood,  for  enlistment  in  the 
service.  I'his  regiment  operated  in  Southwestern 
Kentucky,  for  about  five  months,  under  Gen.  Paine. 

The  following  winter,  1864-5,  ■^^''-  Hamilton  taught 
school,  and  during  the  two  college  years  1865-7,  he 
went  througii  three  years  of  the  curriculum  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  The 
third  year  he  graduated,  tire  fourth  in  a  class  of  46, 
in  the  classical  department.  In  due  time  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  For  a  few  months  he  was  the 
Principal  of  Marshall  "  College  "  at  Henry,  an  acad- 
emy under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By 
this  time  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
after  earning  some  money  as  a  temporary  Professor 
of  Latin  at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  at 
Bloomington,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Weldon, 
Tipton  &  Binjani'n,  of  that  city.  Each  member  of 
tliis  firm  has  since  been  distinguished  as  a  Judge. 
.\dmitted  to  the  Bar  i.i  .M.iy,  1870,  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  given  an  interest  in  ihe  same  firm,  Tipton  hav- 
ing been  elected  Judge.  In  October  following  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Rowell,  at  that  time 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Their  business  was  then 
small,  but  they  increased  it  to  very  large  proportions, 
practicing  in  all  grades  of  courts,  including  even  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  and  this  partnership  continued 
unbroken  until  Feb.  6,  1883,  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  sworn  in  as  Executive  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th 
of  March  following  Mr.  Rowell  took  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress. 

In  July,  187  I,  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Helen 
M.  Williams,  the  dau-htcr  of  Prof.  Wm.  G  Williams, 
Professor  of  Greek  in  the  Ohio  Weile)a:i  University. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  have  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  State  Senate,  over  oilier  and  older 
competitors.  He  took  an  active  part '  0.1  the  stump  " 
in  the  campaign,  for  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  1,640  over  his  Democratic- 
Greenback  opponent.  In  the  Senate  he  served  on 
the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Revenue,  State  Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations,  Education,  and  on  Miscel- 
lany ;  and  during  the  contest  for  the  election  of  a 
U.  S.  Senator,  the  Republicans  endeavoring  to  re- 


elect John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  for  the  war  chief  on 
every  ballot,  even  alone  when  all  the  other  Republi- 
cans had  gone  over  to  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Lawrence  and 
the  Democrats  and  Independents  elected  Judge 
D.ivid  Davis.  .At  this  session,  also,  was  passed  tlie 
first  Board  of  Health  and  Medit  al  Practice  act,  of 
which  Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  champion,  aga'' :'  .  . 
much  opposition  that  the  bill  was  several  times 
"  laid  on  the  table."  Also,  this  session  authorized 
the  location  ar.d  establishment  of  a  southern  pe'"- 
tentiary,  which  was  fixed  at  Chester.  In  the  sessio"^ 
of  1879  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  President //■<;/£.•>«. 
of  the  Senate,  and  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  John 
A.  Logan  for  the  U.  S.  Senate,  who  wa-.  this  time 
elected  without  any  trouble. 

In  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  his 
principal  competitors  before  the  Convention  being 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  James,  ex-Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  Wabash 
County,  Hon.  T.  T.  Fountain,  of  Perry  County,  and 
Hon.  M.  M.  Saddler,  of  Marion  County.  He  engaged 
actively  in  the  campaign,  and  his  ticket  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  41,200.  As  Lieutenant  Governor, 
he  presided  almost  continuously  over  the  Senate  in 
the  32d  General  Assembly  and  during  the  early  days 
of  the  33d,  until  he  succeeded  to  the  Governorship 
When  the  Legislature  of  1883  elected  Gov.  Culloni 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  Lieut.  Gov.  Hamilton 
succeeded  him,  under  the  Constitution,  taking  the 
oath  of  office  Feb.  6,  1S83.  He  bravely  met  all  the 
annoyances  and  embarrassments  incidental  upon 
taking  up  another's  administration.  The  principal 
events  with  which  Gov.  Hamilton  was  connected  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  State  were,  the  mine  dis- 
aster at  Braidwood,  the  riots  in  St.  Clair  and  Madison 
Counties  in  May,  1883,  the  appropriations  for  the 
State  militia,  the  adoption  of  the  Harper  high-license 
liquor  law,  the  veto  of  a  dangerous  railroad  bill,  etc. 

The  Governor  was  a  Delegate  at  large  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  June, 

1884,  where  his  first  choice  for  President  was  John 
.\.  Logan,  and  second  choice  Chester  A.  Arthur;  but 
he  afterward  zealously  worked  for  the  election  of  Mr. 
Blaine,  true  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  term  a»  Governor  expired  Jan.  30, 

1885,  when  the  great  favorite  "  Dick  "  Oglesby  was 
inauguratccl. 


.^^«s.. 


t/^J, 


^-^ 


I 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFER. 


183 


>^-^^  ■ 


.»ji-* 


^=5«— ■     ,,^^Aaei^ 


^^=^^3^ 


^pJl^C'S-srE-j      ...^^. 


5»-     ''■^'^ratp^s 


••o*o-@A><\@-o*o.- 


OSF.I'II    WILSON    FIFER. 

(listingiiished     gentleman 


This 
was 
i^^i  fleeted  Governor  of  Illinois 
November  6,  1.S88.  lie  was 
popularly  known  during  the 
campaign  as '•Private  Joe."  He 
liad  served  with  great  devotion 
to  his  country  during  the  Re- 
bellion, in  the  Thirtj'-third 
Illinois  Infantry.  A  native  of 
Virginia,  he  was  born  in  1840. 
Ilis  parents,  John  and  Mary 
(  Daniels)  Fifer,  were  American 
born,  though  of  German  de- 
scent. His  father  was  a  brick 
and  stone  mason,  and  an  old 
Henry  Clay  "Whig  in  politics.  John  and  Mary 
Fifer  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Joseph  was  the 
sixth,  and  naturallj'  with  so  large  a  family  it  was 
all  the  father  could  do  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the 
door;  to  say  nothing  of  giving  his  children  any- 
thing like  good  educational  advantages. 

Young  Joseph  attended  school  some  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  it  was  not  a  good  school,  and  when 
his  father  removed  to  the  West,  in  1857,  Joseph  had 
not  advanced  much  further  than  the  "First  Reader.'' 


Our  subject  was  sixteen  then  and  suffered  a  great 
misfortune  in  the  loss  of  his  mother.  After  the  death 
of  IMrs.  Fifer,  which  occurred  in  Missouri,  the 
family  returned  to  Virginia,  but  remained  only  a 
short  time,  as  during  tlie  same  year  Mr.  Fifer 
came  to  Illinois.  He  settled  in  McLean  County  and 
started  a  Ijrickyard.  Here  Joseph  and  his  liroth- 
ers  were  put  to  work.  The  elder  Fifer  soon 
bought  a  farm  near  Bloomington  and  liegaji  life  .as 
an  agriculturalist.  Here  Joe  worked  and  attended 
the  neighboring  school.  He  alternated  farm-work, 
brick-lajing,  and  going  to  the  district  school  for 
the  succeeding  few  years.  It  was  all  work  and  no 
play  for  Joe,  yet  it  by  no  means  made  a  dull  boy 
of  him.  All  the  time  he  w'as  thinking  of  the  great 
world  outside,  of  which  he  had  caught  a  glimpse 
when  coming  from  Virginia,  yet  he  did  ntit  know 
just  how  he  was  going  to  get  out  into  it.  He 
could  not  feel  that  the  woods  around  the  new 
farm  and  the  log  cabin,  in  which  the  family  lived, 
were  to  hold  him. 

The  opportunity  to  get  out  into  the  world  was 
soon  offered  to  young  Joe.  He  traveled  a  dozen 
miles  barefoot,  in  company  with  his  brother  (Jeorge, 
and  enlisted  in  Company  C,  33d  Illinois  Infantry; 
he  being  then  twenty  years  old.     In   a   few    day 


184 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFf:R. 


the  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Butler,  and  then 
over  into  Missouri,  and  saw  some  viyrorous  service 
there.  After  a  second  time  helping  to  chase  Price 
out  of  Missouri,  the  33d  Kegiment  went  down 
to  Millikeii's  Bend,  and  for  several  weeks  '■  Private 
•Joe  "  worked  on  Grant's  famous  ditch.  The  regi- 
ment then  joined  the  forcoB  operating  against  Port 
Gibson  and  Vicksburg.  .Joe  was  on  guard  dutj-  in 
the  front  ditches  when  the  flag  of  surrender  was 
run  up  on  the  4th  of  July,  and  stuck  the  baj-onet 
of  his  gun  into  the  embankment  and  went  into  the 
city  with  the  vanguard  of  Union  soldiers. 

The  nest  day,  Jul}'  5,  the  38d  joined  the  force 
after  Johnston,  who  had  been  threatening  Grant's 
rear:  and  linallj'  an  assault  was  made  on  him  at 
.lackson.  Miss.  In  this  charge  -Private  Joe"  fell,  ter- 
ribly wounded.  He  w.as  loading  his  gun  when  a 
minie-ball  struck  him  and  passed  entirely  through 
his  body.  He  was  regarded  as  mortally  wounded. 
His  brotlier.  George,  who  had  been  made  a  Lieu- 
tenant, proved  to  be  the  means  of  s.aviug  his  life. 
The  Surgeon  told  him  unless  he  had  ice  his  brother 
Joe  could  not  live.  It  was  fifty  miles  to  the  nearest 
point  where  ice  cfuild  be  olitained,  and  the  roads 
were  rough.  A  comrade,  a^SIcLean  countv  man,  who 
had  lieen  wounded,  offered  to  make  the  trip.  An 
ambulance  was  secured  .and  the  brother  soldier 
started  on  thcjourne}'.  lie  returned  with  the  ice. 
but  the  trip,  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the  roads, 
was  very  hard  on  him.  After  a  few  months'  eare- 
fid  niirshig  Mr.  Fifer  was  able  to  come  home.  The 
33d  came  home  on  a  furlough,  and  when  the 
boys  were  ready  to  return  to  tiie  tented  field, 
young  Fifer  was  read}'  to  go  with  them;  for  he  was 
determined  to  finish  his  term  of  three  3-ears.  He 
was  mustered  out  in  October,  18G4,  having  been 
in    the  service   tliree  years  and  two  montlis. 

•■Private  Joe"  came  out  of  the  arm}-  a  tall, 
tanned,  and  awkward  young  man  of  twenty-four. 
Al>out  all  he  possessed  was  ambition  to  be  some- 
body— and  pluck.  Though  at  an  age  when  most 
men  have  finished  their  college  course,  the  young 
soldier  saw  that  if  he  w.as  to  be  anybody  he  must 
have  an  education.  Yet  he  had  no  means  to  ena- 
ble him  to  enter  school  .as  most  young  men  do. 
He  was  determined  to  hiive  an  education,  however, 
an<l  tiiat  to  him  meant  success.     For  the  following 


four  years  he  struggled  with  his  books.  He  entered 
Wesleyan  University  Jan.  1.  1865.  He  was  not  a 
brilliant  student,  being  neither  at  the  head  nor  the 
foot  of  his  class.  He  was  in  great  earnest,  how- 
ever, studied  hard  and  came  forth  with  a  well- 
stored  and  disciplined  mind. 

Immediately  after  being  graduated  he  entered 
an  office  at  Bloomington  as  a  law  student.  He  had 
already  read  law  some,  and  as  he  continued  to  work 
hard,  with  the  spur  of  poverty  and  promptings  of 
ambition  ever  with  him,  he  was  ready  to  hang  out 
his  profession.al  shingle  in  1869.  Being  trust- 
worthy he  soon  gathered  about  him  some  influen- 
tial friends.  In  1871  he  was  elected  Corporation 
Counsel  of  Bloomington.  In  1872  he  was  elected 
State's  Attorney  of  McLean  County.  This  office 
he  held  for  eight  years,  when  he  took  his  seat  in 
the  State  Senate.  Here  he  served  for  four  years. 
His  ability  to  perform  abundance  of  hard  work 
made  him  a  most  valued  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture. 

jNIr.  Fifer  was  married  in  1870  to  Gertie,  daugh- 
ter  of  William  J.  Lewis,  of  Bloomington.  Mr. 
Fifer  is  six  feet  in  height  and  is  spare,  weighing 
only  150  pounds.  He  has  a  swarthy  complexion, 
keen  black  eyes,  quick  movement,  and  possesses  a 
frank  and  sympathetic  nature,  and  naturally  makes 
friends  wherever  he  goes.  During  the  late  Guber- 
natorial campaign  his  visits  tluxuighout  the  State 
|)roveil  a  great  power  in  his  behalf,  llis  liapp\' 
faculty  of  winning  the  confidence  and  good  wishes 
of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  personal  contact  is  a 
source  of  great  popularity,  especially  during  a  polit- 
ical liattle.  As  a  speaker  he  is  fluent,  his  language 
is  good,  voice  clear  and  agreeable,  and  manner 
forcible.  His  manifest  earnestness  in  what  hes.ays 
.as  well  .as  his  tact  .as  a  public  speaker,  and  his  elo- 
quent and  forceful  language,  makes  him  a  most 
valuable  campaign  orator  and  a  powerful  pleader 
at  the  bar.  At  the  Republican  State  Convention, 
held  in  May,  1888,  Jlr.  Fifer  was  chosen  .as  its  candi- 
date for  Governor.  He  proved  a  popular  nominee, 
and  the  name  of  ■■  Private  Joe  "  became  familiar 
to  everyone  throughout  the  State.  He  waged  a 
vigorous  campaign,  was  elected  by  a  good  majority, 
and  in  due  time  assumed  the  duties  of  the  Chief 
Executive  of  Illinois. 


<s^  i/' •<  "V^'n"^ 


WILL  COUNTY, 


ILLINOIS. 


a»^s^ 


INTRODUQT^ORY.!^ 


^^^•0»^S-^ 


vjHE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their  early  settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.  The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  tlie  age 
and  the  duty  that  men  of  tlie  pres- 
ent time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 
safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  ]3rime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  tlie  first  days 
of  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  e.xists  for  tlie  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  e;irnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  lieen  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
Th-i  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  atcheologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those   people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements. 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  sometliing  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All 
these  works,  tliough  many  of  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity ; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  un- 
limited in  e.xtent  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme- 
tery will  crumlile  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  ashamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  lives 
are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


^    ^^-..-^y-^^^^^^^/L^^^i^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


191 


^I'DOK  FRAN'CLS  GOODSPEED. 
'•i:\\  The  luime  of  Ju'lge  Goodspced 
If'^i  was  for  iiKU)3'  years  ti  ffiiiiiliar 
one  to  the  people  of  Will 
County,  among  whom  ho  en- 
tered upon  and  finished  a  most 
wortliy  career.  He  was  born  in 
Tioga  County,  Pa.,  January 
25,  1821,  and  departed  this  life 
at  liis  home  in  Joliet,  April  10, 
1889.  In  1847,  he  became  a 
resident  of  this  city  which 
thereafter  remained  his  home 
and  Willi  whose  growth  and 
l)rosperity  he  was  intimately 
identified.  The  subject  of  tiiis 
noliee  received  tlie  ordinary  coramon-scbool  edu- 
cation in  his  youth,  hut  he  aspired  to  something 
better  and  before  reaching  his  majority  left  home 
and  entered  tlie  famous  Genesee  Seminary  at  Lima, 
N.  r.,  where  lie  spent  two  years.  Then  coming 
to  the  West  he  entered  the  otTice  of  the  Hon. 
Hugh  Henderson,  a  former  Circuit  Judge,  where 
lie  devoted'his  attention  to  the  study  of  law  and 
in  1848,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Shortly  after- 
ward he  associated  liimself  with  O.  H.  Haven,  in  a 
partnership  which  continued  until  the  latter's 
death.     Subsequently  he   was  in  partnership  with 


the  lion.  Josiah  McRoberts,  and  lafer  with  the 
Hon.  Henry  Siiapp  and  Augustus  F.  Knox,  his 
partnerslii[)  with  the  two  latter  gentlemen  con- 
tinuing until  187G.  The  following  year  upon  the 
formation  of  the  present  judicial  circuit  he  was 
first  elected  to  fill  the  additional  seat  on  the  bench 
created  by  this  act,  and  in  1878  was  re-elected 
for  the  full  term  of  six  ^-ears.  In  .hine,  1884,  on 
account  of  failing  health  he  resigned  liis  oflice  and 
thereafter  battled  with  the  insidious  disease  which 
finall}'  caused  his  death. 

Aside  from  his  regular  iir.aetice  Judge  Good- 
.s|)eed  was  prominent  in  local  affairs,  serving  as 
Mayor  of  Joliet  and  occupying  other  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  In  1861,  he  was  selected  as 
delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  which 
met  in  the  city  of  Springfield  and  was  an  active 
participant  in  the  deliberations  of  that  body.  He 
was  possessed  of  strong  intellectual  powers  and  was 
entirely  devoted  to  his  profession,  in  which  he  la- 
bored to  excel.  As  alaw3er  and  judge  for  nearly 
forty  years  he  made  an  enviable  record.  No  man 
stood  higher  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  convic- 
tions and  sympathetic  nature,  conscientious  and 
truthful;  and  while  he  exacted  much  perhaps  from 
liis  fellow-men,  he  required  from  them  no  more 
than   he    was  desirous  of  bestowing  in  trust  and 


192 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


integrity.  Apiiit  finiu  thu  literaturu  of  the  law  lie 
was  a  great  stmlciit  of  boolvs  gtiieruil}-,  was  a  clear 
and  lucifi  writer  and  used  iiis  i)en  in  connection 
uitli  iiis  sword  as  long  as  his  failing  health  would 
l)eruiil.  Politicallv,  he  was  in  hearl\'  synipathy 
with  the  Democratic  parly  until  IStiO.  when  lie  he- 
cauie  a  Uepiiblican  and  ever  afterward  voted  and 
useil  his  intinence  in  behalf  of  its  principles.  In  all 
political  organizations  ho  was  i)roniinent  and  his  ac- 
tive intinence  was  never  withheld  in  behalf  of  those 
objects  or  i)ersons  he  tirml3'  believed  to  be  worthy. 
He  left  behind  him  when  he  died  a  character  for 
honor,  patriotism,  generosity  and  courage  which  is 
not  the  least  prized   inheritance  of  his  descendants. 

Judge  Ooodspeed  was  first  married  in  1841),  to 
Miss  Esther  Weatberbee,  who  oidy  survived  her 
wedding  one  month,  llis  second  wife  was  Lucre- 
tia  Knox,  to  whom  he  was  wedded  in  18.')  Land 
who  died  in  18(J1.  In  1807,  he  contracted  a  third 
marriage  wKh  Miss  P'rances  Henderson,  who  is  still 
living.  Mrs.  Frances  ;  Henderson)  Goodspeed, 
was  born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  November  30, 
1830,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Dryden  and  Blaria 
(Coe)  Henderson,  who  were  natives  of  Herkimer 
Count}',  N.  Y.,  and  who  sjient  their  last  3ears  in 
Steuben  County,  the  same  State.  Their  family 
consisted  of  three  children.  Miss  Frances  <eceived 
a  good  education  and  remained  a  member  of  the 
parental  household  until  her  marriage. 

Charles  F.  and  Frederick,  sons  of  Judge  (lood- 
speed,  are  now  living  in  Joliet.  His  eldest  son, 
John  C,  a  )'oung  man  of  mucli  promise,  fitted  him- 
self for  the  medical  profession  but  died  in  October, 
1883.  During  the  many  years  in  which  Judge 
Goodspeed  remained  a  resident  of  \Yill  County,  he 
not  only  witnessed  its  progress  from  a  compara- 
tively unimportant  portion  of  the  State  to  its  proud 
position  as  one  of  the  foremost  counties  of  Illinois, 
but  he  aided  in  its  development  and  his  histor}-  is 
closely  interwoven  with  that  of  the  county.  His 
portrait,  which  is  presented  in  connection  with  this 
biographical  sketch,  represents  a  man  widely  known 
and  honored  wherever  known.  His  life  was  a  busj' 
one;  realizing  that,  as  has  been  said,  '-We  have  a 
whole  eternity  to  rest  in"  and  that  the  aim  of  life 
is  not  to  merely'  "kill  time"  he  right!}'  valued  every 
moment   given  him,    and  thus  gained  a  reputation 


for  promptness  in  originating  plans  and  dispatch  in 
executing  them.  Of  this  it  might  well  be  said  that 
he  was  one  of  those 


•Who  comprehend  their  trust  and  to  the  same 

Keep  faithfid  with  a  singleness  of  aim; 

And  therefore  do  not  stoop  nor  lie  in  wait 

For  wealth  or  honor  or  for  worldly  state; 

Whom  they  must  follow,    on  whose  head  must  fall. 

Like  showers  of  manna,  if  they  come  at  all." 

HKISTOPH  8CH0ENSTEDT,  wdio  is  one  of 
I  the  foremost  business  men  of  Monee.  has 
'J  been  a  conspicuous  figure  in  its  upbuilding 
and  is  pr<un incut  in  the  management  of  its  public 
affairs.  Our  sidtject  is  of  German  origin,  born 
January  30,  1837,  in  the  village  of  I'rbacli  Thuer- 
ingen,  near  Frfurt,  German}-.  His  parents,  Fred 
and  F^redericke  (Wilke)  Schoenstedt,  were  natives 
of  the  same  village  as  himself.  They  had  five 
children,  namel}  :  Charles  or  Karl,  Henry,  Chris- 
toph,  Frederick  and  Dorotliea.  Frederick  came  to 
the  United  States  about  18G2  or  1803,  remained 
with  our  subject  two  years,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Livermore,  Cal.;  the  rest  of  the  family  are  still 
)>ving  in  German}'. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  this  ctuuitry 
in  1854,  landing  in  New  Y'ork  June  28,  and  the 
following  August  found  him  in  Chicago.  The 
cholera  wasi  then  prevalent  here,  and  fearing  an 
attack  of  that  dreaded  illness,  he  took  himself  to 
New  IJremen.  He  had  no  caiiital  with  which  to 
start  in  business,  having,  in  fact,  left  New  York  ^13 
in  debt,  having  borrowed  that  sum  of  some  one  to 
p.ay  his  i)assage.  He,  therefore,  sought  any  em- 
ployment by  which  he  could  make  an  honest  living, 
and  for  two  months  he  was  engaged  in  mowing,  at 
§10  a  month.  After  the  h.aying  season  w.as  over 
he  worked  six  months  for  *5  a  month.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  that  time  he  went  to  Blue  Island  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  wagon-maker,  receiving  for 
payment  6*50  the  first  year,  §75  the  second  year, 
and  -i^llO  the  third  year.  He  had  considerable  tal- 
ent for  music  which  had  been  carefully  cultivated 
in  Germany,  and  here  he  was  enabled  to  earn  quite 
a  sum  of  money   [ilaying  on  a  clarionet.     After  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


193 


liad  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his  trade  he 
went  to  work  on  his  own  account,  coming  to  Mo- 
nee  in  March,  1859,  and  opening  a  shop  here,  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  tlie  ensuing 
fifteen  years.  He  then  estalilislied  himself,  in 
April,  in  the  implement  business,  which  he  carried 
on  until  February  1,  1890,  meeting  with  more  than 
ordinary  success,  and  deriving  a  handsome  income 
from  the  |)rofits.  Coming  to  this  country  without 
means,  his  stalwart,  vigorous  manhood,  clear  brain 
and  skillful  hand  being  his  only  capital,  he  has  se- 
cured wealth,  and  is  one  of  the  richest  men  in  this 
part  of  the  count}'.  He  is  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred and  sixt3'-eight  acres  of  laud,  thiee  business 
buildings  and  good  residence  property  in  this  city, 
besides  owning  valuable  realty  in  Chicago.  To  the 
lady  who  presides  over  his  attractive  home  he  was 
united  in  marriage  March  5,  1859.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Louise  Gantz,  and  she  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Saxony,  Germany,  Hay  17,  1839.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Lawrence  and  Sophie  Gantz.  Li 
l.'^S.'l  they  came  to  the  United  States  and  first  set- 
lied  at  New  Bremen,  near  Chicago,  whore  he 
IxiUght  a  farm,  on  wliich  they  resided  the  rest  of 
their  da^s,  his  death  occurring  in  1880,  and  his 
wife's  in  1882.  They  had  four  daughters — Mary, 
Louise,  Caroline  and  Rafine,  all  of  whom  are  mar- 
ried and  have  families.  <Jur  subject  and  his  wife 
have  seven  children,  namel}':  Fred;  Anna,  wife  of 
Louis  Bischmann;  Rudolph,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  six  months;  Leoi)old;  August;  Louise,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  and  Otto. 

Although  not  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  Mr. 
Schoenstedt  maj^  justly  be  reganled  .as  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  count}-,  which  owes  much  to  his 
untiring  labor.  His  name  will  always  be  indisso- 
lubly  linked  with  that  of  Monee,  as  partlj-  by  his 
influence  it  has  attained  its  present  position  as  one 
of  the  leading  towns  in  this  section  of  the  State; 
he  has  ever  been  active  in  extending  its  com- 
mercial and  business  interests,  has  contributed 
generously  to  all  schemes  that  would  enhance  its 
material  jirosperit}-,  and  he  h,as  its  educational,  re- 
ligious and  social  interests  at  heart.  A  man  of 
such  vigorous  mind,  such  unerring  sagacity  and 
keen  vision  cannot  well  avoid  accepting  public 
office  at  the  call  of  his  fellow-men.  when  it  seems 


his  imperative  duty  as  a  loyal  citizen  to  do  so,  and 
hence,  while  having  the  care  of  an  extensive  busi- 
ness .and  a  large  property,  Mr.  Schoenstedt  has 
found  time  to  take  a  part  in  the  administration  of 
of  local  affairs,  and  has  served  as  Village  Trustee 
eight  years.  In  politics  his  views  coincide  with  the 
principles  promulgated  by  the  Republican  party. 
Religiously,  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
members  in  high  standing  of  the  United  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  activel}'  assisting  in  the  good  work 
carried  on  by  their  pastor  and  fellow-members. 

■if  OSEPH  E.  GOUGAR.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  worthy  representatives  of  the  well- 
known  Gougar  family,  who  have  since  the 
l^g/'  pioneer  days  been  closely  identified  with 
the  interes's  of  New  Lenox  Township.  The  father 
of  hini  of  whom  we  write  was  the  late  William 
Gougar,  who  with  others  of  the  family  is  written 
of  on  other  p.ages  of  this  volume.  They  hate 
uniformly  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  have 
obtained  the  reputation  of  being  the  most  thor- 
ough and  skillful  agriculturists,  as  well  as  being 
numbered  among  the  leading  business  men  of 
Will  County. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  3'oungest  child 
of  his  parents,  and  was  born  at  the  old  homestead 
iu  New  Lenox  Township,  March  21,  1834.  He 
spent  his  bo}'hood  and  youth  at  the  farm,  becom- 
ing familiar  with  the  various  employments  of 
rural  life,  and  pursuing  his  early  studies  in  the 
district  school.  Later  he  was  a  student  one  year 
at  Beloit  (Wis.)  College,  and  also  pursued  his 
studies  for  the  same  length  of  time  in  the  State 
University  at  Madison.  His  education  was  com- 
pleted in  T.  J.  Sloan's  Commercial  College  at  Chi- 
cago, from  which  he  was  duly  graduated.  This 
last-named  institution  was  instituted  and  conducted 
b}'  Col.  T.  J.  Sloan,  who  during  the  Civil  War 
commanded  the  One  Hundred  and  Tweutj'-fourth 
Illinois  Infantry. 

For  eight  months  after  leaving  college  Mr.  Gou- 
gar was  employed  as  book-keeper  for  the  firm  of 
Reynolds  &  Willis  in  Chicago.     With  that  excep- 


194 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lion  lie  lias  siu'iil  tlic  most  of  his  life  in  his  native 
township.  Duiiny:  Ihe  Civil  War  he  was  an  active 
Union  man,  and  raised  two  companies  of  troops, 
tliese  being  assigned  lo  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  also  visited 
the  South,  and  relieved  the  wants  of  many  of  his 
old  friends  whom  he  found  in  need. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Gougar  bought  grain  at  the 
village  of  New  Lenox,  and  operated  the  warehouse 
at  that  point.  For  nearly  one  year  he  taught 
school  in  the  township.  Afterward  he  turned  his 
attention  tu  farniiiig,  in  which  he  has  since  been 
engaged.  He  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
sixtj'  acres  of  choice  land,  upon  which  he  has 
made  good  im|)rovements,  including  a  fine  set  of 
buildings,  besides  planting  fruit  and  shade  trees, 
building  substanti.'d  fences  and  gathering  together 
all  the  necessary  machinery  for  the  successful  pro- 
secution of  agriculture.  There  is  an  air  of  thrift 
and  prosperity  about  the  place,  which  invariably 
attracts  the  eye  of  the  passing  traveler,  and  is  in- 
dicative of  the  progressive  si)irit  and  industry  of 
the  proprietor. 

Mr.  Gougar  remained  a  bachelor  until  thirty 
years  of  age,  and  on  the  24th  of  November,  1864, 
was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Ilattie  Perkins, 
the  ceremony  taking  place  at  the  bride's  home  in 
Minooka,  Grundy'  County,  this  State,  ilrs.  Gou- 
gar is  the  only  daughter  of  her  parents,  William 
and  Elizabeth  (VanDalson)  I'erkins,  and  was  born 
in  Grundy  County,  December  28,  1841.  She  was 
carefull}'  trained  and  educated,  and  for  some  time 
prior  to  her  marriage  followed  the  profession  of  a 
teacher.  Her  father,  the  late  William  Perkins, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Grundy  County, 
and  departed  this  life  at  his  home  June  17,  1887. 
He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence, 
liberal  and  progressive  in  his  ideas,  and  when  his 
children  vvere  of  suitable  3'ears  removed  from  his 
farm  to  Joliet  for  the  |)urpose  of  giving  them  the 
education  he  desired  them  to  have.  This  accom- 
plished, he  returned  to  the  old  homestead. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perkins  was  born  a  family  of 
three  children,  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  The 
eldest  son,  Van  Dalson  Perkins,  was  a  non  com- 
missioned officer,  serving  in  the  late  Civil  War, 
and    met    his  death    on   the  battlefield  of   Chieka- 


mauga.  The  other  son,  Charles  E.,  is  farming  in 
Kendall  Count}',  this  State.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Gou- 
gar are  the  parents  of  six  children,  two  of  whom — 
pjlla  and  Florence — died  at  the  ages  respectively 
of  three  years  and^sixteen  months.  The  survivors 
are:  Charles^P.,  Ilattie  M.,  Harlow  W.  and  Eva  A. 
Mr.  Gougar  since  early  manhood  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  local  politics,  and  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party.  For  the  past 
eighteen  years  he  has  been  connected  with  the 
School  Board  of  his  district,  has  held  the  office  of 
Township  Assessor  four  3'ears,  and  Collector  one 
yeor.  IJoth  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  Episcopal  Church,  at- 
tending services'  at  New  Lenox.  The}'  have  one 
of  the  most  pleasant  homes  in  the  county,  and 
occupy  a  high  position  in  the  social  circles  of 
their  community. 

^$^.3m^^^ — 

*)RliEMAN  A.  MASON.  No  visitor  to  Joliet 
,'#(/S\\  would  long  be  in  ignorance  of  the  name 
^\i^^  and  estate  of  the  gentleman  above  named, 
as  his  home  is  that  of  an  ideal  farmer.  The  splen- 
did place  is  situated  on  the  Boulevard  and  is  sup- 
l)lied  with  all  the  modern  conveniences  in  the  resi- 
dence and  outer  premises.  IMr.  Mason  spends  his 
time  in  looking  after  his  flocks  and  herds,  taking 
great  delight  in  the  line  sheep  and  cattle  that  graze 
upon  his  fertile  (ields.  After  an  active  business 
career  of  years  during  which  he  gained  a  fine  rep- 
utation for  honorable  dealing,  enterprise  and  zeal, 
he  has  become  the  possessor  of  means  which  enable 
him  to  indulge  his  tastes  and  take  the  ease  he 
desires. 

A  history  of  the  lives  of  Daniel  and  Hannah 
Mason,  parent;,  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  in- 
corporated in  this  volume.  The  son  w:is  born  in 
New  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  March  14,  1846,  and  at- 
tended the  schools  in  Utica,  completing  his  educa- 
tion begun  in  the  public  schools  by  studyiiTg  at 
Whitestown  Seminar}'  in  the  same  city.  His  years 
until  1866,  were  spent  in  the  East,  and  leaving 
his  native  i)lace  at  that  date,  became  to  Chicago, 
111.     Entering  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


195 


railroad,  he  worked  for  that  road  a  few  months 
returning  to  the  Empire  State  in  the  fall  of  1867, 
and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  paper  and  stationery 
business. 

In  18G9,  Mr.  Mason  disposed  of  the  business  and 
began  dealing  in  lumber,  sash,  doors  and  blinds, 
doing  both  a  wholesale  and  retail  trade  in  com- 
pan3'  with  F.  W.  Plant  undei-  the  style  and  title 
of  JNIason  A  Plant.  In  18H1,  Mr.  Masun  dis- 
posed of  iiis  interest  and  again  coming  west  em- 
barked in  the  same  business  at  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral cut-off  in  Joliet,  continuing  in  the  trade  until 
May,  1889,  when  he  sold  out  lo  Wilcox  Brothers. 
Mr.  Mason  also  owns  a  lumber  business  in  Plain- 
lield  of  which  Albert  R.  Caton   is    manager. 

In  1872  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated 
between  Mr.  Mason  and  Miss  Hannah  E.  Caton 
whose  family  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. Under  the  efficient  care  of  Mrs.  Mason,  the 
dwelling  to  which  friends  are  so  cordially  wel- 
comed presents  the  appearance  of  order  and  refine- 
ment so  attractive  to  family  and  guests,  and  all 
«ho  enter  are  charmed  by  the  gracious  manners  of 
the  hostess.  The  union  of  ilr.  and  Mrs.  Mason 
lias  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  the  following 
named  children:  Cornelia,  who  was  born  in  i  873  ; 
William  Caton,  in  1875:  Marie,  in  1878,  and  who 
(lied  in  1880;  Bessie,  born  iu  1880,  died  in  1881; 
TrueCaton.horn  in  1  887,  died  March  26,  1888.  Mr. 
Mason's  family'  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Joliet. 


<S^  DWY  C.  OGDEK,  M.  D.  The  medical  pro- 
L^  fession  of  this  county  includes  the  names 
jf--'--^''  of  many  skillful  and  successful  practioners 
among  whom  may  be  [iroperly  mentioned  he  with 
whose  name  we  introduce  this  biographical  record, 
lie  located  in  Joliet  in  1879,  and  in  a  short  time 
fully  established  himself  in  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  the  people,  both  as  a  ph3'siciau  and  sur- 
geon and  as  a  member  of  the  community.  He  is 
essentially  a  Western  man  with  western  interests, 
his  native  place  being  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  and  the 
date  of  his  l)irth  May  25,  1859. 


The' subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  son  of  Dr.  M. 
B.  Ogdeu,  an  eminent  physician  and  a  native  of 
Cooksville,  Province  of  Ontario,  C'anada,who  there 
grew  to  man"s  estate  and  with  his  brother,  Dr. 
Edwy  J.  Ogdeu,  read  medicine  and  took  his  first 
course  of  lectures  at  Victoria  College,  Toronto.  For 
some  3-ears  he  followed  the  methods  of  the  regular 
school  and  then  removing  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis., 
adopted  the  Homeopathic  system  to  which  he  ad- 
hered subsequently.  In  1864-65,  he  attended  lec- 
tures at  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago, 
then  in  August, 18G6,  removed  to  Joliet,  where  he 
resumed  his  practice  which  he  continued  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  This  event  occurred  September 
6,  1884.  He  was  cut  down  in  the  prime  of  life 
having  been  born  in  1838.  He  was  one  of  the  ear- 
liest Homeopaths  in  this  section  of  the  country 
and  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr. 
Ogden  has  two  uncles  in  Chicago  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  cousins,  members  of  the  medical  profession. 
As  he  remarks,  this  seems  to  be  "a  family  failing." 
The  father  was  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics,  voted  the 
Republican  ticket.  His  wife  had  preceded  him  to 
the  silent  land,  her  death  taking  place  Marcli  8, 
1879.  • 

Dr.  E.  C.  Ogden  was  the  onl^'  child  of  his  [lar- 
ents  and  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Jol- 
iet where  he  pursued  his  first  studies  in  the 
eity  schools.  He  finished  his  literary  education 
at  the  Chicago  University  and  began  the  reading 
of  medicine  with  his  father,  who  proved  a  most 
thorough  and  slife  instructor.  He  first  attended 
lectures  during  the  winter  of  1877-78  in  Hahne- 
mann Medical  College  and  February  27,  1879,  he 
graduated  and  practiced  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  death.  He  then  continued  the  practice 
and  has  thus  formed  an  extended  acquaintance 
tiiroughout  the  county,  receiving  the  patrojiage of 
its  best  people.  He  has  been  a  close  student  and 
an  extensive  reader  and  keeps  himself  thoroughly 
posted  upon  modern  methods  of  treatment.  He 
belongs  to  the  State  Medical  Association  and  is 
President  of  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America. 
The  marriage  of  Dr.  Ogden  and  Miss  Hettie  A. 
White  of  Joliet  was  celebrated  at  the  bride's  home 
September  28,    1882.     Mrs.    Ogden    was    born    in 


196 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Spartansburg,  Pa.  and  is  llie  daughter  of  Edward 
D.  and  Margaret  E.  Wliite  who  came  tu  this 
county  in  1875.  Her  father  is  now  living  in 
Joliet,  her  mother  is  deceased.  Of  tliis  union  there 
has  been  born  one  child,  a  son  Arthur  W.,  Decem- 
ber 13,  1884.  Tlie  Doctor  and  his  estimable  lady 
stand  high  in  social  ciicles  and  their  pleasant  home 
is  the  frequent  resort  of  the  cultured  pfe0i)le  of  this 
city.     Politically,  the  Doctor  is  a  Republican. 


LONZO  B.  BROOKS.  This  veteran  of 
eighty-one  3ears  and  his  estimable  [jartiier 
I  i  are  familiarly  known  to  a  large  portion  of 
the  residents  of  Homer  Township,  where 
they  have  sojourned  many  years,  and  by  their 
sterling  worth  have  drawn  around  them  man)' 
friends.  The}'  are  passing  their  declining  days 
(juielly  and  comfortably  at  their  snug  homestead 
on  section  10,  with  the  satisfaction  of  having  per- 
formed life's  duties  well  .as  far  as  in  them  lay, 
making  for  themselves  a  good  record  and  one  of 
wliiih  their  children  will  never  be  ashamed.  ]Mr. 
Hrooks  has  for  some  time  bcenalHicted  with  failing 
eyesight,  but  bears  the  disi)ensation  of  Providence 
in  a  philosophical  manner,  and  still  is  enabled  to 
liud  much  that  is  good  in  life. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  February  14, 
180'J,  in  Otego  Township,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y., 
and  went  with  his  parents  to  Delaware  County, 
that  State,  when  a  lad  of  about  six  years.  He 
lived  there  with  his  parents  until  liS2G,  and  then 
the  family  removed  to  Hamburg,  Erie  County, 
where  the  parents  lived  until  1836,  when  they 
came  to  Illinois. 

In  due  time  Mr.  Brooks  returned  to  Delaware 
Count}',  and  was  married  to  Miss  Alice,  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Sarah  Edmonds.  They,  settled 
in  Hamburg,  Erie  County,  where  the}'  resided 
until  the  following  spring,  then  Mr.  Brooks  n^tnrn- 
ing  to  Otsego  County,  occupied  himself  as  a  mill- 
wright. Afterward  he  removed  to  Erie  County, 
of  which  he  was  a  resident  until  1837.  In  June  of 
that  year  he  came  to  this  State.  He  was  then  joined 
ny    his    wife,    who  was  only   permitted  to  remain 


with  him  a  short  time  thereafter,  her  death  taking 
place  October  14,  1837,  in  Lockport  Township. 
Of  this  union  there  was  born  one  child,  a  son, 
Joseph  E.,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Lockp'ort. 

Mr.  Brooks  contracted  a  second  marriage  in 
August,  1838,  in  Homer  Township,  to  Miss  Jane 
Weaver.  This  lady  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  N.  Y.,  January  21,  1807.  After  marriage 
Mr.  Brooks  remained  in  Lockport  for  a  short  time, 
then  in  the  spring  of  183'J  settled  on  his  present 
farm.  This  comprises  eighty  acres  of  good  land, 
which  under  his  careful  man.ageraent  is  in  a  highly 
productive  condition,  and  is  the  source  of  a  com- 
fortable income.  Of  this  marriage  of  our  subject 
there  have  been  born  Ave  children,  only  one  of 
whom  is  living,  a  son.  Sterling  A.  The  latter  was 
married  in  Northport,  Mich.,  to  Miss  Emily  Cor- 
nell, and  is  living  with  our  subject. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Benjamin  Brooks, 
who  died  about  1SG5,  at  the  home  of  his  son, 
Alonzo  B.,  with  whom  he  had  lived  for  eleven 
years.  The  mother,  who  bore  tiie  maiden  name  of 
Anna  Warner,  died  in  Crete  Township  about  1838. 
Our  subject  has  held  the  office  of  Assessor  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  }'ears.  He  officiated 
as  Highwaj'  Commissioner  several  terms,  and  in 
politics  is  a  firm  supporter  of  Republican  princi- 
ples. He  and  his  estimable  wife  are  consistent 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as 
was  also  the  first  Mrs.  Brooks. 


-€-*-^- 


^^  HARLES  HERTZOG.  The  life  of  this 
(I  gentleman    jn-esents    a    record    of    arduous 

^^^  labor  which  is  perhaps  not  exceeded  in  that 
of  any  other  resident  of  the  count}'.  He  has  now 
retired  from  active  work,  feeling  the  weight  of 
seventy-five  years  and  the  toil  wliich  he  endured. 
A  twenty-acre  tr.act  of  land  with  a  pretty  cottage 
upon  it  is  the  home  of  himself  and  wife,  and  his 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  17, 
Kankakee  County,  is  rented  to  his  son.  He  also 
owns  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  22,  in  this 
township,  a  part  of  wliich  he  uses  for  pasture,  the 
rest  being  rented  out. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


197 


Grandfallier  Ilertzog  came  from  Alsace  to 
America  man3'  years  ago,  being  sold  for  his  pas- 
sage. He  seUlcd  in  Pennsylvania,  wbere  his  son, 
George,  the  fatlier  of  our  subject,  was  liorn.  The 
latter  married  Catherine  loh,  a  native  of  tiic  same 
•State,  whose  father  bad  served  dining  the  entire 
Revolutionary  struggle,  spent  the  memorable  win- 
ter with  Washington  at  ^'alley  Forge,  and  walked 
barefooted  on  the  snow  and  ice,  leaving  tracks  uf 
blood  to  mark  his  way.  He  hated  a  Hessian  sol- 
dier with  all  tlie  strength  of  his  being. 

Charles  Hertzog,  of  this  notice,  was  born  in  the 
Keystone  State  September  5,  1815,  and  had  such 
limited  educational  privileges  that  bis  schooling 
war,  not  more  that  a  year  all  told.  When  sixteen 
years  old  be  was  bound  out  to  learn  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  at  which  be  serTed  four  years  and  eight 
months,  receiving  only  his  board  and  clothes, 
altlnugb  during  baying  and  harvesting  be  worked 
for  farmers  and  his  master  took  the  pay.  The 
youth  had  very  hard  treatment  during  the  years  of 
his  apprenticeship. 

After  learning  bis  trade  3'oung  Hertzog  went  to 
rottsville,  where  for  a  short  time  be  was  eug.iged 
in  journey  work,  after  which  he  became  a  laborer 
•  in  the  coal  mines  for  several  years.  In  the  inter- 
vals of  mining  he  worked  at  other  occupations, 
some  of  bis  labor  in  Pennsylvania  bringing  him 
the  wages  of  fifty  cents  per  day,  from  which  be 
was  ol)liged  to  board  himself.  He  labored  in  saw- 
mills and  also  followed  the  river  a  while. 

On  September  1 1,  1836,  Mr.  Hertzog  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Abigail  Fiddler,  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State,  in  which  they  continued  to 
reside  until  1H50.  They  then  came  to  Illinois, 
making  Iheir  home  in  Napierville,  a  few  iiKjntbs 
after  which  they  removed  to  Kankakee  County, 
then  a  part  of  Will  County.  Mr.  Hertzog  bought 
one  bnndred  acres  of  prairie  land,  twenty  acres  of 
which  bad  been  broken,  and  opened  up  a  good 
farm.  He  was  almost  empty-banded  when  be  lo- 
located  upon  the  place  and  he  had  a  bard  time  to 
get  along,  but  stubborn  perseverance  finally  con- 
(jiiered.  He  remained  upon  the  farm  until  his 
home  was  burned  out,  when  he  spent  a  short  time 
in  Kankakee,  returning  to  his  farm,  from  which 
be  removed  to  Will  County  several  years  since. 


The  first  vote  of  Mv.  Hertzog  was  cast  for  Mar- 
tin ^'anBnren.  Since  then  he  has  been  a  Whig 
and  a  Republican  of  conservative  views.  While  in 
Kankakee  Township  be  served  as  Director  of  the 
School  Board  and  as  Overseer  of  Highways.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Pennsylvania  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  He  is  the  father  of 
eleven  children,  of  whom  the  following  survive: 
Charles  Wesley,  Mrs.  Henrietta  Nicolai,  Mrs.  Ellen 
Fisher,  Henry  H.,  James  N.,  and  Mrs.  Martha 
Fleming.  He  lost  one  son  during  the  Civil  War, 
at  which  time  Charles  Wesley  and  William  F.  be- 
longed to  the  Thirty-ninth  Illinois,  Yates  Phalanx. 
The  first-mentioned  returned  to  bis  home  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  but  William  was  killed  June  18, 
18Gi. 


S^,  HARLES  W.  SOLLPIT.  Tlie  SuUitt  home- 
stead, now  occupied  by  this  gentleman, 
comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on 
section  30,  Washington  Township,  which  is  well 
adnpted  for  general  firming  and  the  feeding  of 
stock.  For  the  past  nine  j'ears  Mr.  Sollitt  has 
been  much  interested  in  the  Hereford  breed  of 
cattle  and  has  made  a  specialty  of  raising  them. 
At  present  be  has  a  herd  of  thirty,  at  the  bead  of 
which  is  the  noble  animal.  Justice,  whose  registered 
number  is   10240. 

For  some  thirteen  years  Mr.  Sollitt  has  had  the 
liersonal  control  of  the  homestead,  oii  which  be  has 
lived  since  1861,  at  which  time  the  parents  came 
here  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of  the  wife 
and  mother.  He  was  born  in  Chicago,  July  18, 
1854,  but  grew  to  manhood  in  the  township  he 
now  calls  home.  His  education  was  finished  at  the 
University  of  Notre  Dame  in  South  Bend,  Ind., 
and  he  chose  as  bis  vocation  in  life  the  peaceful 
pursuit  of  a  farmer.  In  this  work  he  has  been 
fairly  successful,  and  by  bard  work  and  earnest 
zeal  for  bis  pursuit  has  attained  a  good  rank 
among  the  agriculturists  of  the  vicinit3^ 

The  father  of  our  subject  is  an  old  resident  of 
Chicago,  where  be  has  man^'  friends,  and  is  held 
in  excellent  repute  as  a  former  builder,  of  integrity 
and  reliability,     lie  has  become  well-to-do,  owning 


198 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


inucL  real  estate  in  the  city,  aud  now  lives  a  re- 
tired life  at  No.  519,  Jaclcson  Boulevard.  He  was 
bom  in  Yorksliire,  England,  and  is  tlie  son  of  a 
nieclianic,  who  died  there  in  the  prime  of  life. 
The  ancestors  for  several  generations  had  been 
born  in  the  mother  coiintr}',  but  the  remote  pro- 
genitors were  natives  of  France,  whence  they 
went  1o  England  during  the  Huguent>t  troubles 
prior  to  the  date  of  the  American  Revolution. 

John  SoUitt  was  taught  the  trade  of  a  wheel- 
wright, and  followed  the  same  in  the  laud  of  his 
birth  until  about  1836.  He  had  married  Miss 
Mar}-  Truitt,  of  his  own  shire,  and  to  them  had 
been  born  two  children  prior  to  their  removal  to 
i^merica.  Thej'  settled  in  Kingston,  Canada, 
where  Mr.  Sollitt  engaged  as  a  builder,  leaving 
that  city  for  the  United  States  after  a  sojourn  of 
two  years.  He  located  in  what  was  then  a  small 
village,  but  has  now  grown  to  be  the  second  city 
in  the  United  States  and  a  power  in  commercial 
circles. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Mr.  Sollitt  was  a  poor 
man  with  a  wife  and  three  children  to  support  and 
but  ^5  he  could  call  his  own  when  he  reached  Chi- 
cago. The  first  work  he  obtained  tvas  the  con- 
struction of  a  stage  curtain  roller  for  the  first 
theatre  built  in  the  city,  and  this  job,  although  a 
small  and  simple  one,  secured  him  further  work 
b}'  its  good  execution.  After  he  had  gotten  a 
start  as  a  builder.  Mr.  Sollitt  became  a  partner  of 
Peck  it  Updike,  and  ere  long  was  prominently  re- 
cognized in  his  business.  He  built  the  first  court- 
house in  Cook  Count}'. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Sollitt  dietl  of  the  cholera,  July 
18,  1850,  in  the  prime  of  life,  leaving  a  family  of 
small  children  without  a  mother's  care.  The  hus- 
band contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  in 
Racine,  Wis.,  choosing  Mrs.  Annie  AVilson,  nee 
Rountree,  as  his  com])anion.  This  ladj'  was  born 
in  Countj'  Durham,  England,  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  Samuel  Wilson,  an  Englishman.  Thej' 
came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Buffalo, 
where  Mv.  Wilson  died  of  the  cholera.  His  widow 
afterward  came  AVest  to  Wisconsin,  and  after  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Sollitt  resided  in  Chicago  until 
her  health  failed  and  the}'  bought  propert}'  for  a 
country    home    in    Will  Count}-.     This  farm,  now 


owned  and  operated  by  our  subject,  was  the  par- 
enfal  home  until  the  death  of  the  mother  in  1871, 
wlieu  she  ,was  about  fifty  years  old.  She  had 
borne  her  last  huslxand  two  children — our  subject 
and  a  sister,  Blanche,  now  Jlrs.  Board,  who  resi(ies 
in  Oak  Park,  a  part  of  Chicsgo. 

John  Sollitt  was  again  married,  the  ceremony 
taking  place  in  Racine  County,  Wis.  The  bride 
was  Miss  Ann  Blackburn,  also  a  native  of  England. 
She  had  come  to  this  country  when  a  young  lady, 
and  since  her  marriage,  with  the  exception  of  the 
first  two  years,  has  lived  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Sollitt 
is  a  member  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Society  of  that 
city. 

Charles  W.  Sollitt  won  as  his  companion  in  life 
Miss  Clara  Marsh,  an  educated  and  refined  woman 
who  was  born  in  Crete,  January  13,  1858.  Slie 
was  reared  and  educated  in  this  and  Cook  Coun- 
ties, and  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  some  time 
prior  to  her  marriage.  The  wedding  rites  were 
celebrated  at  the  bride's  home  in  Matteson,  Cook 
County,  Jlarch  23,  1877.  Her  parents,  Edwin  and 
Mary  (Frank)  Marsh,  are  now  living  in  Chicago 
rather  retired,  although  they  still  own  an  interest 
in  a  ranch  in  Russell  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sollitt,  of  this  r.otice,  have  had 
three  children — Anna  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years;  Leslie  and  John  still  live  to  gladden  their 
parents  hearts  by  their  intelligence  and  affection. 
Mr.  Sollitt  is  a  Republican,  and  stanch  in  the  faith. 
He  and  his  gooil  wife  attend  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Beecher.  They  are  respected  and  es- 
teemed by  their  fellow-citizens  as  their  merits  de- 
mand. 


^lOUN  BEDFORD,  deceased,  was  a  worthy 
member  of  the  farming  community  of 
Plainfleld  Township,  and  during  his  busy 
career  lie  was  active  iu  advancing  its  ma 
terial  interests,  and  we  are  pleased  to  be  able  to 
place  this  brief  outline  of  his  life  on  the  pages  of 
this  volume.  A  native  of  Lincolnshire,  Engl.ind, 
he  was  born  September  28,  1828,  his  father,  bear- 
ing the  same  name,  also  being  a  native  of  England, 
and  was  there  bred   to  farming  pursuits  and  spent 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


199 


Lis  entire  life  on  liis  native  soil.  Our  subject  was 
reared  to  an  agricultural  life,  and  resided  in  the 
laud  of  his  birth  until  1852.  Then  in  the  prime 
of  a  vigorous,  self-reliant  manliood,  lie  set  out  for 
the  New  World,  trying  to  see  what  life  iield  for 
him  in  this  land  of  promise,  embarking  at  Liver- 
pool in  the  montli  of  Marcii  on  the  sailing-vessel 
"Lady  Ash  burton."  He  landed  in  New  York  and 
came  directly  to  Illinois,  where  he  tiiouglit  lie 
would  be  most  likel}-  to  prosper  as  a  farmer.  lie 
found  employment  on  a  farm  in  AVill  County,  and 
was  engaged  there  for  some  lime.  In  ISSS  he  re- 
turned to  his  old  home,  and  in  the  same  j'ear  was 
married  to  Miss  Ann  Foulston,  a  native  of  Lin- 
colnshire, England.  Her  father,  John  Foulston,  \ 
was  born  in  Nottinghamshire,  his  father,  of  the 
same  name,  being  a  native  of  the  same  shire,  where 
he  carried  on  farming  until  his  deatli.  Mrs.  Bed- 
ford's father  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  followed 
agricultural  pursuits,  spending  his  entire  life  in 
the  land  of  his  birth.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Elizabeth  Nicholson.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  four  of  whom  came  to 
America — George,  now  deceased,  resided  in  Illi- 
nois some  years;  James  lived  in  Canada  some 
years,  spending  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Mani- 
toba; Francis  came  to  Illinois  and  has  since  died; 
Charles  lives  in  this  county. 

In  March,  1856,  our  subject  again  set  sail  for 
America,  embarking  on  the  vessel  "Neptune," 
accompanied  by  his  young  bride,  whom  he  was 
bringing  with  him  to  assist  in  the  upbuilding  of  a 
home  in  hi?  adopted  country.  Six  weeks  later 
they  landed  in  New  York,  and  came  to  Illinois 
and  located  at  Lockport.  Our  subject  was  there 
engaged  as  an  engineer,  running  a  stationary  en- 
gine for  a  few  years.  He  then  resumed  the  occu- 
pation to  which  he  had  been  bred.  In  1876  he 
bought  the  farm  where  his  family  now  resides. 
This  contains  uinetj'-two  acres  of  finelj^-cultivated 
land,  provided  with  substantial  buildings  and 
every  necessary  improvement.  It  is  very  fertile, 
and  is  finely  located  four  miles  from  Plainfield 
and  eight  miles  from  Joliet. 

Ere  he  had  attained  to  old  age,  and  while  it 
seemed  as  though  he  had  many  j'ears  of  usefulness 
before  him,  his  honorable  career  was  cut  short  by 


his  untimely  death,  March  28,  1880.  A  man  of 
stei-ling  integrity,  whose  ever}'  day  life  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  inherent  uprightness  of  his  character, 
by  his  demise  the  township  lost  one  of  its  most 
respected  and  trustworthy  citizens;  his  family  a 
good  husband  and  faithful  father,  who  was  always 
kind  and  considerate,  and  his  neighbors,  one  who 
was  always  helpful  In  his  relations  with  them. 
He  deserved  the  prosiierily  that  followed  his  work, 
as  he  labored  conscientiously  and  perseveringly, 
and  exercised  sound  judgment  and  ilue  discretion 
in  all  his  dealings.  In  his  wife,  who  survives  him, 
he  alwaj's  found  a  faithful  and  ready  assistant, 
one  to  whose  aid  he  was  greatlj'  indebted  for  the 
coziness  and  comfort  of  a  good  home.  To  them 
were  born  four  children — Albert  F.,  who  lives 
with  his  mother;  Walter  S.,  who  resides  in  Joliet; 
Lizzie  J.,  who  is  in  St.  Louis;  and  Sarah  J.  at 
home.  The  family  occupies  a  good  social  position, 
and  all  are  attendants  at  the  Episcopal  Church. 


m 


<||OSEPH  F.  LEISING,  dealer  in  grain,  lum- 
ber and  live  stock,  established  himself  in 
business  at  Goodcnow  in  1877,  and  has  con- 
ducted an  extensive  and  successful  business. 
He  was  formerly  a  book-keeper  with  the  Crete 
Manufacturing  Company-,  and  possessing  business 
talents  of  a  high  o'der,  has  naturally  made  steady 
progress  until  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  most 
reliable  men  of  his  town.  He  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Westphalen.  Germany,  December  4, 
1845,  and  lived  there  until  a  j'oung  man  of  twenty- 
four  years,  coming  in  1869  to  America.  During 
his  residence  of  twenty  years  in  his  adopted  coun- 
try, he  has  become  thoroughly  adapted  to  her  in- 
stitutions which  find  in  him  one  of  their  warmest 
defenders. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Henry  Leising, 
also  a  native  of  Westphalen,  who  spent  his  entire 
life  in  his  native  land,  engaged  in  farming  pursuits. 
He  had  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  and  was  a 
reliable  and  substantial  citizen,  and  one  who  en- 
joyed in  a  marked  degree  the  esteem  of  all  who 
knew    him.     He    was    fifty-six    years    old  at    the 


200 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


time  of  his  death;  he  was  married  in  early  man- 
hood to  a  maiden  of  iiis  own  province.  Miss 
Elizabetli  Scnger,  who  survived  her  husband  a 
number  of  j'ears.  living  to  be  quite  aged.  Both 
were  members  of  the  German  Catholic  Church. 
There  had  been  born  to  them  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  of  whom  .Joseph  F.  of  this  sketch  was 
the  eldest,  and  he  w.as  the  only  one  who  came  to 
the  United  States.  His  two  sisters  are  still  residents 
of  Westphalen   one  of  them  being  married. 

Mr.  Leising  in  accordance  with  the  laws  and 
custonis  of  his  native  country  was  placed  in  school 
at  an  early  age  and  received  a  thorough  educa- 
tion, becoming  familiar  with  tlie  French  and  Latin 
languages.  He  commenced  his  business  career  as 
a  clerk  and  was  tlius  occupied  for  nine  years  in 
liis  native  province.  Not  being  satisBod  however, 
with  his  condition  or  his  jirospects,  he  decided 
upon  seeking  the  New  World  and  in  the  summer 
iif  186!)  repaired  to  the  i)ort  of  Bremerhaven  .and 
look  |).assage  on  a  steamer  bound  for  New  York 
(  ity.  Arriving  safely  at  his  destination  he  at 
(^n<  e  set  out  for  Chicago,  but  not  long  afterward 
came  to  Crete  Township,  where  he  soon  found 
employment  as  a  clerk  and  book-keeper  and  by 
his  faithfulness  and  attention  to  his  duties  gained 
the  goodwill  of  his  employers  and  the  esteem  of 
all  who  knew  him. 

Mr.  Leising  w.as  married  at  Crete  to  Miss  Eliza, 
daughter  of  Andrew  8chwendemann.  The  latter 
was  a  native  of  Bavaria  and  was  married  in  the 
Grand  Ducliy  of  Mechlenburg  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
.Miller.  Later  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
settling  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  the  father  con- 
ducted a  hardware  store  for  a  number  of  j'ears 
and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  The  mother 
and  daughter  then  came  to  Illinois,  locaiiug  in 
Crete  Township  where  they  lived  until  the  mar- 
riage of  the  latter.  The  mother  then  returned  to 
Buflfalo  where  she  is  now  living  with  one  of  her 
daughters.  Although  sixty  years  of  age  she.  is 
bright  and  active. 

ills.  I.icising  was  born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  August 
31,  1856,  and  was  one  of  a  familj-  comprising  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
She  was  subjected  to  careful  parental  training  and 
after  her  fallier's  death  remained  with  her  mother 


until  her  marriage,  obtaining  her  education  in  the 
common  schools.  Of  her  union  with  our  subject 
there  have  been  born  five  children,  viz:  Henrietta 
M.  died  aged  eleven  months;  those  living  are: 
Ida  S..  Ella  C,  Leo  A.  H.  and  Augusta.  Mr. 
Leising,  politicallj'.  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  the 
Democratic  part}'  and  has  served  as  Township 
Clerk,  besides  holding  other  minor  offices.  He  is 
prompt  to  meet  his  obligations,  a  square  man  in 
his  business  transactions  and  looked  upon  in  all 
respects  as  a  representative  citizen. 


^r 


-t^ 


son. 


.\MUEL  G.  NELSON,  Supervisor  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Milton  Township, 
is  a  native  of  Randolph  Count}-,  lud.,  and 
a  son  of  .John  and  Elizabeth  (Gray)  Nel- 
His  father  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and 
was  reared  in  Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  he  later 
removing  to  Kentucky  and  from  there  to  Ohio. 
His  next  removal  was  to  Randolph  County.  Ind.. 
whence  he  went  to  Montgomery  C'ounty,  m;iking 
his  home  on  a  farm  four  miles  west  of  Crawfords- 
ville.  He  represented  his  county  in  the  Indiana 
Legislatur-,  and  at  one  time  nia<le  a  strong  race 
for  the  State  Senate  from  that  district,  but  was 
defeated.  In  1848  he  came  to  Will  County.  111.^ 
where  he  died  in  1851  at  the  resi<1cnce  of  our  sub- 
ject. His  life  work  was  that  of  farming,  and  his 
labors  were  successful.  During  the  War  of  1812 
he  served  in  the  American  army.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religion  a  member  of  the 
Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church.  He 
was  an  own  uncle  of  Sen.ator  Joseph  E.  McDonald, 
of  the  Hoosier  State.  His  wife  was  born  near 
Wheeling,  W.'N'a.,  and  died  in  this  county  in 
1852. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  the  following- 
named  children:  McDonald.  Esther,  AVilliam  T., 
Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Nancy,  Samuel  G.,  Mary  and 
Daniel  M.  The  only  survivors  of  this  household 
band  are:  William  T.,  Samuel  G.  and  Daniel  M. 
He  of  whom  we  write  was  horn  Miiy  8.  1827,  and 
passed  his  early  life  on  the  farm  in  Montgomery 
County.  Ind.,  receiving  his  education  in  the  com- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


201 


mon  schools,  under  the  instruction  of  Joseph  E. 
McDonald,  later  one  of  Indiana's  prominent  legis- 
lators. When  about  of  age  young  Nelson  came 
to  Illinois,  settling  on  the  farm  where  he  yet  lives. 
lie  owns  one  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  3, 
his  residence  being  in  the  village  of  Wallingford. 
Every  dollar  that  he  possesses  has  been  made  by 
his  own  exertions  and  in  farming,  wliich  has  been 
his  life  work. 

In  1862  Mr.  Nelson  joined  the  Union  Army  as 
a  private  in  Company  H,  One  Hundredth  Illinois 
Infantr}',  but  was  soon  elected  First-Lieutenant  of 
his  company.  In  November,  18G3,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  Capitancy,  and  subsequentlj-  to  the 
rank  of  Jl.ijor,  in  wiiich  he  finished  las  service. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mustered  out, 
.June  12,  18(35,  at  Iluntsville,  Ala.,  and  at  Chicago, 
III.,  w.as  discharged  July  1.  During  his  campaign 
life  Maj.  Nelson  bore  a  part  in  the  famous  battles 
of  Stone  River,  Cbattannoga,  Mission  Ridge  and 
other  conflicts  of  less  prominence  yet  no  less  dan- 
gerous to  those  who  particijiated.  Among  these 
were  the  engagements  at  Nashville,  Franklin,  and 
the  minor  affra>s  of  the  (Georgia  campaign  as  far 
south  as  Jonesville.  .Vt  Mission  Ridge  he  was 
wounded  in  the  left  hip  by  a  minie  ball. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Nelson  was  celebrated 
al  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Wilton  Township. 
Mrs.  Abigail  (Meacham)  Nelson  was  born  in 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1830,  and  died  August 
29,  1855.  She  left  one  daughter,  Elizabeth  H., 
born  September  24,  1854.  On  December  12, 1878, 
this  daughter  became  the  wife  of  Alexander  Price, 
who  died  November  1,  1879.  They  had  one  son, 
Herbert  A.,  who  with  his  widowed  mother  now 
lives  with  our  subject. 

Mr.  Nelson  contracted  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance  May  1,  1856,  choosing  for  his  companion 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Thomas,  of  Cook  County.  This 
lad}'  was  born  in  Florence  Township,  Oneida 
County,  N.Y..  in  1837,  and  died  April  19,1877. 
This  marriage  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  chil- 
dren, whose  record  is  as  follows:  Celia  J.,  who 
was  born  July  1,  1857,  married  William  II.  War- 
ren, a  farmer  of  Wilton  Tov.'nship,  and  has  four 
children — Minnie,  Celia,  Ella  and  Walter;  Will- 
iam T.  was  born  May  21,  1859,  and   was  killed  by 


the  kick  of  a  horse  August  24,  1873;  Sarah  E. 
was  born  October  28,  J  8fil,  and  died  August  30, 
1881 ;  Mary  M.,  born  October  8,  1866,  is  the  wife 
of  Anthony  F.  Dennis,  a  farmer  in  Peotone  Town- 
siiii),  and  has  one  daughter.  Elsie  M.  James  M. 
was  born  January  1,  1872,  and  Laura  B.,  Novem- 
ber 29,  1875. 

For  eighteen  years  Mr.  Nelson  has  held  the 
official  station  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  is  serv- 
ing his  sixteenth  ^^ear  as  Township  Supervisor. 
Ho  takes  daily  and  weekly  papers  ifi  sufflcient 
numbers  to  keep  himself  tlioroughly  informed  in 
the  progress  of  mankind  and  the  news  of  the  day. 
and  is  much  better  read  and  more  intelligent  than 
most  men.  His  home  is  one  in  which  both  friends 
and  strangers  are  sure  of  a  cordial  welcome  and 
the  best  of  entertainment  he  can  give;  while  to 
enterprises  of  genuine  worth  he  is  a  liberal  con- 
tributor. Although  not  connected  with  an}'  relig- 
ious organization,  he  believes  in  and  supports 
them.  He  has  always  l)een  a  Democrat  and  taken 
an  active  interest  in  parly  affairs.  He  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


**-,  AVID  S.  STEPHEN.  This  gentleman  occu- 
pies  a  prominent  position  among  the  busi- 
ness men  of  Frankfort  Station,  being 
proprietor  of  the  Frankfort  machine  shop,  a  dealer 
in  engines,  machines,  pumps,  pipes,  etc.,  and  also 
occupying  the  official  station  of  .Tustice  of  the 
Peace.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Jane  (Garden) 
Stephen,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Aberdeen- 
shire, Scotland.  Joseph  Stephen  studied  for  the 
ministrj',  and  during  his  college  life  was  a  class- 
mate of  the  famous  Lord  Byron.  He  began  his 
ministerial  labors  in  his  native  shire,  as  pastor  of  a 
Baptist  Church,  abandoning  his  field  of  labor  there 
in  1843,  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  located 
in  Canada.  There  he  engaged  as  clerk  for  a  Mr. 
Barnet,  a  contractor  on  the  Welland  Canal. 

After  sojourning  iu  the  Dominion  a  j'ear,  Mr. 
Stephen  came  to  the  United  States,  accompanying 
his  employer  to  Lockport,  this  county,  where  he 
died  not  long  after.  The  disease  which  caused  his 
death  was  bilious   fever,  and    ho  was   then   sixty- 


202 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


three  years  old.  He  was  an  ardent  Abolitionist, 
preaching  the  doctrine  from  the  pulpit  and  writing 
upon  the  question  of  slavery  for  the  public  press. 
During  his  boyhood  be  had  become  proficient  as 
a  mechanic,  having  inherited  a  taste  for  handicraft 
from  his  father,  William  Stephen,  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  a  piacUcal  mechanic,  who  had  served  for  a 
time  in   the  English  army. 

After  the  death  of  her  first  husiiand,  Mrs.  Jane 
Stephen  became  the  wife  of  James  Logan,  and 
they  are  living  at  Frankfort  St.-ition.  Bj^  her 
first  union  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children, 
viz.:  Jane,  Mrs.  Bruce,  who  died  in  Lockport 
Township;  David  S.,  our  subject;  E.  C,  who  is 
running  a  planing,  saw  and  feed  mill,  and  manu- 
facturing general  wood  work  in  Frankfort;  Jo- 
seph S.,  a  machinist  in  Chicago;  George  W.,  who 
died  when  eleven  years  old.  Joseph  S.  served  in 
the  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry  three  months,  and 
re-enlisted  in  another  regiment,  serving  until  dis- 
charged on  account  of  ph3-sical  disabilitj'.  When 
sutliciently  recovered  he  enlisted  ag.ain,  continuing 
to  act  in  defense  of  his  country  until  honorablj' 
discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  The  second 
union  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  blest  by 
the  birth  of  one  chihl,  William  H.  Logan,  now  con- 
stable in  Frankfort. 

The  birthplace  of  the  gentleman  whose  name 
stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch  was  St:  Fergus, 
Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  and  his  natal  daj-  March 
14,  1836.  Until  he  was  five  years  old  he  was 
reared  in  his  native  village,  and  lie  then  went  to 
live  with  his  grandfather  at  Almouth.  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  parents  removed  to  America, 
when  he  accompanied  them  hither.  He  traveled 
by  steam  to  Edinburg,  thence  b}-  rail  to  Glasgow, 
where  the  family  embarked  on  the  "Naverina." 
After  a  tedious  voyage  of  ten  weeks,  landing  was 
made  in  New  York  Cit}%  whence  they  went  to  St. 
Catharines,  Canada,  and  then  to  Thorwald.  seven 
miles  from  Niagara  Falls,  whose  roar  they  could 
distinetl3'  hear. 

The  removal  to  Illinois  was  made  bj'  a  steamer 
to  Chicago,  which  was  then  but  a  village,  and  bj- 
team  to  Lockport.  A  home  was  made  on  the  Bar- 
net  farm,  in  the  township  of  Homer,  and  the  lad 
began    his   attendance    at   the    common    schools. 


Previous  to  this  time  he  had  been  instructed  en- 
tirel3'  by  his  parents,  and  he  was  able  to  begin  his 
school  life  in  the  Third  Reader  class.  The  In- 
dians had  left  this  region  not  long  before  and  the 
country  was  an  almost  unbroken  prairie,  neigh- 
bors were  few  and  far  between,  and  all  the  sur- 
roundings were  of  a  primitive  nature.  Some  four 
or  five  years  later  he  of  whom  we  write,  and  his 
brother.  E.  C,  walked  to  Frankfort  Township, 
where  their  stepfather  bouglit  a  farm,  on  which 
our  subject  lived  until  his  eighteenth  birthday. 

During  his  early  j-ears  David  Stephen  was  occn- 
|)ic<l  in  farm  i)ursuits,  but  when  eighteen  he  began 
working  as  a  millwright  and  carpenter  finding  em- 
ployment in  Jolict  and  Lockport.  He  also  en- 
gaged somewhat  in  jobbing  and  repairing,  all 
handicraft  coming  naturally  to  him  as  an  inherit- 
ance from  his  mechanical  ancestors.  Not  only  had 
his  father  and  grandfather  Stephen  been  excellent 
mechanics,  but  his  grandfather  Garden  was  also  a 
fine  workman  as  a  millwright  and  plowwright,  and 
the  efficient  proprietor  of  a  general  implement  shop 
in  Aberdeenshire.  Young  Stephen  drilled  during 
the  late  war  and  volunteered,  but  was  rejected  by 
the  examining  physician. 

In  1863  our  subject  and  his  brother,  E.  C, 
opened  a  machine  and  repair  shop  in  Frankfort, 
the  connection  continuing  three  years,  after  which 
the  older  brother  retired,  and  spent  three  years  in 
Kalamazoo  County,  Mich.  In  1 874  the  partner- 
ship was  resumed,  and  the  firm  of  D.  S.  <fe  E.  C. 
Stephen  built  a  machine  shop,  feed  mill,  sawmill 
and  other  edi;':ces,  continuing  in  partnership  until 
1881),  when  the  connection  w.is  again  dissolved. 
Since  that  time  our  subject  has  been  carrying  on 
his  present  business,  having  a  fine  set  of  machinery 
for  working  iron,  and  doing  a  large  trade  in  re- 
pairing engines  and  other  machines,  and  manufac- 
turing a  double-force  pump  of  the  Stephen  Bros', 
invention.  He  has  manifested  an  unusual  degree 
of  enterprise,  and  has  a  reputation  for  mechanical 
skill  which  is  unexcelled. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Frankfort,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1867,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated  be- 
tween Mr.  Stephen  and  Addie  C.  Bathrlck.  The 
bride  was  born  in  Ashtabula  Countj%  Ohio,  was 
educated  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  was   for  a  time  en- 


/<^i^JCfi<^  /Li.e^(:>^--■^-<^^ 


PORTRAIT  AInD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


•205 


gaged  in  teaching,  a  profession  for  vvhicli  her  cult- 
ure, tact  and  fine  character  well  fitted  her.  She  is 
a  daiigiiter  of  the  Rev.  Stephen  Bathrick,  a  Free 
Will  Baptist  minister  and  also  a  practicing  homeo- 
piiMiic  phj'sician.  He  labored  in  various  States — 
Now  York,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  etc.- — 
ably  advancing  the  cause  of  Christianity  for  years, 
lie  entered  into  rest  in  Frankfort,  this  county, 
in  1880.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  two  children 
have  been  born,  named  respectively'  Marian  F. 
and  Kdwin  L. 

Mr.  Stephen  is  now  serving  his  third  term  .as 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  his  second  term  as  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Village  Trustees.  A  man 
of  ripe  intelligence,  good  judgment  .and  firm 
princi|)les,  he  proves  an  efficient  worker  for  the 
prosperity  and  order  of  the  town.  He  belongs  to 
Joliet  Lodge,  No.  42,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  politically,  and  has  frequently  been 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  county  conventions. 


i<^-^ 


•*.,  R.  CHARLES  RICHARDS.  The  medical 
'•  profession  of  Will  County  received  a  wor- 
thy addition  in  1868,  b.y  the  advent  of 
Dr.  Richards,  who  thereafter  prosecuted  a 
successful  practice  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
Februarys,  1890.  He  was  born  in  Newport,  Her- 
kimer County,  N.  Y.,  July  2G,  1832,  and  was  the 
son  of  Richard  and  Maiy  Agnes  (Newton)  Rich- 
ards, who  spent  their  Last  3-ears  in  Ohio. 

When  Charles  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  his  parents 
removed  to  New  Haven,  Ohio,  where  he  completed 
the  rudiments  of  an  English  education,  and,  when 
of  suitable  years,  began  the  study  of  medicine  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  F.  G.  Armstrong.  Later  he  at- 
tended lectures  at  the  Albany  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  IS/JS.  He  con- 
tinued his  residence  at  New  Haven,  and  followed 
his  profession  until  coming  to  Illinois. 

During  his  citizenship  in  Joliet,  Dr.  Richards 
won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  by  his  sterling 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind.  Not  only  was  he 
skilled  in  dispensing  medicines,  but  he  possessed 
that  sympathetic  and  genial  nature  which  at  once 


inspired  confidence  among  his  patients,  and  which 
was  often  of  more  assistance  to  them  in  their  re- 
covery than  anything  which  could  be  obtained 
from  the  pharmacist.  Dr.  Richards  built  up  a 
large  and  profitable  practice,  and  in  social  as  well 
as  Ijusincss  circles  was  a  universal  favorite.  From 
1870  to  1874  he  held  the  olHee  of  County  Coroner, 
and  for  some  time  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Will 
County  Medical  Societ}'.  His  religious  belief  coin- 
cided with  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Episco|ial 
Church,  of  which  he  was  a  leading  light  in  Joliet, 
and  of  which  his  widow  is  also  a  member.  Polit- 
ically, Dr.  Richards  was  a  stanch  Republican,  and 
was  inlluential  in  his  party  in  this  portion  of  the 
State. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Charles  Richards  and  Miss 
Harriet,  daughter  of  Thomas  T.  and  Phebe  (Stew- 
art) Mulford,  was  celebr.ated  at  the  bride's  home,  in 
New  Haven,  Ohio,  March  25,  1858.  Mrs.  Richards 
was  born  March  lit,  1835,  in  New  Haven,  Ohio, 
and  was  one  of  a  f.amily  of  six  children  born  to  her 
parents.  The  latter  were  natives  respectively  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut,  and  are  now  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Richards,  who  survives  her  husband, 
is  a  lady  of  excellent  character,  and  iiighly  re- 
s|)ected  in  the  community.  .She  occupies  a  beauti- 
ful home  on  Richards  Avenue,  and  enj(>ys  the 
friendship  and  association  of  the  best  people  in  the 
city.  To  her  activ-e  co-operation  may  be  attrib- 
uted not  a  little  of  the  Doctor's  success,  for  she 
was  a  true  helpmate  to  him  in  every  sense  of  the 
word . 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  we  present  a  lith- 
ographic portrait  of  Dr.  Richards.  He  is  remem- 
bered affectionately  by  a  very  large  circle  of 
acquaintances,  to  whom  his  worthy  traits  of  cliar- 
.acter  endeared  him.  He  was  distinguished  not 
less  for  his  kindness  of  heart  than  for  his  superior 
talents  of  mind,  and,  as  became  a  true  Christian, 
his  word  was  always  as  good  as  his  bond. 


-*^ 


felLLIAM.  C.  TROWBRIDGE,  junior  meni- 

\/\'l!     ^^^^  "''  '''''  *'""  "^^  Tillotson  <fe  Trowbridge, 

W^      is  familiarly  known  as  one   of   the   editors 

and  publishers  of  the   Crete  Journal  and  its  aux- 


•2.06 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


iliaries,  which  includes  the  local  interests  of  Bloom, 
Monee,  Beccher,  Malteson  and  Goodenow.  The 
combinalion  of  papers  was  establislied  by  Mr.  W. 
H.  Gardner,  in  March,  1888,  and  in  May  following 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  firm.  Thej'  have 
a  bona  fide  issue  of  five  hundred  copies  weekly,  and 
publish  a  paper  which  is  heartily  welcomed  by  the 
people  of  this  region,  being  full  of  local  news,  and 
treating  concisol3'  all  the  important  topics  of  the 
day. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  is  a  practical  printer,  with  an 
experience  of  eight  years  as  foreman  of  the  Breed- 
ers's  Journal,  a  stock  paper  formerly  publislicd  at 
Beecher,  111.  He  served  a  full  apprenticeship  at 
the  "art  preservative"  in  Lewistown,  Pa.,  and 
Grand  Rapids.  Jlich.,  and  subsequently  was  em- 
ployed five  years  in  the  State  Printing  Oftioe  at 
Lansing.  His  native  place  was  Altoona,  Pa.,  and 
the  date  of  his  birth  April  14,  1856.  His  father, 
William  S.  Trowbridge,  was  born  in  Granville, 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  August  24,  1825,  and 
died  October  5,  1889,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.  The 
latter  was  of  stanch  New  Elngland  stock,  and  on 
account  of  the  death  of  his  father  when  he  was  but 
a  boy,  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an 
early  age.  He  learned  the  trade  of  an  iron 
moulder  at  Poultney,  Vt.,  and  later  emigrated  to 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  where  he  followed  his  trade  and  was 
.married  to  Miss  Henrietta  Kubn.  Mrs.  Trowl)ridge 
was  born  and  reared  in  Harrisburg,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  Kuhn,  who  died  there. 

After  their  marriage  the  elder  Trowbridge  and 
his  wife  remained  for  some  years  residents  of  Har- 
risburg and  then  removed  to  Altoona,  Pa.,  where 
the  father  operated  some  time  as  a  foundr3'man. 
He  then  removed  to  Juniata  County,  and  later  to 
Lewistown,  where  he  became  the  employe  of  a 
firm  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  agricultural 
implements.  He  was  thus  occupied  until  the  fall  of 
1803,  and  then,  the  Civil  War  being  in  progress, 
enlisted  in  the  Two  Hundred  and  First  Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  he  received  his  honorable  dis- 
charge. 

Returning  now  to  his  home  and  family  in  Lew- 
istown, Pa.,  tlie  father  of  our  subject  not  long 
afterward  took  charge  of  the  smelting  department 


of  the  Freedom  Steel  Works,  one  of  the  largest 
manufacturing  enterprises  of  the  kind  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  he  there  remained  until  1870.  We  next 
find  him  making  his  way  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich., 
where  he  was  joined  by  iiis  family  in  1871,  and 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  Grand 
Rapids  he  was  manager  of  Clmbb's  Agricultural 
Implement  Works,  lie  w.as  a  skilled  workman,  and 
was  of  that  genial  and  companionable  disposition 
which  drew  around  him  hosts  of  friends.  His  re- 
ligious views  coincided  witii  the  doctrines  of  the 
Episcopal  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  died  at  her  home  in 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  in  March,  1875,  aged  about 
sixty  years.  She,  like  her  husband,  was  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  Church.  There  were  born  to  them 
ten  children,  seven  of  whom,  five  daughters  and 
two  sons,  are  yet  living.  These  with  one  exception 
are  all  married.  AVilliam  C.  is  next  to  the  eldest,  and 
like  them  obtained  his  education  principally  in  his 
native  county.  He  accompanied  the  family  in  the 
removal  to  Grand  Rapids.  Mich.,  and  was  there 
married.  March  10.  1876,  to  Miss  Lelia  M.  Wil- 
kins.  This  lady  was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  Au- 
gust 31,  1856,  and  was  carefully  reared  and  edu- 
cated. She  grew  up  an  accomplished  and  intelligent 
woman,  and  b\'  her  union  with  our  subject  has 
become  the  mother  of  three  children,  viz.:  F. 
Winona.  William  Roy  and  Mj'ron.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Crete,  and  Mr.  Trowbridge,  politically, 
is  a  sound  Republican. 


--«- 


#-* 


OHN  DAY.  No  member  of  the  farming 
community  of  this  county  is  more  worthy 
of  representation  in  tliis  Biographical 
Ai.nuM  tiian  this  gentleman,  who  has  been 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this 
part  of  the  State  for  many  years,  and  now  owns 
an^  occujiies  a  choice  place  of  ten  acres  in  Plain- 
field  Towjiship,  and  also  one  hundred  and  eight}-- 
two  acres  in  Du  Page  Township. 

Mr.   Day  is   of   English   Ijirtli,  born  in  Lincoln- 
shire, April  2,  1830.     His  father,  bearing  the  same 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


207 


name  as  liimself,  was  a  native  of  the  same  sliire, 
and  his  jrraiulfatlier  was  a  life-long  resident  there. 
The  fatlier  of  our  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
his  native  eounty,  and  was  there  employed  in 
ag-ricullural  pursuits  until  18,56,  when  he  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Illinois,  buying  a  home 
with  our  subject  in  Dul'age  Township,  and  living 
there  until  his  useful  life  was  closed  by  death.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  o>ir  subject  was 
Rebecca  Brickies,  and  she  was  also  a  native  of 
Kngland.  She  spent  her  last  years  at  the  home  of 
our  subject  at  Plain  held.  fShe  and  her  husband 
were  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely:  Mary, 
William,  .John  and  Soijhia.  The  latter  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years,  and  the  others  came  to  Amer- 
ica. Mary  married  William  Pepper.  They  lo- 
cated in  this  county,  and  she  is  now  deceased. 
William  located  in  Manhattan,  but  is  now  residing 
in  Joliet. 

John,  of  whom  we  write,  was  reared  in  the  land 
of  his  birth  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age. 
He  had  heard  of  America,  and  being  an  ambitious, 
self-reliant,  adventurous  j'outh,  he  longed  to  try 
his  fortunes  here,  but  was  restrained  by  his  par- 
ents from  coming  to  this  countrj-  until  the  age 
mentioned.  Having  finally  obtained  their  per- 
mission, he  set  sail  from  Liver[)Ool  April  2,  1854, 
and  after  a  tedious  voyage  of  seven  weeks  landed 
in  New  York.  He  started  thence  at  once  to  Illi- 
nois to  join  friends  at  Piainfield.  He  immediately' 
sought  employment  here,  as  he  needed  the  money, 
and  soon  found  work  on  a  farm  at  §1G  a  month. 
He  was  thus  engaged  for  about  three  years,  and 
then  rented  land  on  shares  until  ISOt!,  when  he 
bought  ninety-one  acres  of  land  on  section  30, 
DuPage  Township,  and  about  eight  j'ears  later 
bought  ninety-one  acres  adjoining  on  the  same 
section.  He  resided  there  until  1884,  then  rented 
the  farm  and  came  to  town,  and  bought  the  pleas- 
ant residence  in  which  he  has  since  lived  retired, 
he  having  acquired  a  handsome  competence  by 
untiring  and  well-directed  labors. 

To  the  wife  who  makes  this  home  cozy  and  at- 
tractive, Mr.  Day  was  united  in  marriage  in  Octo- 
ber, 1859.  Mrs.  Day's  maiden  name  was  Cath- 
erine Stratton,  and  she  was  born  in  Wayne 
County,  Ohio,    December    6,   1810.     Her    father, 


William  Stratton,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  moving  from  there  to  Ohio,  located  among 
the  pioneers  of  \Vayne  County,  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  maiden  name  of 
his  wife  was  Barbara  llieks.  She  w,as  born,  it  is 
thought,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  was  of  Dutch  des- 
cent. She  spent  her  last  years  in  Ohio.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Day  have  three  children  living — Sophia  A., 
Lizzie  J.  and  Carrie  O. 

Our  subject  is  in  every  sense  of,  the  word  a 
self-made  man,  as  all  that  he  is  and  has  he  owes 
to  his  own  exertions.  He  is  a  man  of  self-re- 
specting character,  is  well  dowered  with  firmness, 
activity  and  sound  liusiness  qualifications,  and  is 
classed  among  our  best  citizens. 


,^LBERT  L.  DAVIS.  The  subject  of  this 
l@yL[ll  notice,  who  is  a  familiar  figure  among  the 
mercantile  interests  of  Joliet,  was  born 
October  7, 1845,  in  Dublin, Wayne  County, 
Ind.  His  parents  were  Norton  and  Ellen  (Cham- 
berlin)  Davis,  who  were  natives  of  New  York. 
Norton  Davis  spent  his  early  years  in  his  native 
county  of  Monroe,  and  after  reaching  man's  estate 
occu[ncd  himself  at  various  employments,  and  was 
successful  financially.  For  many  years  he'operated 
a  machine-shop,  and  was  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  farming  implements  at  Dublin,  Ind.  He 
died  there  on  the  4th  of  December,  1883.  He 
was  a  man  of  fine  business  abilities,  the  architect 
of  his  own  fortune,  commencing  life  without 
means  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  gained  for 
himself  a  good  position  socially  and  financially. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  survived  her  husband 
seven  years,  dying  February  9,  1890,  at  the  old 
homestead  in  Dublin,  Ind.  The  parental  house- 
hold consisted  of  six  children,  only  two  of  whom 
are  living — Albert  L.  and  Walter  C,  the  latter 
living  in  Cambridge  City,  Ind.,  where  he  follows 
the  occupation  of  a  jeweler. 

AlbertL.  attained  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  later  he  entered  Miami  Com- 
mercial College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1861.     He   commenced    his    business    career  as   a 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


book-kceppr  for  the  firm  of  Dnvis,  I>nwrencc  & 
Co.,  which  subsequently  was  known  .is  the  Wayne 
Agricultural  Companj',  and  Mr.  Davis  held  his 
position  with  tiie  firm  for  a  period  of  twelve 
•  years.  In  188(),  in  compait}'  with  S.  S.  Chambcr- 
lin,  he  engaged  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking 
business  at  Lockport,  and  the  firm  holds  a  lead- 
ing position  among  the  business  interests  of  the 
place.  In  Julj',  1888,  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  the  firm  now  known  as  S.  S.  Chamberlin  ct 
Co. 

Mr.  Davis  was  married  .Tanuar\'  21,  1869,  at 
the  bride's  home  in  Dayton,  Oliio,  to  Miss  Clara  S. 
Odell.  This  lady  was  born  August  18,  1849,  in  that 
city  and  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  W.  and  Caroline 
L.  Odell,  wlio  were  n.atives  respectively  of  Canada 
and  Ohio.  This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
four  children,  viz.:  Nelle  C,  Arthur  K.,  Clarence 
O.  and  Ada  N.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  in  Joliet,  being  a  Knight  Templar.  He 
has  one  of  the  most  valuable  collections  of  ancient 
and  Roman  coins  in  this  country,  some  of  them 
dating  back  as  far  as  three  and  four  hundred  3'ears 
before  Christ.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  active 
members  of  the  Universalist  Cliurch,  and  hold 
membership  in  the  First  Universalist  Church  in 
Dublin,  Ind. 


^^E 


E^^ 


fcHOMAS  TUCKER.  The  agricultural  ele- 
Sn  ment  that  has  been  so  largely  instrumental 
>^f'  in  the  upbuilding  of  Will  County  is  well 
represented  b}'  this  gentleman,  who  is  one  of  the 
foremost  farmers  and  stock-breeders  of  Monee 
Township,  where  he  owns  a  large  and  valuable 
farm. 

Mr.  Tucker  was  born  September  27,  1835,  near 
Shasberry,  Dorchester,  England,  a  son  of  Luke  and 
Sarah  Tucker,  who  were  natives  of  the  same  pl.ace 
as  their  son.  His  father  was  a  farmer  during  his 
early  life  but  for  many  years  he  was  engaged  as  a 
collector  of  tithes  for  the  church.  He  and  his  wife 
had  a  family  of  eight  children:  Elizabeth  Rose,  of 
England;  Ann,  who  became  the  wife  of  George 
Hitchcock  and  died   in  England,  leaving  a  son  and 


daughter;  Israel  is  a  resident  of  Chicago;  ^lary, 
wife  of  Abraham  Scrivens,  of  Will  Township; 
Sarah  married  Thomas  Randerson,  and  has  since 
died;  Thomas  ;  .Stephen  ;  John,  the  eldest,  died  in 
England.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in 
England  about  1842.  and  his  father  with  five  chil- 
dren came  to  the  United  States  two  years  later, 
landing  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks,  arriving  in 
Syracuse  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  in  season  to  cele- 
brate our  great  National  holiday.  !Mr.  Tucker  was 
a  resident  of  that  city  about  thirteen  j'ears,  and 
subsequentl3-  going  to  Chicago  died  there  in  Sep- 
tember, 1876,  aged  eighty-three  years  and  five 
months. 

A  lad  of  only  nine  years  when  he  came  to  this 
country,  our  subject  has  been  reared  under  its  in- 
stitutions and  was  educated  in  its  public  schools, 
and  no  native-born  citizen  is  more  loyal  than  he. 
He  followed  farming  in  S3'racuse  until  18.58,  when 
he  came  to  Chicago  with  his  brother  Stephen  and 
was  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  there  for 
some  years.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he  took  a  most 
important  step  in  life,  as  he  then  came  to  this  county 
to  resume  his  early  occupation  as  an  agriculturist 
and  located  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides. 
This  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  sup- 
plied with  all  substantial  improvements  and  he 
has  besides  much  other  land.  He  has  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  adjoining  in  Monee,  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Will  Township,  and  has  eighth- 
acres  of  the  two  hundred  and  fortj'  acres  which  he 
and  his  brothers  owned  jointlj^  at  one  time.  Mr. 
Tucker  began  life  without  a  dollar  and  has  acquired 
all  this  valuable  property  bj'  the  exercise  of  keen 
judgment,  incessant  industry  and  the  wise  economy 
that  knows  when  to  spend  as  well  as  when  to  spare 
money,  and  is  numbered  among  oui-  monej-ed  men 
who  are  using  their  influence  to  advance  the  town 
and  count}'  in  ever}'  direction.  Mr.  Tucker  takes 
a  leading  place  in  the  township  as  a  stock-breeder, 
and  for  the  last  six  j-ears  has  made  a  specialty  of 
rearing  Hereford  cattle,  importing  a  part  of  his 
herd  directly  from  England.  He  is  also  interested 
in  raising  horses,  the  Hambletonian  stock  being  his 
favorite,  of  which  he  has  some  fine  specimens. 

May  3,  1860,  Mr.  Tucker  and  Miss  Ann  Shcvlin 
were  united  in  marriage.     .She  was  born  in  County 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


209 


Donegal,  Ireland,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Ann 
(GoUahar)  Sbevlin,  who  were  also  natives  of  that 
county,  where  the  father  carried  on  fanning.  Mrs. 
Tucker  was  one  of  a  family  of  four  children,  the 
others  being  James,  of  Chicago;  Mary,  of  New 
Jersey;  and  ICdward,  of  Chicago.  The  latter,  the 
eldest,  was  tiie  first  to  come  to  the  United  States, 
he  coming  in  1857  and  Mrs.  Tucker  in  185il.  'J'his 
marriage  of  our  subject  has  been  blessed  to  liim 
and  his  wife  b\'  the  birth  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Ann;  Sarah  Mary,  wife  of  James  O'Shca,  of  Chi- 
cago; Tliomas,  Emma,  Rose,  Charles;  Stephen, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve;  Anna,  and  Israel. 
During  an  iionorable  career  as  a  sagacious,  en- 
terprising agriculturist,  Mi .  Tucker  has  displayed  in 
a  good  degree  those  solid  traits  of  character  that 
are  needful  to  the  attainment  of  good  fortune  in 
an^'  calling,  and  in  his  dealings  with  all,  either  in 
a  business  or  social  waj',  he  has  ever  shown  himself 
to  be  a  man  of  honor  and  truthfulness.  He  is  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  his 
wife  is  a  devoted  communicant  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  Politically,  our  subject  is  a 
sound  Republican. 


IIARLES  SCHIRRA.  This  gentleman  is 
numbered  among  the  practical  and  and  suc- 
^^  cessful  f.armers  of  Crete  Township,  in  which 
he  has  resided  since  1865.  He  now  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  acres  of  land  on  section  7,  it 
being  well  improved,  well  stocked,  and  well  culti- 
vated. Farming  has  been  the  life  work  of  Mr. 
Schirra  and  in  its  pursuit  he  has  brought  to  bear 
a  marked  degree  of  determination,  intelligence, 
and  keenness  of  observation.  As  a  reliable  citizen, 
an  atfectionate  husband  and  parent,  and  an  indi- 
vidual interested  in  the  world's  progress,  he  re- 
ceives the  respect  of  those  about  him  and  fills  a 
worth3'  place  in  the  list  of  foreign-born  citizens. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Nicholas  and 
Mary  (Loufe)  Schirra,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Prussia,  the  former  being  of  French  ancestry 
and  the  latter  of  German  blood.  Both  lived  to  a 
good  old  age,  spending  their  entire   lives   in   their 


native  land.  Mr.  Schirra  was  usually  employed  at 
farm  labor.  He  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  Church.  They  were  the  parents  of 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  being  the  third  child. 

In  one  of  the  Rhine  Provinces,  Charles  Schirra 
was  born  April  17,  1817.  He  obtained  a  good 
German  education  and  becoming  a  farmer  worke<l 
.as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  in  his  native  land  until  thirty 
years  old.  He  then,  in  the  spring  of  1847,  started 
to  America,  taking  passage  at  Antwerp  on  a  sail- 
ing vessel  and  spending  forty-two  d.ays  on  the  At- 
lantic. He  w.as  followed  to  this  country  in  later 
years  by  two  brothers  and  a  sister,  all  of  whom 
are  yet  living.  He  landed  in  New  York  City 
without  means  to  continue  his  journey,  and  he 
therefore  worked  his  way  to  Chicago,  which  ho 
reached  sometime  in  the  fall.  He  worked  in  var- 
ious parts  of  Cook  County  until  1853,  when  he 
purch.ased  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  land 
in  Bloom  Township,  upon  which  he  remained  un- 
til he  became  a  resident  of  Will  County.  His  first 
purchase  here  was  of  two  hundred  acres,  to  which 
he  afterward  added. 

In  Rich  Township.  Cook  County,  he  of  whom  sve 
write  was  united  in  marriage  with  INIiss  Mary  E. 
Ladoux,  with  whom  he  lived  happily  until  June  14, 
1876,  when  she  was  called  hence  by  the  angel  of 
death.  She  was  then  forty-eight  years  of  age, 
having  been  born  in  Switzerland,  December  25, 
1827.  Her  parents  Joseph  and  Lizzie  Ladoux  were 
natives  of  Switzerland,  who  upon  coming  to 
the  United  States  in  1845,  settled  at  once  in  Rich 
Township,  Cook  County,  where  they  began  to  im- 
prove a  farm.  After  some  years  the  mother  died 
at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Goodseid, 
being  then  in  her  seventy-second  year.  The  father 
afterward  came  to  Crete  Township,  Will  County, 
and  died  at  the  home  of  his  son,  Joseph,  he  also 
being  seventy-two  years  old.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ladoux  belonged  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

To  Mr.  Schirra  and  his  good  wife,  fourteen  chil- 
dren were  born.  John  and  Charles  died  young 
and  they  also  lost  an  infant.  Of  the  living  chil- 
dren we  note  the  following:  Eliza  married  Peter 
Wehren,  a  furniture  dealer  who  lives  in  Madison, 
Cook    County;    Matilda    is    the     wife    of    Peter 


210 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Selitaidt,  their  lioiiic  being  in  Oliientro;  Carrie  be- 
came the  wife  of  Sebastaiu  .1.  Lux,  wlio  is  now 
deceased  and  she  lives  on  her  father's  farm; 
.losoph  is  operating  a  farm  in  tliis  townsliip: 
Phillip  C.  lives  in  Monee  Township:  Ida  M.  is  the 
wife  of  Metz  Miller,  a  carpenter  in  Cliicago; 
Charles  C.  and  Anna  A.  are  at  home  ;  George  is  now 
associated  with  his  brother,  Joseph,  in  operating  a 
farm;  Walter  P.  and  Jacob  O.  aie  at  home.  All 
the  children  were  educated  in  both  German  and 
English  and  are  intelligent,  well  informed,  and 
manifesting  energy  and  thrift.  .Mr.  Schirra  is  a 
sound  Democrat. 


<jf|OIIN  T.  CLYNE  is  one  of  the  bright  and 
enterprising  young  business  men  of  Will 
County-,  being  closely  identified  with  its 
stock  interests.  He  is  connected  with  S.  AV. 
Simmons  in  the  breeding  and  handling  of  trotting 
stock  and  thej^  are  the  proprietors  of  the  Stone  City 
Stables  in  Joliet,  where  they  have  a  fine  stud  of 
horses.  The}'  issue  the  Will  County  Ilorsenian,  of 
which  our  subject  is  the  business  manager.  'Ihey 
are  making  a  great  success  of  this  paper  published 
in  the  interests  of  the  turfmen,  as  it  already  has  a 
good  circulation.  It  is  a  four-column,  eight-page 
quarto,  having  been  enlarged  from  a  four-page 
sheet.  Our  sul)ject  comes  of  sterling  New  York 
ancestry  and  is  a  native  of  that  State,  born  in  Co- 
hoes,  Albany  County,  December  8,  1857,  to  James 
and  Catherine  Clyne.  His  mother  was  the  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  t^uinn,  of  W,'ishington  County, 
N.  Y.,  who  were  of  Irish  ilescent.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Margaiet 
(McCormick)  Clyne,  the  latter  a  native  of  Oneida 
County,  and  the  old  homestead  on  which  she  was 
born  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family.  Her  an- 
cestry' came  to  America  in  Colonial  times.  Thomas 
Clyne  was  born  in  County  Longford.  Ireland,  his 
father  having  gone  there  from  German}-  during  the 
exodus  from  that  countiy. 

Our  subject  wtvs  reared  in  the  cit}-  of   his  birth 
until  he  attained   the  .age  of  nine  years  and    there 


laid  the  foundation  of  his  education.  At  that  age 
he  commen(;ed  working  in  the  knitting  factories  and 
was  thus  employed  until  1875,  when  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  on  a  certain  .Sunday  evening,  he  and  his 
•■  chum"  started  out  to  make  their  fortune  in  the 
West.  His  friend,  Martin  Mahon,  is  now  a  wealthy 
man  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.  When  our  subject  thus 
ventured  out  into  the  world  he  li.ad  but  a  few  dol- 
lars in  ids  pocket,  and  after  traveling  some  days  he 
secured  a  job  in  a  ssish  and  blind  shop  at  ninety 
cenls  per  da}-.  He  worked  there  two  weeks  and 
then  left  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  bricklayer,  but  the 
contractor  skipped  the  county  and  left  him  in  the 
hirch.  Fortunately  he  had  a  friend  who  could  and 
did  lend  him  $5,  and  he  made  his  way  to  Lockporl, 
where  he  obtained  work  in  the  harvest  field  and 
was  there  employed  nine  dajs,  which  was  his  first 
experience  of  farm  life,  and  for  the  next  three 
years  he  was  engaged  in  .agricultural  pursuits,  the 
last  two  working  for  Judge  Simmons,  the  father  of 
his  partner.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  better  education 
he  entered  a  good  school  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  and 
was  closelj'  engaged  in  study  there  for  a  j'ear.  He 
then  returned  toPlainfield  and  worked  for  the  same 
man  for  a  time  and  then  resumed  his  scholastic 
pursuits  and  was  in  school  for  a  year,  paying  his 
own  w:iy  in  the  meantime.  When  he  had  com- 
pleted his  education  he  again  went  back  to  Plain- 
field  and  there  took  part  in  a  ceremon}'  which  has 
had  an  im|)ortaut  bearing  on  his  afterlife  as  he  was 
at  that  time  married  to  Miss  Anna  L.,  daughter  of 
John  and  Hannah  McClosky.  She  is  an  earnest 
Christian  and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methuilist 
Church.  Of  her  happ}-  union  with  our  subject 
three  sons  have  been  born — ilead,  \Vade,  and  Vard. 
-Vfter  marriage  our  subject  utilized  his  education 
by  leaching  school  in  DuPage.  He  subsequently 
took  charge  of  the  luisiness  of  J.  W.  Funk,  who 
was  a  great  horse  shipper  and  contractor.  After 
that  Mr.  Clyne  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
County  Poor  House,  under  Judge  Simmons,  and  was 
keeper  for  three  years,  and  then  was  made  .'superin- 
tendent of  the  Poor,  and  continued  in  that  position 
from  1885  until  the  present  time.  He  is  now  as- 
sociated with  S.  W.  Simmons,  as  before  mentioned. 
They  have  a  valuable  stud  of  horses  of  which  we 
may  mention   Dictator,  Jr.,  son    of    Dictator   and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


211 


Del  wood  a  member  of  the  Nutwood  family;  Ali 
Busliaw,  son  of  Greens  Bushaw;  T.  B.  Mount,  re- 
presentative of  old  Alniont,  No.  33;  Harry  and 
Leo  McGregor,  descendants  of  the  famous  Robert 
Gregor  of  time  2:17i^,  and  many  others  of  consid- 
erable note. 

Mr.  Clyne  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  i&  A.  M., 
Madison  Lodge,  No.  175;  Chapter  of  Joliet,  No. 
27,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Joliet  Conimandcry 
of  Knight  Templars,  No.  4.  As  a  public-spirited 
citizen  fully  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  his  county 
and  townshi]),  he  is  a  thoroughbred  Republican 
and  takes  a  great  interest  in  politics  and  has  been 
instrumental  in  getting  manygood  measures  throiigii 
the  State  Legislature,  notably,  the  opening  of  the 
boulevard  at  Joliet.  A  man  of  ambitious,  forceful 
character,  well-trained  intellect,  and  excellent  hab- 
its, our  subject  is  an  inttuence  for  good  in  the 
community  and  exerts  himself  to  promote  its 
advancement. 

\f  OHN  GOUGAR.  This  aged  veteran,  who 
has  passed  the  eightieth  \'ear  of  his  age,  has 
been  a  resident  of  New  Lenox  Township 
since  1830.  He  has  seen  much  of  pioneer 
life,  contributed  his  full  quota  to  the  development 
of  the  agricultural  resources  of  this  section,  and  is 
now  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  competence,  being  able 
to  look  back  upon  a  well  spent  life,  and  feeling  that 
his  labors  have  not  been  in  vain.  Durinohis  lona: 
residence  in  Will  County  he  has  gathered  around 
him  hosts  of  friends,  who  have  long  recognized  his 
sterling  qualities,  and  whose  confidence  and  esteem 
he  enjoys  in  a  marked  degree.  The  biographer 
finds  him  pleasantly  situated  in  a  beautiful  home, 
amidst  all  the  comforts  and  man\-  of  the  luxuries 
of  life. 

The  immediate  progenitors  of  Mr.  Gougar  were 
William  and  Catherine  (Abel)  Gougar,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  father  born  in  Berks  Count}'. 
They  were  reared  and  married  in  the  Keystone 
.State,  but  in  1818  removed  to  Ohio,  and  lived 
eight  years  in  Pickaway  Count}'.  Thence  they  re- 
moved to  Vermillion  County,  Ind.,  and  from  there, 


in  June,  1831,  to  Illinois,  settling  on  section  18,  in 
what  is  now  New  Lenox  Township.  ,The  father  tilled 
the  soil  successfully,  and  constructed  a  good  home- 
stead from  a  tract  of  Wild  land,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  dying  March  31,  18G1.  The 
mother  died  January  6,  1851. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  eleven  children,  nine  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, eiglit  of  whom  .ire  living.  John,  our  subject, 
was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  was  born  in 
Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  March  20,  1810;  he 
accompanied  tlie  family  in  their  removals  to  Ohio 
and  Indiana,  and  attained  to  manhood  on  a  farm 
in  Vermillion  County,  where  he  sojourned  until 
the  fall  of  1830.  He  then  came  to  what  was  then 
Cook,  but  is  now  Will  County,  111.,  and  settled  on 
section  18,  New  Lenox  Township,  of  which  he  lias 
since  been  a  resident.  He  thus  bears  the  distinction 
of  being  one  of  the  oldest  living  settlers  of  this 
county. 

Mr.  Gougar  remained  a  b.ichelor  until  a  man  of 
thirty-nine  years,  and  then  he  met  his  fate  in  the 
person  of  Miss  Mary  Ann  Miller,  to  whom  he  was 
married  in  Joliet,  January  2,  1849.  Mrs.  (iougar 
was  born  May  21,  1813,  near  Shippensburg,  Pa., 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Boots), 
ftliller,  likewise  natives  of  the  Keystone  State,  in 
the  eastern  part  of  which  they  spent  the  closing 
years  of  their  lives.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  two  of  whom  are  living. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  commenced  their  wed- 
ded life  together  at  the  home  which  they  now  own 
and  occupy.  Of  their  union  there  has  been  born 
one  child  only,  a  son,  Lewis  F.,  November  15, 
1852.  He  has  spent  his  entire  life  at  the  old  farm, 
and  for  many  years  past  has  had  the  chief  man- 
agement of  it,  relieving  his  parents  from  many 
cares.  He  was  given  a  good  education  in  the 
schools  of  New  Lenox  Township  and  at  Englewood, 
111.  For  several  years  he  has  been  a  School  Di- 
rector in  his  district,  and  also  served  as  Overseer 
of  Highways.  Both  parents  and  son  are  regular 
attendants  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

John  Gougar  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Van  Buren,  and  from  that  day  to  this  has  contin- 
ued a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  beluga  member 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOOtRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  a  company  of  nioiiiitecl  volunlecis.  iiiulor  tlie 
cuinniaiKl  of  Capt.  Holden  Scission,  and  had  three 
broUiors — AVilliaiiis.  Nicholas  and  Daniel — wlio 
solved  in  the  sauie  eoni|)any,  all  being  uiiisteied 
into  service  in  August,  1832.  During  the  early 
days  the  post-oflicc  was  at  the  house  of  Mr.  (xougar. 
Cornelius  \'an  Horn  acting  as  Postmaster,  and  cou- 
stitiited  one  of  the  stations  l)etvvccn  Danville  and 
Chicago.  Mr.  Gougar  served  on  the  petit  jury  in 
Chicago,  walUing  Ihe  entire  distance.  In  1830  he 
went  to  mill  with  an  ox-team  to  a  place  near  Ot- 
tawa. He  hauled  his  grain  and  other  produce  to 
Chicago,  alst)  drove  his  live-stock  there  to  n)arket. 
Upon  one  occasion,  during  the  Black  Hawk  War, 
he  in  company  with  David  Magnet,  sought  safety' 
in  a  cave  north  of  Joliet,  where  they  remained  un- 
dislurled  until   the  danger  was  jiast. 

Near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Gougar  is  an  old  In- 
dian bur3ing  ground.  During  the  early  days  the 
pioneers  endured  untold  hardship,  and  but  few  sur- 
vived to  tell  the  tale.  The  subject  of  this  notice 
is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  old  landmarks,  whose 
career  has  been  one  of  more  than  ordinary  interest. 
He  traces  his  ancestr}'  to  Germanj-,  and  the  family 
was  first  represented  in  America  probably  during 
the  Colonial  daj's.  JNIr.  Gougar  has  in  his  possess- 
ion a  tierman  Bible,  which  was  printed  about  1600, 
and  which  is  carefully  preserved  as  an  invaluable 
relic.  He  has  made  for  himself  a  good  record, 
and  his  name  will  be  held  in  kindly  remembrance 
long  after  be  has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers. 
Two  of  his  brothers,  who  have  also  been  men  of 
note  in  their  community,  are  represented  elsewhere 
in  this  volume. 


-J^^» 


;OHN  CANN  stands  among  the  loaders  of  the 
I  stock-raising  and  farming  interests  of  Will 
j  Township,  where  he  owns  a  farm  which  in 
(^^'  point  of  cultivation  and  general  improve- 
ment is  scarcely  surjiassed  ly  any  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Mr.  Cann  was  born  and  bred  in  England, 
Tavistock  Parish,  Devonshire,  being  his  native 
place,  and  April  30,  1851.  the  date  of  his  birth. 
His  parents,  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (White)  Cann, 


were  also  natives  of  that  place.  During  some 
period  of  his  life  his  father  moved  to  Plymouth, 
England,  where  he  had  a  position  on  the  police 
force.  He  was  a  farmer  and  butcher  b\'  occupa- 
tion. He  was  the  father  of  six  children,  of  whom 
four  grew  to  maturity,  nainel3':  Salina,  now  de- 
ceased; ,Iohn;  George  (living  in  England),  and 
Samuel  11.  The  mother,  who  died  in  her  native 
land,  was  a  devoted  Christian,  and  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  England.  The  father  came  to  the 
United  States  in  September,  1875,  and  made  his 
home  with  his  children.  He  was  one  of  a  family 
of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  he  was 
the  only  one  who  ever  came  to  the  United  States. 
The  names  of  his  brothers  and  sisters  were  Joseph, 
John,  Elizabeth,  Juliauna,  and  ]\Iary.  Our  sul)- 
ject's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John  White,  who 
had  three  sons  and  three  daughters:  John,  who 
lives  in  Iowa,  and  Mary,  wife  of  James  Joslyn,  of 
Kansas,  being  the  only  members  of  the  family  to 
come  to  this  country. 

John  Cann,  of  this  sketch,  passed  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  his  English  home,  receiving  his  edu- 
cation in  the  local  schools.  In  the  month  of  April, 
1860,  in  the  dawning  of  a  vigorous,  manly  man- 
hood, he  embarked  for  America  to  begin  life  anew 
on  this  soil,  accompanying  thither  his  cousin, George 
Berry.  For  awhile  after  landing  on  these  shores  he 
lived  near  Niagara  Falls.  In  April,  1871,  he  re- 
moved to  Peotone,  and  worked  on  a  farm  tlrere, 
and  was  alsj  employed  at  one  time  in  Chicago,  till 
1876.  In  that  year  he  located  on  his  present  f:u-ra, 
and  two  j'ears  later  he  began  his  indejiendent  ex- 
istence .as  proprietor  and  mauflgcr  of  a  farm  of  his 
own,  buj'ing  this  of  its  former  owner  and  from  its 
rich  harvest  fields  he  reaps  a  good  income.  It  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  8, and  its  one  hundred 
and  sixt3'  acres  are  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation. 
He  does  a  good  general  farming  business  and  for 
the  past  six  years  he  has  been  paying  particular  at- 
tention to  raising  Short-horn  cattle. 

To  the  wife  who  has  materially  assisted  him  in 
making  their  cos^'  home  and  looks  so  carefull}'  to 
the  comfort  of  the  household,  'Slv.  Canu  was  united 
in  marriage  August  21, 1872.  Mrs.  Cann's  maiden 
name  was  Amelia  Ahlborn,  and  she  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  Jul}'   31,    1856,   to  William  and 


^^.  y^  ^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


•215 


Amelia  (Epson)  Ahlborn,  who  came  from  Germany 
to  MoiieR  in  1855,  and  located  on  a  farm,  where 
tlie  fatiier  subsequently  died.  His  widow  now  re- 
sides in  Peotone.  Of  the  three  children  born  to 
her,  two  are  living,  Amelia  and  Henry.  Sliu  has 
married  a  second  time,  taking  as  her  husband  Henry 
Raphof,  b^'  whom  she  has  one  child,  George.  Tlic 
wedded  life  of  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife 
has  been  blessed  by  the  eight  children  born  to  them: 
George,  William,  Herbert,  Chirence,  Thomas  and 
Richard.  Two  of  their  children  died,  one  in  in- 
fancy and  one  at  ten  years. 

The  years  tlial  have  passed  away  since  our  sub- 
ject landed  in  this  country  have  been  fraught  with 
much  care  and  labor,  but  every  obstacle  has  been 
steadily  conquered  by  a  quiet  determination  to  turn 
everything  to  his  advantage  as  far  as  practicable, 
and  by  wise  economy  and  thrifty  management  he 
hns  [ilaced  himself  in  an  honorable  position  among 
his  fellow-townsmen,  he  having  increased  the  small 
ca|)ic:il  of  15  with  which  he  landed  in  this 
country,  to  a  comfortable  competence.  He  is  al- 
ways interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  town- 
shi|),  and  has  aided  in  its  material  and  moral 
elevation.  At  one  time  he  served  as  Road  Com- 
missioner, working  faithfully  to  imjjrove  the  local 
highways.  His  wife  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian 
Churcli  and  identifies  herself  with  all  its  good  work. 


ylLLIAM  DOUGALL,  M.  D.  On  the  op- 
posite page  appears  a  lithographic  portrait 
W^  of  Dr.  Dougall,  whose  long  residence  in 
AVill  County,  together  with  his  active  participation 
in  all  worthy  measures  for  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  the  community,  has  made  him  promi- 
nent both  socially  and  in  the  ranks  of  the  pr<,ifession. 
His  life  has  been  such  as  to  shed  an  added  lustre 
on  a  good  old  name,  and  he  inherits  those  substan- 
tial traits  of  character  which  have  rendered  the 
Scotch  famous  amid  a  galaxy  of  nations.  It  has 
been  said  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  education, 
one  which  is  received  at  school,  and  the  other,  more 


important,  which  we  give  ourselves.  Dr.  Dougall 
was  fortunate  in  gaining  each  kind  of  training,  and 
as  a  result  his  character  has  been  rounded  out  and 
developed,  while  he  has  acquired  those  habits  of 
perseverance  and  energy,  which  are  so  essential  to 
success  in  any  profession. 

Our  subject,  who  was  the  fifth  son  of  John  and 
Margaret  (Iloustoun)  Dougall,  was  born  at  Under- 
wood, Paisley,  Scotland,  March  1,  1842.  His  father, 
who  was  a  leading  cotton  spinner  in  the  west  of 
Scotland,  came  with  his  family  to  this  country  in 
1858,  and  |)urchased  a  farm  near  New  Haven,  Ind. 
On  this  homestead  he  died  December  28,  1874,  hav- 
ing reached  the  ripe  age  of  seventy  five  years.  His 
life  was  characterized  by  sincere  piety,  uncompro- 
mising rectitude,  and  by  social  qualities  which  se- 
cured for  him  the  love  and  esteem  of  his  neighbors. 
The  mother  of  Dr.  Dougall  was  born  January  1, 
1801,  in  the  village  and  parish  of  Iloustoun,  Ren- 
frewshire, Scotland,  and  was  descended  from  a 
French-Huguenot  family  who  left  France  at  the 
time  of  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew.  She 
survived  her  husband  several  years,  dying  June  17, 
1888.  The  family  included  twelve  children,  eight 
of  whom  survive.  These  are  Mrs.  David  McGre- 
gor, of  Manchester,  England ;  Mrs.  John  Iladden, 
of  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  James,  of  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens  in  Glasgow,  Scotland;  Allan  IL,  of  Ft. 
Wayne,!  nd.;  David,  of  Georgetown, British  Guiana, 
South  America;  Mrs.  Dr.  M.  F.  Williamson,  and 
our  subject  of  Joliet,  111.;  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Beuret, 
of  Antwerp,  Ohio. 

The  family  are  truly  cosmopolitan.  Of  the  four 
who  are  deceased,  one  is  buried  in  Scotland,  one  in 
England,  one  in  America  and  one  in  China.  The 
widow  of  the  eldest  son  lives  in  London,  England; 
some  of  the  grandchildren  live  in  Lisbon,  Portugal; 
and  in  China  are  to  be  found  a  son-in-law,  grand- 
d.aughter,  and  three  great-grandchildren.  These 
are  the  family  of  a  beloved  daughter,  Isabelle  F. 
Williamson,  who  after  thirtj' years  spent  in  the  mis- 
sion Held  of  China,  died,  and  was  buried  in  August, 
1886,  in  the  lield  which  she  had  selected  for  her 
life  work.  Her  memory  survives  her,  perpetuated 
as  it  is  by  numerous  translations  and  a  widely 
known  and  celebrated  work  entitled  "Old  High- 
ways in  China."     Such  is  the  family  to  which  the 


216 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


subject  of  this  sketch  belongs  and  he  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  a  good  old  stoi;k. 

William  Dougall  was  educated  at  the  High  Sciiool 
at  (Glasgow,  au  institution  founded  in  the  twelfth 
century.  Here  he  finished  his  preparations  for  the 
stud}'  of  medicine,  upon  which  he  was  about  to 
enter,  when  the  change  of  circumstance  and  Ioca- 
tion  by  reason  of  his  father's  emigration  to  America, 
compelled  him  to  relinquish  for  a  time  his  pro- 
jected career.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War  he  quickly  res()ouded  to  the  call  for  troops, 
and  on  June  1,  18G1,  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Fif- 
teenth Indiana  Infantry,  at  Ft.  Wa3-ne.  He  served 
with  his  oonimaiid  in  every  engagement,  sustaining 
severe  wounds  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  Tenn. 
On  October  1,  18G3,  having  passed  the  "regular" 
examination  he  was  commissioned  Captain  in  the 
Thirteenth  United  States  Colored  Infantr}-,  in  which 
capacity'  he  acted,  often  with  an  independent  com- 
mand, until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  resigned. 
His  brother,  Allan  Housioun  Dougall,  was  also  a 
Captain  and  Adjutant  of  the  Eighty-eighth  Indiana 
Infantry. 

On  his  return  from  the  field  A\'illiam  Dougall 
took  up  his  medical  studies,  sultsequently  taking 
the  regular  medical  course  in  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  remaining  there  dur- 
ing 1866-'G7.  On  March  4.  18G8,  he  received  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from  the  Chicago 
Medical  College,  and  on  the  first  of  the  following 
month  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Le- 
mont.  Cook  County,  111.  He  was  married  October 
1,  1872,  to  Miss  Cassle  Walker,  daughter  of  Edwin 
Walker,  of  Lemont,  and  then  removed  to  Joliet, 
where  he  now  resides.  Here  he  has  followed  his 
profession  with  great  success  and  has  especially  dis- 
linguished  himself  by  his  skill  in  surgical  cases. 
He  takes  a  laudable  intmest  in  the  advancement  of 
his  profession,  in  wiiich  he  has  secured  a  leading 
position. 

Dr.  Dougall  is  now  President  of  the  Board  of 
Examining  Surgeons  for  pensions  at  Joliet,  and  also 
President  of  the  Will  County  Medical  Society.  In 
1875,  being  an  ardent  Republican  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  County  Central  Committee.  As  an  organizer 
he  possesses  elements  of  success  and  is  capable  of 
ably  assisting  in  the  party  work.     In  1879  he  \v:is 


appointed  Postm.aster  at  Joliet,  a  position  which  he 
held  until  1883.  At  present  he  is  Commander  of 
Bartleson  Post,  No.  6,  G.  A.  R.  He  is  a  gentleman 
of  scholarl}-  tastes  and  rijie  culture,  and  is  active 
in  the  promotion  of  all  efforts  for  the  material  and 
social  advancement  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lives. 


'-KM- 


^(^-K^  •»■ 


<j|]  OHN  O.  PIEPENBRINK.  Among  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  Crete  Township  he  with 
1  whose  name  we  introduce  this  sketch,  holds 
no  unimportant  position.  He  has  been  suc- 
cessful as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  has  made  a  specialty 
of  stock-raising,  for  which  purpose  he  has  one  of 
the  finest  bodies  of  land  within  the  township,  this 
being  located  near  the  town  limits  and  comprising 
sevcntj'-threc  acres  on  section  IG,  and  thirty-two 
acres  on  section  2,  adjoining.  The  land  is  very 
fertile  and  improved  with  good  buildings  and  has 
been  occupied  by  Mr.  Piepenbriuk  since  the  fall  of 
1878. 

With  the  exception  of  eighteen  months  whicli 
he  spent  in  the  city  of  Joliet,  Mr.  Piepenbrink  has 
been  a  resident  of  Crete  Township  since  a  child 
three  years  of  age.  He  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel, 
Germany,  Januarj'  5,  1847,  and  when  three  years 
old  accompanied  his  parents,  John  and  Sophia 
(Willie)  Pie[>en brink  to  the  United  States,  they  set- 
tling in  Crete  Township,  where  they  are  still  living. 
The  father  purchased  land,  where  with  the  aid  of 
his  estimable  wife,  they  built  up  a  good  homestead 
which  they  still  own  and  occupy.  John  O.  was 
reared  to  habits  of  industry,  becoming  fully  fami- 
liar with  the  various  pursuits  of  farm  life  and  re- 
maining with  his  parents  until  setting  about  the 
establishment  of  a  home  of  his  own. 

With  the  above-mentioned  object  in  view,  Mr. 
Piepenbrink  was  married  April  5,  1875,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Crete  Township  to  Miss  Dora  Or- 
kenberg.  This  lady  is  a  native  of  the  same  prov- 
ince in  German}'  as  her  husband  and  was  born 
January  8, 1850.  She  likewise  was  a  child  of  three 
years  when  her  parents  came  to  America,  and  they 
settled  in  Crete  Township,  where  the  father  im- 
proved a  farm   and    where   both  parents  spent  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


217 


remainder  of  tlieir  days.  Both  were  past  seventy- 
four  years  of  age,  the  mother  surviving  her  husband 
but  a  short  time.  Tliey  were  most  excellent  and 
wortliy  people  and  members  in  good  standing  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

To  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  then  have 
been  born  four  children,  viz.:  William  O..  Eda  D., 
Albert  F.  and  Martin  .J.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piepcnbrink 
l)elong  to  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Crete  and  hold 
no  secondary  position  among  the  leading  people  of 
llieir  township.  Mr.  Piepenbriuk,  politically,  affil- 
iates with  the  Republican  party  and  has  held  the 
various  local  offices.  He  is  one  of  the  Directors 
of  the  Crete  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
a  member  of  the  Finance  Committee  and  has  been 
no  unimportant  factor  in  contributing  to  its 
success. 


-5- 


^RED    SENHOLTZ.      A    well-improved 


farm  of  one  hundred  acres  located  on  sec- 
/Ij)  tion  3,  Washington  Township,  has  been  the 

life-long  home  of  the  gentleman  above  named,  who 
now  owns  this  part  of  the  parental  estate.  He  was 
born  June  19,  1862,  and  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He  is  well  in- 
formed on  general  topics  as  well  as  in  the  work  to 
which  he  has  given  his  attention  as  a  life  labor.  He 
is  successfully  conducting  the  vocation  of  a  general 
farmer,  keeping  up  the  improvements  on  the  home- 
stead, and  dispLaying  many  of  the  qualities  which 
led   Ids  father  to  success  in  the  same  field  of  labor. 

The  chosen  comi)anion  of  Mr.  Senholtz  was  known 
in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Mi)inie  Wehrmann.  She 
uas  horn  in  the  same  township  as  her  husband,  .Jan- 
uar}-  lii,  18G8,  and  reared  and  educated  here  under 
the  oversight  of  worthy  parents  who  had  removed 
hence  from  Germany  at  an  early  day.  Thej'  im- 
[iroved  a  farm  which  they  still  make  their  home. 
The  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  l\Irs.  Senholtz  has  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  one  child,  Amel.  Mr.  Senholtz 
is  a  He|)ublican  :ind  both  he  and  his  wife  have 
good  standing  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  father  of  him  of  whom  we  write  was  Fred 
Scnlujllz,  Sr.,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and  there 
rearetl    to    agricultural    pursuits.     In    1848,   when 


about  of  age,  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
journeying  from  llie  coast  to  Chicago  found  em- 
ployment in  that  vicinity  for  some  time.  In  Cook 
County  he  was  married  to  Bliss  Augusta  Trube, 
who  was  born  in  the  Fatherland  and  when  a  young 
woman  crossed  the  Atlantic,  living  in  Chicago  until 
her  marriage.  The  young  couple  soon  came  to 
Will  County  and  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  wild  land  in  Washington  Township,  made 
that  their  home  during  the  balance  of  their  lives. 

The  estate  was  increased  to  two  hundred  and 
eight}'  acres  and  placed  under  excellent  improve- 
ment and  cultivation.  There  three  sons  and  three 
daughters  were  born  to'  the  worthy  couple,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  union  being  the  second  son  and  child. 
But  one  of  the  fraternal  band  has  been  called  from 
time  to  eternity.  The  mother  breathed  her  last  in 
1875,  when  past  fifty  years  of  age.  She  was  a  life- 
long member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  had  been  an 
efficient  companion  and  a  devoted  mother.  The 
father  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  dying 
June  28,  1886.  He  left  the  reputation  of  a  good 
citizen,  a  hardworking  man  and  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Republican. 


-€-^~^ 


l^'RANCIS  L.  KERCHEVAL.  This  gentle- 
JrHsi;  man  is  one  of  the  leading  young  men  of 
l\  New    Lenox  Township,  a  position  to  which 

his  intelligence,  business  energ}'  and  good  charac- 
ter fairly  entitle  him.  His  father  was  the  late 
James  C.  Kercheval,  who  was  born  in  Preble 
County.  Ohio,  August  10,  1816.  His  mother  was 
Anna  Roundtree,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
January  5,  1820.  The  Roundtree  family  removed 
from  North,  Carolina  to  Indiana  about  the  year 
1825,  settling  near  Crawfordsville,  Montgomery 
County,  at  which  place  the  parents  of  our  subject 
were  married  in  the  year  1841. 

At  that  time  .lames  C.  Kercheval  was  a  resident 
of  New  Lenox  Township,  having  come  to  Will 
County  in  the  fall  of  1830.  He  was,  therefore,  one 
of  the  very  earliest  settlers  in  the  county,  and  as 
such  deserves  gniteful  remembrance  for  his  assist- 


218 


PORTilAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ance  in  the  early  work  of  development  to  which 
the  resiilents  of  the  county  are  indebted  fur  their 
beautiful  estates  and  the  many  comforts  and  con- 
veniences which  surround  them.  He  brought  his 
bride  to  this  township,  making  a  home  on  Maple 
Street,  where  years  of  happy  wedded  life  were 
spent  and  a  useful  career  pursued  by  both  husband 
and  wife.  Mr.  Kercheval  breathed  his  last  Feb- 
uary  6,  1873,  after  having  secured  the  esteem  of 
those  about  him.  His  widow  survived  until  Feb- 
uary  7,  1888,  when  she  too  entered  into  rest,  leav- 
ing behind  her  a  record  of  good  deeds  and  kind 
words  which  affords  a  pleasing  remembrance  to 
all  who  loved  her. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .J.  C.  Kercheval  in- 
cluded twelve  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  record  of  those  who  lived  to  grow  up 
is  as  follows;  Mary  J.  became  the  wife  of  Francis 
Granger  and  died  in  New  Lenox  Township,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1882;  Charles  E.  resides  near  the  city  of 
Joliet;  Sarah  E.  is  the  wife  of  H.  C.  Larsh,  of 
Crawfordsville,  Ind. ;  IMartha  I.  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
James  McCann,  of  Normal,  this  State;  Annie  E.  is 
the  widow  of  Elvis  D.  Lynk,  who  died  in  the  vil- 
lage of  New  Lenox,  in  Jul}-,  187i);  Margaret  died 
when  twelve  years  old ;  Winfleld  S.  lives  in  Joliet 
Township;  Francis  L.,  of  whom  we  write,  and 
Frances  F.  are  twins;  Albert  R.  lives  in  Joliet 
TownshiiJ. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  New 
Lenox  Townshij),  November  17,  1859,  and  with 
the  exception  of  one  year  that  township  has  been 
his  home  during  his  entire  life.  He  was  educated 
in  the  township  schools  and  in  the  cit}-  of  Joliet, 
becoming  well-versed  iu  practical  knowledge  and 
laying  the  foundation  for  his  present  fund  of  infor- 
mation, lie  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
in  the  village  of  New  Lenox  for  two  and  a  half 
years  and  was  also  employed  as  a  clerk  there  for 
about  two  years.  With  this  exception  he  has  fol- 
lowed farming.  The  estate  on  which  he  lives  con- 
sists of  one  hundred  acres  on  section  5,  which  was 
the  old  homestead  of  his  father.  The  buildings 
which  stand  upon  it  are  well  built  and  adequ.ate, 
the  dwelling  being  especially  noticeable  for  its 
substantial  and  comfortable  ajjpearancc  and  the 
taste  which  is  manifested  in  its  surroundings.    Va- 


rious other  improvements  have  been  made  upon 
the  farm  which  is  conducted  according  to  the  most 
improved  methods,  Mr.  Kercheval  showing  him- 
self an  able  agriculturist. 

The  many  sterling  qualities  of  Miss  Emma  F. 
Lynk  won  the  regard  of  Mr.  Kercheval,  who  was 
prospered  in  his  wooing,  winning  that  lady's  con- 
sent to  be  his  wife.  Their  marriage  rites  were 
celebrated  in  Joliet,  May,  26,  1880,  and  happiness 
has  followed  their  union.  Mrs.  Kercheval  is  the 
younger  of  two  children  born  to  Tunis  and  Lydia 
A.  (Hartshorn)  Lynk,  the  other  child  having  died 
in  infancy.  Mr.  Tunis  Lynk  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  his  wife,  formerly  Lydia  A.  Hartshorn, 
was  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont.  Her  mother 
died  in  New  Lenox  Township,  January'  15,  1877, 
and  her  father  is  now  living  in  Lawtey,  Bradford 
Countj',  Fla.  Mrs.  Kercheval  w.as  born  May  18, 
I8G1,  in  the  township  which  is  still  her  home.  She 
is  the  mother  of  two  sons — Frank  C.  and  James  F. 

Mr.  Kercheval  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  His  townsmen  have  shown  their  confidence 
in  his  worth  of  character  and  good  judguieut  by 
electing  him  to  the  odice  of  Township  Assessor, 
which  position  he  has  now  held  for  five  years.  Mrs. 
Kercheval  is  a  member  of  the  Episcoijal  Church, 
which  her  husband  also  attends.  Both  are  popu- 
lar members  of  society  and  well-spoken  of  on  .all 
sides. 


HEDEKICK  C.  WILCOX.  Although  but 
little  more  than  thirty  years  of  age,  the 
above-named  gentleman  holds  a  prominent 
place  among  the  business  men  of  Joliet,  and  among 
her  most  public-spirited  and  enterp'-ising  citizens. 
He  is  the  manager  of  the  immense  business  of  the 
Wilcox  Bros'.  Lumber  Yards,  and  of  the  Carriage 
Rei)Ository  which  has  been  added  to  the  former 
business,  and  has  place  in  social  orders  and  public 
responsibilities.  Trobabli'  no  man  of  his  years  in 
the  city  that  contains  so  many  fine  business  men, 
can  boast  of  an  oijual  record  in  worldly  affairs  and 
popular  esteem. 

The  natal  day   of  Frederick  Wilcox  was   March 
29,  1858,  and  his  birthplace  the  city  in  which  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


219 


yet  makes  his  home.  His  father,  Edrauiul  Wilcox, 
is  an  old  settler  and  well-known  resident  iiere,  be- 
ing one  of  three  or  four  who  have  lived  iiere  fifty- 
two  3'ears.  His  biographj-  will  appear  on  another 
page  of  this  volume.  The  lad  was  educated  here, 
and  after  comiileting  his  studies  was  engaged  as  a 
clerk  in  the  liardware  store  of  Brooks  &  Co.,  from 
the  age  of  eighteen  until  his  majority,  when  he 
went  to  Russell  County,  Kan.  There  he  remained 
some  two  and  a  lialf  years,  returning  to  .Toilet  in 
August,  188L 

At  that  time  our  subject,  with  his  brother  Will- 
iam G.  Wilcox,  bought  the  entire  lumber  business 
of  the  firm  of  Mason  Si  Plants.  Ere  long  the 
brotlier,  who  was  teller  in  the  First  N.ational  Bank, 
was  elected  cashier  to  take  the  place  made  vacant 
by  the  death  of  the  former  incumbent,  and  our 
subject  became  sole  manager  of  the  lumber  busi 
ness.  He  has  carried  it  on  successfully,  and  now 
has  the  largest  yard  and  trade  in  the  city.  In  May. 
1889,  he  purchased  the  wholesale  yards  of  T.  A. 
Mason,  at  the  Michigan  Central  Yards,  and  has 
carried  on  both  departments  of  the  business  since. 

In  1887  Mr.  Wilcox  erected  a  carriage  reposi- 
itory,  and  undertook  the  control  of  that  enterprise 
also.  lie  has  recently  been  elected  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  of' the  Swan  Carriage  Company,  a  cor- 
porate l)ody  that  was  organized  not  long  since  and 
located  in  this  city,  the  object  being  to  do  a  whole- 
sale jobbing  business.  Of  this  company  he  was 
one  of  the  organizers.  The  enterprises  in  which 
he  is  engaged  call  for  much  wisdom  and  t.act  in 
controlling  and  guiding  the  men  emplo^'cd,  but  the 
manager  seems  to  be  at  no  loss  to  do  this,  and  to 
push  forward  both  so  as  to  insure  their  increase. 
Nor  do  these  affairs  prevent  him  from  taking  [lart 
in  other  enterprises  of  a  less  personal  character. 

Mr.  Wilcox  has  held  various  offlci.al  stations  in 
societies  and  civic  bodies.  lie  w.is  AVorshipful 
Master  of  Matteson  Lodge,  No.  17.5,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
in  1878-79;  and  is  now  Eminent  Commander  of 
Joliet  Commandery  No.  4,  Knights  Templar.  lie 
was  Master  of  the  Blue  Lodge  at  the  time  of  the 
conclave  in  Washington,  and  took  with  him  to  that 
city  his  entire  corps  of  officers.  His  lodge  was 
honored  with  an  invitation  to  confer  and  exem- 
plify the  third  degree  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  in  which 


lodge  Gen.  Washington  belonged,  and  over  which 
he  presided  eight  successive  years.  Mr.  AVilcox 
therefore  occupied  the  same  chair,  conferring  the 
degree  in  the  presence  of  three  hundrefl  of  the  most 
distinguished  Masons  of  the  United  States.  He  is 
one  of  the  originators  of  the  Joliet  Masonic  Asso- 
ciation, an  institution  gotten  up  for  the  jjurpose 
of  building  a  Masonic  Temple  in  the  cit\'.  Its 
present  capital  is  ?;GO,000,  and  Mr.  Wilcox  is  Treas- 
urer and  Director,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the 
building  committee.  The  intention  is  to  erect  a 
building  on  the  North  side  of  .Jefferson  Street,  east 
of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  tracks,  which  will  be  the 
largest  and  finest  edifice  in  the  city. 

Sir.  Wilcox  is  also  now  a  member  of  tiie  Board 
of  Education,  and  President  of  tiie  Union  Club,  a 
large  and  fine  organization,  numbering  in  its  mem- 
bersiiip  the  best  elements  of  Joliet  society.  He  is 
likewise  President  of  the  Joliet  Improvement  Com- 
pany, a  syndicate  of  property  owners,  organized  in 
1888,  he  being  one  of  the  originators.  He  votes 
with  the  Democratic  party.  As  can  be  seen  b}^  tiic 
brief  mention  above,  Mr.  Wilcox  is  a  busy  man, 
manifesting  his  capability  in  a  highly  successful 
business  career,  in  the  aid  of  his  fellow-men  in  their 
efforts  to  upbuild  the  city  and  improve  its  society 
and  material  appearance, and  fiUinga  leading  i)lace 
in  the  community.  He  is  educated  in  a  broad  and 
liberal  sense,  and  possesses  upright  principles  of 
life. 


ij/^^,  ON.  UUI  OSGOOD.  Among  the  settlers 
)  of  Juno,  ^83(5,  came  the  subject  of  this 
notice  wlio  located  in  Joliet  and  began 
(^)  the  practice  of  law,  being  among  the 
first  attorneys  of  the  embryo  city — his  comijctitors 
being  Messrs.  Newkirk,  Henderson,  Boardman 
and  Wilson.  Mr.  Osgood  in  addition  to  his  law 
practice  in  due  time  engaged  in  private  banking 
at  which  he  continued  until  18C2. 

In  the  meantime,  having  been  recognized  as  a 
valued  addition  to  the  community,  Mr.  Osgood 
was  elected  to  various  offices  and  finally  to  the 
Legislature,  being  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in 
which  he  served  from  1854  to  1860.     lie  was  then 


•220 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


nominated  bj"  the  Democracy  fs  a  member  of 
Congress  from  this  district  but  was  defeated  by 
Owen  Lovejoy.  Subse'iuentlj'  he  lived  the  life  of 
a  private  citizen,  attending  to  his  law  practice  un- 
til his  death  which  occurred  February  8.  1871. 
From  the  time  of  locating  in  Joliet  his  home  had 
been  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Eastern  Aven- 
ues, where  he  lived  comfortably  and  surrounded 
himself  and  his  family  with  manj'  of  the  luxuries 
of  life.  He  left  five  children  at  the  time  of  his 
death  all  of  whom  are  living:  havirg  had  eight  chil- 
dren in  all.  Julia  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Scott 
of  Cincinnati  and  died  of  cholera  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  in  1867,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-two  years: 
Alpha  M.  died  when  six  years  old;  Occar  died 
aged  about  six  months.  The  surviving  sons  are 
Augustus  A.,  Algernon  S.  and  Henry  R.,  ail  resi- 
dents of  Chicago.  Virginia  A.  is  the  wife  of 
George  S.  House,  a  prominent  attornej'  of  Joliet; 
Emma  Aldrich  married  Charles  Seymour  of  Ba- 
tavia.  N.  Y.,  and  thej'  are  living  in    Oakland,  Cal. 

On  January  1,  1839.  the  subject  of  this  notice 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Caroline  V., 
daughter  of  Fenner  and  Emoline  (Wade)  Aldrich. 
Mr.  Aldrich  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1803, 
and  was  a  son  of  one  of  the  earliest  families  of 
the  Bay  State.  The  paternal  grandfather,  David 
Aldrich.  m.arried  Miss  Mar}-  Capron,  and  removed 
to  Pennsylvania  where  he  took  up  a  large  tract  of 
land  in  the  vicinity  of  Harper,  Susquehanna 
County.  There  he  and  his  good  wife  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  daj's.  His  children  later  re- 
moved to  Northern  Illinois,  but  one  son,  Levi, 
went  in  1852,  to  California.  The  mother  of  Mrs. 
Osgood  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emoline  AVade; 
she  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  was  the  daughter 
of  Sylvanus  and  Mary  (Chace)  Wade,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  served  .as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

Fenner  Aldrich  came  to  Illinois  in  October, 
1834,  settling  in  Will  County,  when  it  was  a  part 
(if  Cook  County  and  of  which  Mr.  Aldrich  became 
Deputy  Sheriff  l)efore  the  division.  He  was  also 
proprietor  of  two  hotels,  the  Juliet  House  and 
Exchange  House.  In  1836,  he  was  elected  the 
Sheriff  of  Will  County,  and  re-elected  in  1839. 
He  enjoyed   a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the 


county  and  was  universaSlj"  liked  on  account  of 
his  genial  disposition.  For  a  time  he  resided  in 
Springfield  and  coud'icted  the  St.  Nicholas  House, 
during  which  time  Governor  Matteson  w.as  one  of 
his  guests. 

Mr.  Aldrich  preferring  Joliet  as  a  place  of  res- 
idence, returned  to  the  city  and  conducted  the 
Exchange  Hotel  during  the  remainder  of  his  active 
business  life.  He  departed  hence  August  5,  1884. 
He  was  a  Democrat  politically.  The  mother  jxnssed 
awaj-  several  years  prior  to  the  decease  of  her  hus- 
band, her  death  taking  place  February  16,  1872. 
Mr.  Aldrich  w.as'a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nit\-  and  in  religion  was  a  Universalist. 

ilrs.  Osgood  was  born  October  3,  1824,  in  Har- 
ford, Susquehanna  Count)-.  Pa.  and  came  to  Jol- 
iet with  herp.arents  when  quite  j'oung.  She  ob- 
tained her  education  in  the  city  schools  and  when 
reaching  womanhood  was  married  January  1,  1839, 
to  the  subject  of  this  notice.  ]Mr.  Osgood  was 
born  December  22,  1809,  in  Preston,  Chenango 
County,  N.  Y.  where  he  lived  until  1836,  coming 
then  to  Joliet.  The  politics  of  Mr.  Osgood  was  a 
stanch  Democrat.  Many  years  ago  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Osgood  joined  the  Universalist  Church  and  in  1864 
thej-  transferred  their  membership  to  the  Episco- 
pal Church. 


■>l'i'I't'> 


1 


IM 


)>)ATSON  F.  TWINING.  Of  honorable  an- 
cestry, from  whom  he  inherited  sterling 
qualities  of  mind  and  character,  which 
have  been  developed  under  the  care  and  training 
of  worthy  parents,  this  young  gentleman  is  bear- 
ing his  part  in  the  battles  of  life  in  a  manner 
which  wins  the  regard  of  those  about  him  and 
causes  him  to  be  numbered  among  the  most  enter- 
prisinff  of  the  younger  farmers  of  Green  Garden 
Township.  He,  witli  his  brother  Dana,  owns  and  oc- 
cupies an  excellent  farm,  comprising  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  on  section  17.  the  same  being  the 
estate  which  his  father  secured  in  1851,  and  which 
father  and  son  developed  from  the  raw  prairies  into 
cultivated  fields,  which  produced  abundantly. 
The  original  owner  of  this  fine  farm  w.as  Hiram 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBCM. 


221 


Twining,  who  was  born  in  Townsend  Townsliip, 
Essex  County,  Mass.,  in  1819.  He  was  reared 
priiicipnlly  in  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  and 
fdlhnved  farming  and  dairying  in  the  latter  State 
liming  iiis  early  manhood.  There  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Ik'tsey  Needham,  a  native  of  Rulland 
County  and  daugiiter  of  Is.iae  Necdliam.  a  farmer 
and  dairyman. 

In  1851  Hiram  Twining  and  Ids  family,  winch 
at  that  time  comprised  his  wife  and  two  children, 
located  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  lie 
had  secured  with  a  Government  land  warrant.  He 
first  put  up  a  board  shanty,  hauling  the  material 
from  Joliet.  The  breaking  of  his  ground  was  done 
with  a  Lockport  steel  plow  made  by  "Jim"  Lane, 
tlie  motive  power  being  oxen.  Mr.  Twining  began 
liic  dairy  imsiness,  but  it  did  not  prove  a  success, 
as  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  hay  and  meet 
witli  otlier  catastrophies.  He,  therefore,  turned 
ids  attention  to  general  farming,  and  this  venture 
proved  a  successful  one.  He  added  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  to  that  whicli  he  al- 
ready possessed,  forming  two  farms,  on  each  of 
which  he  had  a  good  set  of  buildings.  He  improved 
his  licrd  of  cattle,  those  of  a  high  grade  oi-  full- 
blood  taking  the  place  of  the  animals  lie  had. 

Mr.  Twining  was  an  Abolitionist  and  Repub- 
lican. He  belonged  to  tlie  Christian  Church.but  when 
the  congregation  in  the  neighborhood  was  disorgan- 
ized he  united  with  the  Free-Will  Baptists.  He 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  one  term.  His 
death,  which  was  caused  by  heart  disease,  took 
place  December  14,  1889.  His  widow  is  still  liv- 
ing, making  her  home  with  her  son,  our  subject. 
She  is  now  three-score  and  ten  years  old  and  in 
somewhat  delicate  health.  In  addition  to  our  sub- 
ject, her  family  includes  Dana  E.,  Leonora  L.  and 
Ircna  E.,  who  also  live  on  the  homestead,  and  Jas- 
per E..  wlio  occupies  a  farm  of  eighty*  acres  soutli 
of  his  old  home. 

The  Rev.  Jonatlian  Twining,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Orleans,  on 
Cai)e  Cod,  and  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier. In  early  life  he  went  with  his  parents  to 
Essex  County,  Ma.ss.,  where  he  married  Eliza  Fes- 
ondeii,  of  the  old  Bay  State.  His  trade  was  that 
of  a  cooper  and  he  owned  a  shop  in  Essex  County. 


After  a  time  he  removed  to  New  Hampshire, 
whcie  he  sojourned  but  a  short  period  ere  going 
into  Vermont.  In  Rutland  C'ounty  he  worked  at 
his  trade  and  at  teaming  until  his  death.  He  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  for 
some  years  labored  as  a  minister.  His  widow  came 
to  Illinois  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  son,  Hiram, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-live  years. 

Th(!  gentleman  whose  name  stands  at  the  liead  of 
this  sketch  first  oi)en('d  his  eyes  to  the  light  in 
Slirewsbury  Township,  Rutland  County,  Vt.,  April 
8,  1818.  He  was  only  a  babe  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  this  State,  whicli  is  the  scene  of  his 
earliest  recollections.  Tlie  broad  prairie  over  which 
herds  of  deer  roamed  at  will,  wolves  and  other 
wild  animals  were  frequentl}'  to  be  seen  and  the 
appearances  of  civilization  were  but  rare,  is  that 
to  which  he  looks  back.  He  was  carefully  reared 
by  his  parents,  who  gave  hiin  every  advantage  of 
which  their  surroundings  would  admit.  He  attended 
the  first  schoolhouse  which  was  built  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, it  being  District  No.  1.  In  study  he 
sjient  his  time  during  the  summer  until  he  was 
fourteen  years  old,  and  from  that  time  until  he  was 
eighteen  enjoyed  similar  [irivileges  in  the  winter. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  been  assisting,  as  his 
strength  would  permit,  in  the  home  duties,  having 
begun  to  drive  a  team  when  nine  years  old. 

Young  Twining  a.ssisted  Lis  father  until  he  had 
reached  man's  estate,  after  which  he  began  a  more 
personal  career,  although  he  continued  to  reside  on 
the  homestead,  in  the  payment  for  which  he  bore  a 
part.  He  carried  on  the  farm  for  his  father  until 
the  death  of  the  latter,  and  then  he  took  entire 
charge  of  it.  The  land  is  all  fenced  and  is  well 
supplied  with  substantial  buildings  of  various 
kinds,  among  them  being  a  commodious  barn,  40x80 
feet,  which  was  built  in  1878,  a  corncrib,  granarj', 
windmill  and  tank,  creamery,  etc.  Orchards  and 
groves  adorn  the  land,  which  is  fertilized  by  Mud 
Creek,  at  the  head  of  which  it  is  located. 

General  farming  is  the  work  to  which  Mr.  Twin- 
in"  gives  his  attention,  and  he  secures  excellent 
crops  of  good  grain  by  an  intelligent  use  of  fertil- 
izing agents  and  modern  means  of  cultivation.  He 
raises  high-grade  Short-horn  cattle,  graded  Po- 
land-China hogs,  and  good  draft  horses,  seven  head 


■222 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  the  latter  being  kept  and  three  teams  constantly 
used  upon  tlio  farm. 

Mr.  Twining  w;is  Townsliip  Supervisor  in  1886, 
and  succeeded  H.  II.  Slassen,  the  present  Count}' 
Clerk.  His  father  acted  as  Scliool  Director,  School 
Trustee,  and  deicgnlc  to  county  conventions,  and 
the  son  is  following  in  his  father's  footsteps  as  a 
useful  public  servant.  He  is  a  Republican  of  tlie 
stanchest  kind  and  has  served  his  party  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Central  Committee.  During  two  terras 
of  court  lie  has  sat  upon  the  i)etit  jury.  His  re- 
ligious belief  is  that  expressed  in  the  creed  of  the 
Baptist  Cluircli.  He  and  the  other  nieml)ors  of  the 
family  circle  are  numbered  among  the  best  citizens 
of  the  section,  having  an  unusual  degree  of  intelli- 
gence, good  breeding  and  honorable  principle. 


E^^ 


\T'  OHN  J.  WALZ.  The  life  of  this  gentleman 
shows  In  a  striking  manner  what  can  be  ac- 
complislied  by  persistency  and  diligence, 
backed  by  honorable  conduct  toward  man- 
kind. From  the  position  of  a  poor  boy  he  has 
risen  to  that  of  a  man  of  means,  the  owner  of  a 
large  amount  of  real  estate,  including  throe  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  in  New  Lenox  Township, 
and  thirteen  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Ellsworth 
County,  Kan.  The  farm  lands  of  Ellsworth,  Kan. 
belonging  to  our  subject  are  quite  valuable,  eighty 
acres  of  them  being  laid  out  in  town  lots  in  the 
beautiful  city  of  Ellsworth,  which  is  the  county 
seat  of  Ellsworth  County,  besides  being  under- 
laid with  a  vein  of  salt  one  hundred  and  fifty-four 
feet  thick  and  it  being  97  percent,  pure.  While  yet 
a  youth  he  landed  in  New  York,  "a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land,"  with  ten  francs  in  money  (less  than 
two  dollars)  and  tlie  first  money  he  earned  in 
America  was  sent  to  his  fatlier  to  repa)-  the  indebt- 
edness for  his  passage  money.  Under  circum- 
stances which  would  have  discouraged  many, 
.young  Walz  began  the  course  of  persevering  in- 
dustry which  has  resulted  in  securing  to  him  the 
fine  estate  already  mentioned. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is   the   eldest 
of  three  sons  born  to  Daniel  and  Margaretta  (Kalm- 


bach)  Walz,  his  brothers  bearing  the  names  of  Dan- 
iel and  George  C.  His  father  was  born  in  Wal- 
dorf, and  his  motlier  in  Spieldberg,  both  towns  in 
the  kingdom  of  Wurtemburg,  which  forms  a  part 
of  the  Germanic  confederation.  Both  parents  died 
in  tlieir  native  land.  In  Waldorf,  he  of  whom  we 
write  was  born  February  5,  1836.  He  acquired  a 
good  fundamental  education  and  learned  the  trade 
of  a  book-binder  prior  to  leaving  his  native  land, 
which  he  did  in  April.  1854,  embarking  in  a  sail- 
ing vessel  which  reached  New  York  the  last  of 
June.  In  the  metropolis  3'oung  AValz  remained 
nine  months,  after  which  he  went  to  Torrington, 
Litchfield  County,  Conn.,  where  he  worked  on  a 
farm  for  -^8  a  month. 

In  December,  1856,  Mr.  Walz  left  Connecticut 
to  become  a  resident  of  Will  County,  III.  Here 
he  took  a  contract  with  another  man  to  cut  two 
luindred  cords  of  wood  and  in  the  spring  began 
working  by  the  month  for  different  farmers  in  New 
Lenox  Township.  He  continued  to  work  in  this 
way  for  several  years,  even  after  he  had  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  was  able  to  do  in 
the  spring  of  1861.  This  he  rented  until  1866. 
In  the  spring  of  1863,  he  went  to  California,  re- 
maining on  the  Pacific  coast  three  years  and  while 
there  engaging  iii  different  occu|)alions.  On  his 
return  to  the  Prairie  State  he  purchased  an  addi- 
tional eiglity  acres  of  land  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  his  own  farm.  He  has 
increased  the  .acreage  still  more  .and  erected  thereon 
an  excellent  set  of  buildings,  including  a  pleasant 
dwelling,  commodious  barns,  granaries  and  other 
outbuildings. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  April  6,  18()8,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  Mr.  Walz  and  Miss  Henrietta 
A.  Stricher.  This  kdy  was  born  in  Mecklenburg, 
Germany,  November  20,  1846,  Ijeing  the  fifth  in 
a  family  of  six  children.  Her  brother  and  sisters 
are  named  Soiihia,  Louis,  Louisa,  Carolina  and 
Fredericka.  Her  i)arents,  Frederick  and  -^ophia 
(Freier)  Stricher,were  born  in  the  Duch^-  of  Meck- 
lenburg and  lived  there  until  the  latter  part  of  the 
'50s  when  they  emigrated  to  America.  They  came 
to  this  county  and  located  in  Green  Garden  Town- 
ship,   whence    tliey    afterward    removed   to    New 


'4 


^/^  J^:^J<e-^.o.^ 


PORTRAIT  A^lD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


225 


Lenox  Township  wlu're  Mr.  Stricher  died  in  1880. 
Mrs.  Stricher  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home 
with  our  subject.  Mrs.  Walz  was  well  educated 
and  from  her  honored  parents  received  goo<l  in- 
struction in  the  princi|iles  of  right  living  and  tiie 
useful  habits  in  which  the  (4erman  women  excel, 
while  her  manners  arc  marked  with'the  friendliness 
anil  courtesy  which  everywhere  win  regard.  Her 
hn|i|iy  union  has  resiflted  in  the  birth  of  seven 
children — Addie  L.,  George  A.,  Frank  II.,  Arthur 
L.,  Sadie  A..  Florence  F.  and  Fstella  II.  Of  these, 
Frank,  Arthur  and  Sadie  are  dead. 

Mr.  Walz  has  lieen  Iligiiway  Commissioner  and 
School  Director,  in  these  public  stations  as  in  his 
personal  affairs  exhibiting  zeal  and  good  judgment. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  firmly  believing 
that  by  that  party  the  best  interest  of  the  Nation 
will  be  advanced.  The  family-  attends  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Cluirch,  supporting  it  by  means  and 
inlliience.  It  is  needless  to  state  that  Mr.  Walz  is 
highly  respected,  not  simply  because  he  is  a  man 
<  f  means,  but  because  his  character  is  an  honor- 
■■ililc  one.  The  younger  members  of  his  family  are 
worthy  descendants  of  parents  whom  they  regard 
with  loving  reverence. 

IMOTHY  L.  MILLER.  No  visitor  to  this 
county  would  long  be  unfamiliar  with  the 
name  and  personality  of  the  gentleman  above 
uanicd,  who  is  widely  known  to  stockmen  and 
jthers  as  one  to  whom  the  advancement  of  the 
L^altle  interests  in  this  section  is  largely  due.  He 
lias  undoubtedly  done  more  to  introduce  fine  Here- 
'ord  cattle  than  any  other  man  in  this  vicinity, 
mil  ranks  as  one  of  the  leaders  in  stock-raising  in 
.he  entire  State.  Not  less  than  !t;iOO,000  has  been 
spent  by  him  in  this  direction,  and  at  all  the 
jrominent  expositions  he  carries  off  his  share  of 
aurels  on  the  stock  exhibited.  He  became  promi- 
lent  as  the  owner  of  the  famous  bull.  Success, 
vhich  has  a  wonderful  record  for  his  fine  descend- 
uits,  and  went  far  to  popularize  the  noble  breed. 
Mr.  Miller  began  the  introduction  of  Herefords 
n    the    spring    of    1872,  when   he  introduced  Sir 


Charles,  No.  543,  from  the  Province  of  Ontario, 
Canada.  He  subsequently  became  the  owner  of 
Success,  whom  he  imported  from  Herefordshire, 
England,  by  the  side  of  his  dam  when  he  was  three 
months  old.  This  animal  was  regarded  as  thegreat- 
cst  of  his  breed  in  the  world,  Lord  Wilton  of  Eng- 
land not  excepted.  Mr.  Miller  refused  |!2.0,000 
for  him,  and  kept  him  until  his  death  in  the  fall  of 
188G. 

Mr.  Miller  claims  that  eighty  per  cent,  of  his 
herd  are  daughters  and  granddaughters  of  this 
famous  animal.  The  present  head  of  the  herd  is 
Conqueror,  the  son  of  Success  from  Leonora  III., 
the  dam  being  the  sister  of  Mrs.  Edwards  Leonora, 
which  was  regarded  as  the  best  cow  of  England. 
Foremost  among  the  other  animals  are  Dictator 
and  Grove  Turner,  the  latter  being  the  grandson 
of  Lord  Wilton  on  the  sire's  side  and  of  Grove 
III.  on  the  dam's  side.  The  entire  herd  consists 
of  about  two  hundred  fine  animals,  three-fourths 
of  whicli  are  cows  and  heifers,  and  represent  some 
of  the  finest  strains  in  this  country. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  April 
7,  1817,  and  is  a  representative  of  fine  old  New 
England  families  of  English  and  German  descent. 
He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  place,  receiving 
as  good  an  education  as  New  England  afforded  in 
her  common  schools.  He  removed  to  Summit 
County,  Ohio,  in  1842,  purchasing  his  first  land 
two  years  later,  and  living  upon  it  until  1856.  He 
then  came  to  Illinois,  immediately  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  securing 
Government  land  in  this  county.  His  first  pur- 
chase was  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  was 
subsequently  increased  until  his  estate  amounted 
to  over  six  hundred  acres,  all  of  which  is  highly 
improved  and  about  half  drained  by  tiling.  All 
of  the  outbuildings  are  first-class,  the  immense 
stock  barn  being  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
square,  and  so  arranged  as  to  shelter  three  hun- 
dred head  of  cattle  and  feed  to  supply  the  whole. 
The  residence  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  State, 
being  two  hundred  and  four  feet  long;  it  is  built 
in  sections,  the  main  building  on  the  west,  office  in 
the  center,  contains  twenty-five  sleeping  rooms, 
.ind  is  well  designed  for  the  pleasure  and  accommo- 
dation of  the  household  and  the  numerous  visitors 


226 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


who  enjoy  its  hospitality.     A  cellar  is  built  under 
the  entire  edifice. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Timothy  B.  Miller, 
a  native  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  the  son  of 
Peter  Miller,  who  vvas  born  in  Prussia  and  there 
educated  for  the  ministry.  lie  did  not  follow  the 
ministerial  profession,  but  coming  to  America 
when  a  young  man,  settled  in  Connecticut  and  de- 
voted himself  to  business.  lie  married  a  Miss 
.loj'ce,  who  came  of  I^nglisii  parentage,  and  both 
died  in  New  England  at  an  advanced  age.  Thej' 
were  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Timotliy 
15.  Miller  early  in  life  learned  the  business  of  a 
siioe  manufacturer,  which  he  followed  for  some 
years,  later  becoming  a  trader  in  meats,  continu- 
ing in  this  business  during  the  remainder  of  his 
active  life.  He  removed  to  Ohio  in  1846,  dying 
there  a  few  years  later. 

In  Middletown,  Conn.,  the  father  of  our  subject 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Hughes  Pierce,  a  native 
of  that  city  and  tlie  daughter  of  an  English  couple 
who  has  resided  in  Boston  dii'ring  the  Revolution- 
ary AVar.  They  subsequently  removed  to  Middle- 
town,  where  Mr.  Pierce  for  many  years  had  the 
management  of  a  brewer3-.  Mrs.  Timothy  B. 
Miller  after  the  death  of  her  husband  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  lived  with  iier  children  in  this  State 
until  1886,  when  she  was  called  hence  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-six  years.  Her  demise  took 
jilacc  at  tlie  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Edward 
Mize,  of  Chicago.  She  and  her  liusband  were 
active  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  The}- 
were  the  parents  of  si.K  children,  two  of  whom  died 
young  and  one  in  mature  years.  The  survivors 
are:  our  subject,  who  was  the  first-born;  Charles 
R.,  a  business  man  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  and  the 
daughter  before  named. 

The  first  marriage  of  the  gentleman  with  whose 
name  this  sketch  is  introduced  took  place  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Mi  Idletown,  Conn.  His  chosen 
companion  was  Miss  Abigail  8.  Elliott,  who  was 
born  in  that  place,  was  carefully  reared  by  excel- 
lent parents,  and  well  educated.  Her  parents  were 
Clark  and  Alraira  (Gillett)  Elliott,  who  belonged 
to  prominent  New  England  f.amilies  and  were  also 
natives  of  Connecticut.  Mr.  Elliott  was  a  carriage- 
maker  in  his  early  life,   but  in  later  years  devoted 


his  attention  to  general  merchandising.  He  died 
in  his  native  State  when  about  three-score-and-ten 
years  old.  INIrs.  Elliott  survived  him  some  j-ears, 
dying  in  1888  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-five. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Miller,  shared  her  hus- 
band's joys  and  sorrows  until  1858,  when  in  the 
prime  of  life  she  was  called  from  time  to  eternity. 
She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  d3'ing  at  the 
birth  of  the  last,  who  was  christened  Henry,  and 
who  died  when  three  years  of  age.  The  surviving 
offspring  of  this  marriage  are:  Kate  p].,  wife  of 
George  B.  Wbodward,  who  has  charge  of  the 
branch  house  of  the  Fairbanks  Scale  Company  in 
St.  Paul,  Minn.;  Abbie  A.,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Gould,  a  wholesale  merchant  of  Chicago,  whose 
residence  is  in  Evanston;  Mary  P.,  wife  of  Albert  C. 
Heed,  who  resides  in  Crete,  this  county,  and  does 
business  as  a  broker  in  Chicago;  and  Timoth}'  E., 
a  farmer  of  Washington  Township. 

The  lady  who  now  presides  over  Mr.  Miller's 
home  became  his  wife  in  Rockford,  prior  to  which 
time  she  had  borne  the  name  of  Anna  E.  Hodges. 
She  was  born  in  Clarendon,  Vt.,  July  22,  1828, 
being  a  d.aughter  of  Silas  W.  and  Polly  (Gillett) 
Hodges.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Vermont 
and  Connecticut  respectively,  and  of  New  Eng- 
land parentage.  The  father  w.as  a  son  of  Dr.  Silas 
Hodges,  a  prominent  physician  who  died  in  Clar- 
endon in  1 804,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  The 
mother  belonged  to  a  family  of  seafaring  people. 
The  old  stock  in  both  lines  were  Congregationalists 
in  religion.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Miller  were  mar- 
ried in  Rutland  County,  VI.,  and  there  the  mother 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  and  the  father  at 
the  age  of  sevent^'-two.  He  had  been  a  farmer, 
merchant  and  owner  of   a  marble  quarry. 

Mrs.  Anna  Miller  w.as  educated  in  Holyoke, 
Mass.,  and  there  acquired  an  excellent  mental 
training  and  development,  together  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  high  principles  which  should  animate 
womanhood.  She  came  to  Rockford,  111.,  after 
reaching  maturity.  She  is  the  mother  of  one  child, 
a  daughter,  Abbie,  who  died  in  infancy.  She  and 
her  husband  have  been  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  for  many  years.  Mr.  Miller  is  a 
genial  man  who  takes  great   pleasure  in  showing 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


227 


visitors  over  Lis  fine  estate,  and  his  stock  is  by  no 
moans  overlooked.  The  good  cheer  of  the  mansion 
is  dispensed  with  grace  by  his  wife,  whose  culture 
and  refinement  fit  her  for  any  circle  of  society. 
Mr.  Miller  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  and  was 
President  of  the  Hickory  Club  in  Middletown, 
Conn.,  in  1840,  but  since  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  part}'  he  has  taken  his  place  in  its 
ranks. 

Elsewhere  in  this  volume  ai)pears   a  lithographic 
portrait  of  Mr.  Miller. 


ILLIAM  H.  HUNTER,  coal  dealer  in  Jol- 
r^iii  let,  is  a  native  of  this  city,  in  which  he 
'^J  was  born  August  1,  1854.  He  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  R.  and  Lucinda  (Smith)  Hunter,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  was  born  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y., 
February  2,  1818,  and  came  to  Will  County,  111., 
in  1837.  En  route  to  this  place  he  stopped  at 
Grand  Haven,  jNIich.,  for  a  time,  and  after  arriving 
in  .Iiilict  opened  a  smithy,  he  being  a  olanksmith. 
In  1849  he  was  attacked  by  the  gold  fever,  and 
wt'iit  to  California,  where  he  was  very  successful 
during  the  one  short  year  he  remained  there.  On 
his  return,  in  1850,  he  built  a  residence  on  the 
corner  of  Oneida  and  Broadway  Streets.  In  1854, 
ho  began  the  pro|)agation  of  fruit,  opening  a  nur- 
sery in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  cit}-,  which  be 
continued  until  1882.  He  enjoj^ed  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  was  twice 
elected  bj'  them  to  a  place  in  the  city  council, 
ill'  died  April  22,  1888.  His  wife,  the  mother  of 
William  H.,  died  March  25,  1882. 

The  above-named  Thomas  R.  Hunter  was  mar- 
ried ,luly  23,  1845,  to  Miss  Lucinda,  daughter  of 
Hnrlon  and  Fatha  Smith,  both  of  whom  were 
early  settlers  of  this  countj',  to  which  they  had 
come  from  Indiana,  in  1835.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Smith  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Originally  a 
Tcnnesseean,  in  politics  he  was  a  pronounced  Dem- 
ocrat, and  during  the  war.  when  he  believed  that 
slavery  was  doomed,  ho  said  he  hoped  he  would  not 
lie  spared  to  see  the  blnoks  liberated.  Although  the 
Emancipation  Proclamation  was  issued  prior  to  his 


death  he  did  not  witness  much  of  its  effect,  and 
may  almost  be  said  to  have  realized  his  wish  as  he 
died  September  22,  1863.  The  union  of  Thomas 
R.  Hunter  and  Lucinda  Smith  was  blessed  b}-  the 
birth  of  two  children:  Fatha  E.,  wife  of  J.  Q.  A. 
King,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  and  William  H.,  of 
whom  we  write.  The  devoted  mother  preceded 
husband  to  her  long  home,  dying  March  15,  1882. 
She  also  was  a  native  of  Tennessee.  The  ancestry 
of  the  Hunter  family  is  traced  back  to  Scotland  on 
the  one  hand  and  through  the  Davenports  to  Col- 
onists who  came  to  America  in  the  good  ship  "May- 
flower." 

The  boyhood  of  our  subject  was  passed  in  Jol- 
iet  in  acquiring  a  common-school  education,  and 
laying  the  foundation  for  the  habits  which  mark 
bis  life.  The  coal  trade  possessed  a  great  attraction 
for  him,  and  his  first  business  venture  was  to  pur- 
chase an  interest  with  Ferdinand  Munch.  A  short 
time  afterward  we  find  him  in  partnership  with 
Frey  &  Hawkins,  and  after  a  year  of  this  associa- 
tion, he  bought  out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Frey,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  second  jear  that  of  Mr.  Hawkins. 
From  a  comparativelj'  small  beginning,  he  built 
up  the  coal  trade  to  large  dimemsions  and  was 
compelled  through  increase  of  business  to  greatly 
enlarge  his  facilities  for  handling  "black  dia- 
monds." 

From  the  smallest,  the  business  of  Mr.  Hunter 
has  become  the  largest  in  the  count}'.  In  1881  he 
associated  Mr.  O.  W.  Curtis  with  himself,  but  a 
year  ago  again  assumed  entire  control  of  the 
trade.  Step  by  step,  through  singleness  of  pur- 
pose and  the  practice  of  strict  integrity,  Mr.  Hunter 
has  climbed,  round  by  round,  the  ladder  of  success. 
He  attends  strictly  to  business,  taking  but  little 
part  in  politics,  although  an  ardent  Republican. 
Socially  he  stands  high  in  popular  esteem. 

He  was  married,  November  13,  1878,  to  Miss 
Mollie  P.  Turner,  of  Lockport,  this  county.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  them:  Carrie  L.,  Au- 
gust 17,1870;  and  Robert  Samuel,  October  17, 
1884. 

S.  S.  Turner,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Hunter,  was  a 
native  of  Berwick,  Pa.,  whence  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, in  1851.  He  was  a  moulder  and  pattern 
maker,  but  finding  little  to  do  in  this  line,  in  the 


-228 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


comparative!}'  new  West  to  which  he  had  come,  he 
employed  liimself  in  boat  biiildinw  and  carpenter- 
ing. At  that  time  the  heavy  business  done  bj- 
canal,  made  boat  building  a  most  desirable  indus- 
try. He  died  May  25,  1882,  that  being  his  six- 
tieth birthday,  llis  first  wife,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Hunter,  Mrs.  Caroline  Turner,  had  breathed  her 
last  December  24,-1860. 


^= 


^^^ 


THOMAS  LARKIN.  Among  the  well-regu- 
lated homes  of  Joliet  Township  none  have 
'  about  them  an  air  of  greater  comfort  and 
content  than  that  which  has  been  built  up  by  the 
joint  efforts  of  Mr.  Larkin  and  his  estimable  wife. 
They  make  no  pretensions  to  elegance  in  their 
style  of  living,  but  have  plenty  to  eat,  drink  and 
wear  and  something  laid  by  for  a  rainj'  day.  It  is 
possible  that  in  their  modest  home  there  is  vastly 
more  genuine  happiness  than  is  to  be  found  in  a 
palace. 

A  native  of  County  Galway,  Ireland,  Mr.  Lar- 
kin was  born  in  the  j'car  1838,  and  is  tlie  son  of 
Edwin  and  Mary  (Kelle}-)  Larkin,  who  were  also 
natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  there.  Thomas  lived  with  his  parents 
until  a  young  man  of  twenty  3'ears  and  then  re- 
solved to  seek  his  fortunes  in  America.  Repair- 
ing to  Belfast,  he  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel 
which,  after  a  journey  of  four  weeks,  landed  him 
safely  in  New  York  City.  Soon  leaving  the  great 
metropolis,  he  turned  his  steps  toward  the  far 
West,  coming  to  this  county-  and  for  two  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad 
Comi)an.y.  After  this  he  engaged  in  farming, 
working  by  the  month  for  about  three  years.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  time  he  had  saved  a  little 
money  and  taking  unto  himself  a  wife  and  help- 
mate, rented  a  farm  in  Lockport  Township,  which 
he  operated  successfully  for  several  years.  Next 
he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  se- 
curins.'  at  first  eighty  acres  and  later  added  to  his 
landed  possessions,  so  that  besides  this  farm  which 
now  embraces  one  hundred  and  thirt}'  acres,  lie 
has  eighty  acres  in  Troy   Township.     The   whole 


is  in  ft  good  state  of  cultivation  and  the  home 
farm  is  supplied  with  neat  and  substantial  build- 
ings. 

The  marriage  of  Thomas  Larkin  and  Miss  Ellen 
Goss  was  celebrated  at  the  bride's  home  in  Joliet 
in  the  year  1859.  Mrs.  Larkin  was  born  in 
County  Queens,  Ireland,  about  1840,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Anthonj-  and  Catherine  (Downy) 
Goss  who  were  likewise  natives  of  that  county, 
where  they  spent  their  entire  lives.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  the  parental  fam- 
ily comprised  six  children. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larkin  there  have  been  born 
five  children,  all  living  and  named  respectively, 
Edward,  Mary,  Thomas,  Bernard  and  Agnes.  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Frank  McManus  and  the\-  live  in 
Lockport  Township.  Mr.  Larkin,  politically  is  a 
pronounced  Democrat,  well  informed,  progressive 
in  his  ideas  and  possessing  more  than  ordinary  in- 
telligence. He  has  served  as  School  Director  in 
his  district  and  Overseer  of  Highway's.  Both  lie 
.and  his  estimable  wife  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church.  Mr.  Larkin  befure  m.aking  permanent 
settlement  crossed  the  Mississippi  into  Missouri, 
but  not  liking  the  countiy  returned  and  he  thinks 
there  is  no  section  which  in  all  respects  is  equal 
to  the  Prairie  State. 

NDUEW  J.  LINEBARGER.  Probably 
no  section  of  country  has  advanced  more 
rapidl}'  than  that  of  Northern  Illinois  and 
this  has  been  wholly'  owing  to  the  character 
of  the  men  who  first  made  settlement  here.  They 
encountered  manj' difficulties  during  the  first  years 
of  their  sojourn  in  the  Prairie  State,  but  they  came 
equipped,  not  so  much  with  worldly  goods  as  the 
spirit  of  resolution  and  perseverance  which  admitted 
no  such  word  as  "fail."  They  battled  with  the 
elements  of  a  new  soil,  the  i'lconvenience  of  rude 
farming  implements  and  imperfect  transportation 
of  their  produce,  and  have  lived  to  see  |>rosperity 
smiling  upon  their  labors. 

He    with  whose  name  we  introduce  this  sketch 
deserves    more    than  a  passing   mention  in  noting 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


229 


the  early  settlers  of  Will  Count}-.  He  is  the  sou  of 
one  of  its  most  worthy  pioneers  and  was  born  at 
ills  fatlier's  old  homestead  in  Jackson  Township, 
January  7,  1834.  His  father,  Henry  Linebarger, 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  while  his  mother 
who  bore  tiie  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Ilougham, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio.  Henry  Linebari^er  came  to 
Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1832,  accompanied  by  his 
brother  George,  then  went  back  to  Indiana,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1833,  returned  to  Will  County, 
where  he  spent  the  following  summer  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  went  back  to  Park  County,  Ind., 
for  his  family.  They  settled  on  section  21,  Jack- 
son Township,  in  the  month  of  November,  at  a 
time  when  the  countrj^  was  ver}^  thin!}- settled  and 
there  they  continued  to  live  until  called  from  their 
earthly  labors.  The  father  died  September  8, 
1812,  when  comparatively-  a  young  man.  The 
mother  survived  her  husband  for  the  long  period 
of  thirty-tivu  years,  remaining  a  widow,  and  de- 
()arted  this  life  April  22,  1877. 

To  tiie  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Andrew  J., 
was  the  third.  He  has  been  a  life  long  resident  of 
Jackson  Township  and  obtained  his  education 
mostly  in  the  log  schoolhouse  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  father's  farm.  After  liie  hitter's 
death  he  remained  with  his  mother  until  his  mar- 
riage. This  interesting  and  important  event 
occurred  April  30,  185G,  at  Joliet,  111.,  the  bride 
being  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Frances  (Hildebrand)  Pliillips.  Soon  after  their 
marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linebarger  settled  upon 
the  land  which  they  now  own  and  occupy,  and 
which  comprises  four  hundred  and  tiiirt\'  five  broad 
acres  on  section  20.  Here  they  have  since  made 
their  home.  The  household  circle  was  completed 
b}-  the  birth  of  three  children,  the  eldest  of  whom, 
a  son,  Lewis  II.,  is  a  banker  in  Peotone,  this  State; 
Laura  is  unmarried  and  remains  with  her  parents; 
Emma  J.,  is  the  wife  of  J.  R.  McCleery,  of  O.xford, 
Iowa. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Linebarger  were  natives  of 
Germany,  where  they  were  reared  aiw  married. 
Upon  emigrating  to  America  they  settled  in  Mad- 
ison Count}',  N.  Y.,  where  the  mother  died  in  April 
1881,  and    the    father    in    October,    1888.     Their 


family  consisted  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Linebarger  was  the  next  to  the  eldest.  She  like- 
wise is  a  native  of  the  Fatherland  and  was  born 
January  1.  1831.  She  was  a  child  of  twelve 
years  when  coming  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents and  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  Madison 
t'Ounty,  N.  Y.  She  has  been  the  true  liel|)m.ate  of 
her  husband  i)i  all  his  worthy  undertakings  and 
has  assisted  him  materially  in  the  accumulation  of 
their  pr()i)orty.  ' 

The  Linebarger  farm  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
in  Will  County,  being  improved  with  good  build- 
ings, fruit  and  shade  trees  and  all  the  other  appur- 
tenances required  by  the  progressive  and  indus- 
trious agriculturist.  Mr.  Linebarger  keeps  himself 
l)0Sled  upon  modern  methods  of  agriculture  and 
avails  himself  of  the  most  approved  machinery  in 
the  cultivation  of  his  land.  It  is  devoted  largely 
to  grain  raising,  while  Mr.  Linebarger  gives  due 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  good  grades  of  live 
stock.  He  is  conservative  in  politics,  usually  giv- 
ing his  support  to  the  Democratic  party.  He  has 
never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  give  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  farm  and  his  family  and 
is  looked  upon  as  a  peaceable  and  Law-abiding  citi- 
zen who  has  contributed  his  full  quota  to  the  gen- 
eral welfare  of  the  community.  Our  subject  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Jackson  Township. 


''LEXANDER  V.  PATTERSON.     Among 
the   leading  enterprises  of    Joliet    may  be 


14  mentioned  the  livery  business  of  Mr.  Pat- 
terson, which  is  cai-ricd  on  in  that  sys- 
tematic manner  which  indicates  in  a  marked 
degree  his  adaptation  to  this  calling.  Prompt  and 
courteous  in  the  treatment  of  his  customers  and  a 
straightforward  man  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he 
occupies  an  enviable  position,  both  in  business  and 
social  circles. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  traces  his  ancestry  to 
one  of  the  best  nationalities  on  the  face  of  the 
globe — the  Scotch- Irish,  from  which  have  emanated 
qualities  that  on  both  continents  have  constituted 
a  large  portion  of  their  bone  and  sinew.     Andrew 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Patterson,  the  fallier  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  but  was  of  Scotch  ances- 
try. The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza 
V.irner.  She  was  also  a  native  of  County  Tyrone 
and  of  ancestry  similar  to  that  of  her  liusband. 
Tliey  spent  their  childood  .and  youth  near  tiie 
jjlace  of  their  birth,  where  they  were  married  and 
where  they  still  live,  the  father  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living  and 
making  their  homes,  five  in  the  United  States  aud 
four  in  Europe.  Alexander  V.,  the  fourth  in  order 
of  birth,  is  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  his  par- 
ents, and  born  in  County  Tyrone,  October  16, 
1862.  He  remained  witii  them  until  approaching 
tlie  twentieth  year  of  liis  age,  and  then,  believing 
that  he  could  better  himself  in  the  United  States, 
left  the  old  roof-tree  April  26,  1882,  embarking 
for  the  promised  land.  Landing  in  New  York  City 
on  the  2d  of  May  following,  lie  came  directly  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Joliet,  and  for  six  months 
thereafter  was  in  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  T.  H. 
Patterson.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  en- 
gaged as  a  fireman  with  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company,  remaining  thus  occupied  about 
three  years.  The  .loliet  Steel  Company  next 
claimed  his  services,  and  he  remained  with  this 
company  until  October,  1888. 

Having  now  the  wherewithal  to  embark  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account,  Mr.  Patterson  secured  a 
goodly  number  of  horses  and  vehicles,  establishing 
himself  on  Ottawa  Street,  occupying  Nos.  208  and 
210.  His  stables  are  equipped  with  modern  con- 
veniences and  patronized  liberally  by  the  best 
people  of  Joliet  and  vicinity.  About  the  time  of 
starting  his  business,  Mr.  Patterson  also  formed 
matrimonial  and  domestic  ties,  being  wedded,  Oc- 
tober 2,  1888,  to  Miss  Minnie  M.,  daughter  of  the 
late  John  and  Melinde  (Harelh)  Stock.  The  j'oung 
couple  established  themselves  in  a  snug  home  on 
Oneida  Street,  and  are  now  the  proud  parents  of  a 
little  daughter,  Linda  L.,  who  was  born  October 
12,  1889. 

Mrs.  Patterson  was  born  in  August,  1868,  in 
Joliet,  of  parents  who  were  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many.    They  emigrated  to  America  in    1854  and 


settled  in  Troy  Township,  where  the  father  en- 
gaged in  farming.  Mr.  Stock  died  in  March,  1881, 
in  Joliet.  The  mother  liad  passed  away  ten  j'ears 
prior  to  the  decease  of  her  husband,  her  death 
taking  place  at  Joliet ,  May  .5,  1871.  There  was 
born  to  them  a  family  of  four  children,  of  wiiom 
Mrs.  Patterson  was  next  to  the  youngest. 

The  paternal  giandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Jamos  Patterson,  who  was  born  in  Scotland  and 
who  spent  his  last  daj's  in  L^land.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Hawley.  She  also  was 
of  Scotch  birth  and  ancestry.  They  were  married 
in  Scotland,  whence  they  removed  to  Ireland, 
where  Grandfather  Patterson  engaged  in  farming. 
On  the  maternal  side  of  the  house  Grandfather 
Alexander  Yerner  was  a  man  of  note  in  his  day 
and  a  Colonel  in  the  British  army.  He  married 
Susan  Rankin.  Both  were  natives  of  Scotland, 
whence  they  removed  to  Ireland  and  died  in  County 
Tyrone. 

Upon  becoming  a  voting  citizen.  Jlr.  Patterson 
identified  himself  witli  the  Republican  party,  of 
whose  principles  he  is  a  warm  supporter.  Both  he 
and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Joliel. 
They  have  started  out  in  the  journey  of  life  under 
favorable  auspices  and  with  the  good  wishes  of 
hosts  of  friends. 


GUIS  METTERHAUSEN,  publisher  of  Das 
^  Yolkshlatt,  is  conducting  the  only  German 
i^  paper  in  Will  County.  It  is  a  journal 
largely  patronized  by  the  German  residents  of 
Will  County,  being  well  edited  and  devoted  to 
local  interests  while  expounding  in  a  clear  and 
decided  manner  the  principles  of  the  best  interests 
of  the  people,  independent  of  anj'  political  party. 
The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  January  21, 
1840,  in  the  town  of  Gilten,  Hanover,  and  lived 
there  until  a  young  man  of  twenty-five  years,  ac- 
quiring a  good  education,  and  following  the  profes- 
sion of  a  teacher.  In  October,  1865,  he  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  and  first  located  in  Nai)erville, 
III.     Subsequently  he  was  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  Cleve- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


231 


hind,  Oliio,  Chicago  and  Beeclier,  111.  prior  to  lo- 
cating in  Joliet  where  he  settled  in  October,  1889, 
at  which  time  he  moved  Dns  VolksblnU  from 
Boecher  where  it  liad  been  estahlished  in  May, 
1882.  At  Beeeher,  he  was  a  prominent  man,  hold- 
ing the  offices  of  Postmaster  and  School  Treasurer 
and  Ti'ustee.  When  first  locating  at  Beeeher  in 
18G9,  he  established  liimself  as  a  general  merchant 
and  eonductetl  the  store  in  eonncflion  with  other 
business  until  his  removal. 

Mr.  Metterhausen  was  married  May  6,  1871,  to 
INIiss  Minnie  Klnsmeyer  at  Pjeecher,  111.,  and  they 
are  now  the  jiarents  of  three  bright  children — 
Carl,  born  Ainil  (!,  1872;  Charlotte,  February  9, 
187C,  and  Emil,  March  31,  1881.  Mrs.  Metter- 
hausen is  likewise  a  native  of  Germany  and  born 
in  the  Province  of  Hanover,  November  6,  1853. 
She  came  to  America  with  her  parents  wlien  a 
young  girl  of  fourteen  years.  They  settled  in 
Washington  Township,  this  county;  tiie  father  is 
deceased  and  the    mother  resides  in  Chicago. 


iiOBIAS  FAILS.  Through  the  efforts  of  such 
men  as  Tobias  Fahs,  the  prairie  lands  of 
Peotone  Township,  that  once  were  covered 
with  the  rank  growth  of  coarse  grasses  and  brilliant 
wild  flowers,  have  become  the  fertile  fields,  fruitful 
orchards  and  velvety  lawns  of  an  advanced  civili- 
zation. The  farm  which  is  the  home  of  our  sub- 
ject lies  on  section  14,  and  is  furnished  with  all 
needful  buildings  and  the  other  improvements 
which  indicate  to  the  passer-by  that  it  is  under  the 
control  of  a  man  of  industr}',  good  judgment  and 
taste. 

The  Fahs  family'  is  of  .Swiss  stock,  and  has  been 
represented  in  America  for  several  generations.  In 
Maryland,  Abraham  Fahs,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  and  made  his  home  during  his  entire  life. 
He  was  a  whitesmith  bj"  trade.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Siess,  a  native  of  the  same  State,  daughter  of 
George  Siess,  a  blacksmith,  who  in  later  life  became 
a  large  farmer  and  the  owner  of  several  farms. 
Abraham  Fahs  died  in  1813,  and  the  widow  subse- 


quently married  Conrad  Willhide.  She  died  in 
1832,  and  Mr.  Willhide  in  1839.  The  fruit  of  her 
first  marri.age  was  four  children,  all  now  deceased 
except  our  subject.  Her  second  marriage  was  also 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  one 
is  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  biograpliical  review  w.as  born 
September  2,  181  1,  in  Frederick  County,  Md.  He 
attended  a  subscription  school  about  two  months 
in  the  winter  season,  and  even  in  boyhood  had  to 
work  very  hard  on  his  stepfather's  farm.  His  ex- 
periences were  the  ordinary  ones  of  a  farmer's  boj-, 
and  his  time  and  labor  were  given  to  his  stepfather 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  then  bought 
some  mountain  land,  and  worked  in  the  limber, 
getting  out  bark,  posts  and  cooper's  stuff  for  five 
or  six  years.  In  1841  he  removed  to  Perry  County, 
Pa., where  his  brother  had  a  large  tanuery,  working 
there  eight  years  as  a  finisher  of  leather,  and  dur- 
ing tlie  last  two  years  tending  a  store  of  his 
brother. 

The  health  of  Mr.  Fahs  became  somewhat  im- 
paired, and  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  farm  labor, 
as  better  suited  to  his  constitution.  He  operated  a 
farm  in  Pennsylvania  until  1856,  then  came  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Knox  County,  but  sojourned  there 
but  a  year.  lie  then  came  into  Will  County,  pur- 
chased a  farm  on  section  14,  and  began  his  labors 
as  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  the  township. 
The  section  was  iiut  tliinlj'  settled,  and  although 
the  country  is  level,  he  could  see  but  two  houses 
from  his  home.  His  farm  was  all  raw  land,  which 
he  placed  in  good  condition,  retaining  it  in  his  pos- 
session until  some  three  j-ears  since.  Since  that 
time  he  has  made  his  home  with  his  son,  Corne- 
lius L. 

Mr.  Fahs  was  fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a  life 
companion,  securing  for  his  wife  Miss  Araminta 
Willyard,  oldest  child  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth 
(Miller)  Willyard,  natives^  of  Maryland.  Miss 
Araminta  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Se[)tera- 
ber  22,  1812,  receiving  a  common-school  education 
and  a  training  in  useful  accomplishments  and  good 
principles  from  her  worthy  parents.  Of  the  seven 
brothers  and  sisters  who  once  composed  the  familj^ 
circle,  she  and  two  others  are  all  that  now  survive. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fahs  was   celebrated 


232 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


April  3,  1833,  and  ton  eliilrlren  have  come  to  bless 
tlieir  happy  home.  Tli(;se  who  have  been  reared 
to  mature  years  are  Harriet  S.,  wife  of  Christ. 
Schryer,  their  home  being  one  mile  south  of  Peo- 
toue,  and  their  family  including-  five  children; 
James  A.,  w1k>  married  Huth  E.  Wlnslow,  lias  one 
child,  an:!  lives  at  Hinckley;  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
August  Cliase,  has  one  child;  .lulia,  wife  of  John 
Gloss,  and  mother  of  seven  children,  their  home 
being  in  Carbondale,  Kan.;  Maria,  wife  of  the  Rev. 
Joseph  J.  Tobias,  of  Chicago,  and  mother  of  two 
children;  the  Rev.  David  W.,  who  married  Jennie 
Kerr,  lives  at  LeMars,  Iowa,  and  has  three  children; 
Cornelius  and  Amelia,  who  are  still  single  and  at 
home. 

Cornelius  Fahs  disi)lays  mari<ed  talent  as^  an 
artist,  doing  beautiful  work  in  free-hand  drawing, 
without  instruction,  and  .also  [jainting  in  oil  and 
water  cohjrs  exceedingly  well.  He  has  taken  two 
painting  lessons  from  the  artist  IJigclow,  of  Cliicago. 
Many  specimens  of  his  work  adorn  the  walls  of 
the  home,  and  afford  jileasure  to  his  parents  and 
many  friends.  All  of  llie  brothers  and  sisters  iiave 
received  a  good  commf)nschool  education  and  lake 
advantage  of  the  means  afforded  by  the  |>rcss  to 
add  to  their  store  of  knowledge  and  keep  pace  with 
the  world. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fahs,  their  childien  and  their  sons- 
in-law  and  daughters-in-law  belong  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  The  only  exception  is  the  Rev.  J. 
J.  Tobias,  who  is  identified  with  the  Metiiodist 
Episcopal  denomination.  All  are  actively  interested 
in  the  Sunday-school,  in  which  the  father  has  been 
a  teacher.  He  is  an  Elder  in  the  church.  He  has 
been  School  Director  and  School  Trustee  for  many 
years,  manifesting  the  interest  in  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation which  would  naturally  be  expected  of  a 
gentleman  as  intelligent  as  he.  The  first  school 
in  this  localitj'  was  on  his  farm,  the  first  teacher 
being  Ruth  E.  Winslow,  now  Mrs.  J.  A.  Fahs. 
The  Rev.  J.  J.  Tobias  was  also  a  teacher  in  the 
same  school. 

Mr.  Fahs  was  elected  Township  Supervisor,  serv- 
ing in  that  ofHce  two  terms.  He  has  always  been 
strongly  on  the  side  of  temperance,  and  has  be- 
longed to  a  temperance  society.  In  politics  he  has 
been  a  Whig,  a  Know-Nothing  and  a  Republican. 


Duinng  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  warm  advocate  of 
the  Union  cause,  supporting  it  very  liberally  with 
money  as  well  as  with  his  personal  influence.  He 
helped  to  organize  the  first  church  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, and  was  one  of  the  charter  members.  His 
religion  is  not  put  on  as  a  Sunday  garment,  hut  is 
a  clothing  for  every-day  life;  his  tastes  are  refined, 
his  mind  agluw  with  intelligence,  and  take  him  all 
in  all,  he  is  one  who  may  well  be  taken  as  a  model 
citizen  and  man. 


-^r 


E 


DWARD  JARMAN  is  managing  his  farming 
interests  in  DuPage  Township  with  satis- 
11^ — --^  factory  results.  He  is  a  native  of  Wales, 
born  August  21,  181G,  and  on  his  fatiier's  side 
coming  of  a  well-known  old  family  of  exclusively 
Welsh  origin.  His  parents,  Edward  and  Martha 
Jarman  were  likewise  natives  of  that  country.  He 
was  but  a  year  old  when  his  father  died.  His 
mother  survived  her  husljand  several  years;  her 
death  occurring  after  our  subject  had  been  in 
America  for  a  long  time.  He  was  the  youngest  of 
four  children  and  was  reared  in  his  native  land  by 
his  mother's  brothers,  making  his  home  with  them, 
more  or  less  until  he  came  to  this  country.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  and  he  was  bred  to  that  pur- 
suit. 

Starting  out  in  life  with  no  capital  excepting  his 
ph3'sical  and  mental  endowments,  in  1867,  thinking 
that  he  could  better  his  condition  in  this  great 
Republic,  he  took  passage  for  this  country  at  Liv- 
erpool and,  after  a  voyage  of  thirteen  and  one-half 
days,  first  set  foot  on  these  shores  in  the  great  me- 
tropolis of  the  country.  Rightly  believing  that  his 
best  chances  for  carrying  on  his  calling  as  a  farmer 
were  in  Illinois,  he  came  directly  to  this  State.  He 
began  his  life  here  bj'  working  out  for  others  and 
was  thus  engaged  for  seven  years.  For  more 
than  two  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Reuben 
Smith,  and  afterward  worked  for  Jonathan  Royce 
about  four  years,  and  for  nearly  three  years  farmed 
that  gentleman's  place  on  shares.  After  that  for 
five  j^ears  he  farmed  on  shares  in  Wheatland 
Township,  and   in    1882  came  to  this  township  to 


'^^Z^/l^l^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAI'HICAL  ALBUM. 


235 


take  up  liis  residence.  lie  located  first  on  section 
7,  made  his  abode  tliere  tvvo  j'ears  and  tiien  settled 
or.  his  present  farm  on  section  19.  He  has  more 
tlian  one  luindred  and  ninety-tliree  acres  of  land,  of 
which  one  luindred  and  throe  acres  comprise  the 
liome  farm.  1'his  is  already  under  excellent  culti- 
vation and  yields,  in  repa3Mnent  for  liis  hard  laliors, 
fine  harvests.  It  supplieil  with  suitable  l)uildings 
and  Mr.  Jarman  has  good  machinery'  to  carr^-  on 
his  farm  work. 

By  his  marriage,  November  15,  1873,  with  Miss 
Mar}-  A.  Campbell,  a  native  of  Ireland,  our  subject 
secured  the  co-operation  of  a  cheerful  hel|ier  and 
active  wx)rker.  Three  children.  Gertie,  Mary  and 
Lulu,  have  blessed  their  mai-riage  to  them. 

As  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Jarman  has  had  his  own 
way  to  make  in  the  world,  and  that  he  has  done 
well  so  far  is  evinced  by  the  condition  of  his  es- 
lata.  He  possesses  a  fair  share  of  energy,  acumen 
and  thrift,  and  a  knack  of  working  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, ;uid  these,  with  other  attributes,  have 
contributed  to  his  prosperity.  He  is  a  man  of 
intelligence,  is  well  posted  in  general  affairs,  and 
manifests  proper  public  spirit.  He  has  done  good 
service  .as  School  Director.  He  interests  himself 
sufficiently  in  the  politics  of  his  adopted  country 
to  take  sides  with  the  Republican  party. 


iDMUND  WiLCOX.  For  a  period  of  thir- 
teen years  'Squire  Wilcox  has  officiated  as 
Justice  of  the  I'eace  in  Joliet,  being  elected 
to  this  office  in  the  spring  of  1877,  and  serving 
continuously  by  re-elections  since  that  time.  He 
was  elected  each  time  by  an  almost  unanimous 
vote,  and  at  the  last  election  received  all  but  fifty 
of  the  ballots  cast.  One  year  he  received  twenty- 
three  hundred  out  of  about  twenty-four  hundred 
votes  cast.  Although  a  pronounced  Democrat, 
his  name  was  on  all  the  tickets  of  all  parties  and 
these  facts  indicate  his  popularity  among  the  peo- 
()le  of  this  count}-.  He  keeps  one  of  the  neatest 
dockets  ever  opened,  there  being  scarcely  a  blot  on 
all  the  pages  on  which  he  has  entered  records  for 
the  last  thirteen  years.     Socially   and   in  business 


circles  he  is  a  universal  favorite,  being  of  genial 
and  obliging  disposition,  and  making  friends  where 
ever  he  goes. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was   born  September 
18,  1816,  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  thus 
ai)iiroaching  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  liis  age.  He 
is  the  offspring  of  an  excellent   family,    being   the 
son  of   Loammi  and   Hnnuah    (I'adilock)    Wilcox, 
who  were  natives  respectively  of  Connecticut  and 
Washington    County,  N.     Y.     The  father    was    a 
farmer  by  occupation  and   met  an  accidental  death 
in  Onondaga  County  in   1830,  at  the  age  of   fifty 
years.     The   parental    household  consisted  of  four 
children,  of  whom  Edmund  was  the  second  born. 
His  younger  brother,   Harvey,  of  Los  Gatos,  Cal., 
is  now  deceased;  Cordelia  W.,  Mrs.  Clement,   re- 
sides in  Joliet;  Caroline,  the  wife  of   Dr.  Wilson, 
died  j'n  her  native   county;  Loammi  Wilcox  was  a 
carpenter  by   trade,  which  he   followed,  however, 
but  a  few  years,  finally  engaging  in  the  more  con- 
genial occupations  of  farm  life.     The  Wilcox  fam- 
ily was  an  old  and  prominent  one  in  New  England. 
The  district  school  afforded  Mr.  Wilcox  his  early 
ecbication  and  later  he  entered  Hamilton  College 
at  Clinton,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1835.     The  following  year  he  came  to  Joliet,  and 
for  thirty  years  thereafter  was  engaged  in  the  dry- 
goods  business,  being  part  of  the  time  associated  in 
partership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Clement. 
He  has  always  signalized   himself  as  a    progressive 
and  public-spirited  citizen  and   for  ten  years  was 
President  of  the  Gas  Company,  superintending  the 
construction  of  their  building  and  being  otherwise 
prominent  in  its  management,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  City  Council. 
In  making  the  journey  hither  from  New  York  State 
he    traveled    overland  by    team,  sometimes    in    a 
wagon  and  sometimes  on  a  sled,  it  being  in  winter, 
and  accompanied  by  three  other   young  men.     He 
thus  had  a  full  ex[)erience  of  pioneer  life  and  has 
been  the  interested  witness  of  the  transformation 
of  this  section  of  the  country   from   a  wilderness 
into  the  abode  of  a  civilized  and  prosperous  people. 
After  becoming  a  resident  of  Joliet  Mr.  Wilcox 
was  married   March  26,  1845,  to  Miss  Sarah  M., 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Electa  (Chauncey)  Green. 
The  parents   of   Mrs.  AVilcox  came   to  this    State 


236 


I'ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


from  AVasliingtoii  County,  N.  Y.,  sfittling  in  Mc- 
Heiiry  County.  During  bis  younger  years  Mr. 
Green  engaged  in  mercliandising,  but  after  coming 
to  Illinois,  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  spent  their  last  years  in 
Blue  Island,  Cook  County.  Mrs.  Wilcox  was  born 
July  23,  1825,  in  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
remained  a  member  of  her  father's  household  until 
her  marriage.  Of  her  union  with  our  subject  there 
was  born  a  family  of  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
died  in  infancy:  Alvin  C.  who  died  May  II,  1873, 
leaving  one  child,  now  the  wife  of  H.  E.  Porter,  of 
Joliet.;  William  G.,  is  Cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank;  Frederick  C.  is  engaged  as  a  luml/er  dealer, 
manager  and  partner  of  the  firm  of  Wilcox  Bros. ; 
Charles  C.  is  the  City  Clerk  of  Joliet.  Mrs.  Sarah 
M.  Wilcox  departed  this  life  at  her  home  in  Joliet, 
March  12,  1890.  at  the  .age  of  sixty-four  years. 

The  long  period  during  which  Mr.  Wilcox  has 
resided  in  Will  County  has  made  him  well  known 
to  the  citizens,  who  will  therefore  welcome  his  por- 
trait as  a  valued  addition  to  the  Album. 


:|       SALTER  PADDOCK,  a  pioneer 

\rJ/l'    years    standing,  established  h 

W^J     resident  of  Homer  Township, 


!^,ALTER  PADDOCK,  a  pioneer  of  fifty-two 

himself    as    a 
this  county, 

in  February,  1838,  and  he  Las  since  resided  within 
its  limits.  The  country  was  then  in  wide  contrast 
to  its  present  condition  and  no  man  has  looked 
with  warmer  interest  upon  its  |)rogress  and  develop- 
ment than  he  with  whose  name  we  introduce  this 
sketch.  He  h.as  had  a  full  experience  of  life  in  the 
early  days  and  by  his  industry  and  his  good  quali- 
ties as  a  citizen,  has  contributed  his  full  quota  to 
the  growth  and  progress  of  his  adopted  township. 
No  man  in  the  townshi[)  has  made  for  himself  a 
better  record  and  none  are  held  in  higher  esteem. 
The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  fifth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  fourteen  children,  the  offspring  of  Jonathan 
and  Mercy  (Weaver)  Paddock,  and  was  born  in 
Camillus,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  August  19, 
1817.  He  remained  a  resident  of  his  native  county 
until  a  youth  of  eighteen  3'ears  and  afterward  lived 
iu  Cayuga  County  two  years.     Then,  in  February, 


1838,  he  emigrated  to  Illinois  and  has  since  been  a 
resident  of  Homer  Township,  this  county. 

The  early  years  of  Mr.  Paddock  were  spent  in  a 
comparativel}'  uneventful  manner,  in  attendance  at 
the  district  school  and  le.irning  tlie  various  arts 
pertaining  to  farm  life.  He  was  content  to  adopt 
this  as  his  life  vocation  and  has  been  uniformly 
successful  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  securing  a  home 
and  a  competence  for  his  declining  years.  When 
nearly  thirty  years  of  age  be  was  married  in  Homer 
Township  February  25,  1817,  to  Miss  Jane  S. 
daughter  of  the  late  T.  T.  and  Mary  (Ilollenback) 
Roberts,  who  were  natives  of  Vermont. 

After  marriage  the  newly  wedded  [)air  settled 
on  a  farm  on  section  21,  Homer  Township,  whence 
in  1849,  they  removed  to  that  which  they  now 
own  and  occup}'.  The  household  circle  was  com- 
pleted by  the  birtli  of  five  children,  the  eldest  of 
whom,  a  son,  George  A.,  died  September  9,  1887, 
at  the  age  of  thirty  nine  years.  Jerome  is  farming 
in  Homer  Township;  Florence  died  when  three 
3'ears  old;  Elmer  E.  and  Merton  F.,  are  farming 
in  Homer  Township.  Politically',  Mr.  Paddock  is 
in  accord  with  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  represented  Homer  Township  in  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  for  a  period  of  six 
years  and  has  also  officiated  as  Assessor  several 
terms.  The  cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in 
him  a  firm  friend.  He  has  officiated  as  a  School 
Trustee,  also  as  Highway  Commissioner  aud  Towti- 
ship  Collector,  and  to  whatever  position  he  lias 
been  called,  he  has  fulfilled  its  duties  in  a  manner 
creditable  to  himself  and  satisfactory  to  all  con- 
cerned. Mrs.  Paddock  belongs  to  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Homer  Township. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Jonathan  Paddock, 
a  native  of  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  who  mar- 
ried jNIiss  Mercy  Weaver,  who  was  also  born  in  the 
Empire  State.  The  parents  were  married  in  Wash- 
ington County  and  settled  in  Onondaga  County, 
whence  the^'  removed  later  to  the  town  of  Aurelius, 
in  Cayuga  County,  where  they  both  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six  3'ears.  N.ine  of  their  children  lived  to 
become  men  and  women;  seven  are  now  living  and 
residents  mostly  of  Michigan,  New  York  and  Illi 
nois. 

Mrs.  Paddock  was  born  March  1 1, 1825,  in  Men- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


237 


(Ion.  IMonroe  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  third  in  a 
family  of  eight  children.  Siie  came  with  her  parents 
to  Illinois  about  181.5.  The  latter  were  natives  of 
Vermont  and  after  their  removal  to  New  Yf)rk 
.State  with  their  respective  i)arenls  were  residents  of 
Monroe  and  Niagara  Counties.  Mrs.  Roherts  de- 
parted this  life  at  Lemont,  111.,  a  few  years  ago. 
Mr.  Roberts  died  in  Momencc  about  1851.  They 
were  most  worthy  and  estimable  people,  enjoying 
the  resiicct  of  all  who  knew  them. 


♦^^^ 


\f  ACOB  KARCH.  One  of  the  most  enter|)ris- 
ing  and  public-spirited  farmers  of  Frankfort 
Township  is  the  gentleman  above  named, 
whose  pleasant  home  is  located  on  section 
25.  His  estate  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty 
broad  and  fertile  acres,  which  under  his  careful  and 
intelligent  control  produce  abundantly  and  make 
their  c\dtivation  both  pleasant  and  profitalile.  A 
full  line  of  farm  buildings  is  conveniently  dis- 
posed, and  a  fine  orchard  supi)lies  an  abundance  of 
fruit  as  well  as  adorning  the  farm  with  its  pleasing 
shade  and  waving  boughs.  Mr.  Kareh  raises  grain 
and  cattle  and  a  good  grade  of  draft  horses,  of 
which  he  keeps  about  fifteen  head. 

This  gentleman  is  of  German  ancestry,  his  father, 
Heury  ,1.  Karch,  having  been  born  near  Frank- 
fort on  the  Rhine.  He  was  a  baker  there  but  after- 
ward engaged  in  hotel-keeping  until  1838,  when  he 
came  to  America  and  located  in  Herkimer  County, 
N.  Y.  There  he  continued  the  occupation  of  an 
hotel  koe|)er  and  also  conducted  a  farm  finally 
opei-ating  one  hundred  acres.  In  1850  he  changed 
his  location  to  Will  Coiint3',  111.,  buying  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  on  section  36,  Frankfort 
Township.  Here  be  broke  the  soil  and  made  all  the 
improvements,  carrying  his  produce  to  Chicago  bj' 
teams  and  consuming  three  daj's  in  the  tri[).  He 
was  a  ver^'  successful  farmer  and  eventually  be- 
came the  owner  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  which  is  divided  into  three  improved  farms. 
He  held  township  oftices  at  various  times,  built  the 
first  school-house  and  church  in  his  vicinity  and 
manifested  a  high  degree  of  public  spirit.     He  be- 


came well-known  as  a  straightforward  business 
man.  In  |)olitics  he  was  a  strong  Republican  and 
in  religion  a  mend)er  of  the  German  Methodist 
IO|iiscopal  Church  in  which  he  was  Class-Leader  and 
otherwise  prominent.  He  died  on  his  homestead  in 
1888,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 

The  wife  of  Henr3' Karch  was  Catherine  Feeter, 
who  was  l)orn  in  Bayren,  (Jermany,  and  who  died 
on  the  home  farm  four  weeks  after  her  Inisliand. 
She  had  borne  eight  children  named  respectively, 
Catherine,  Caroline,  Henry,  Charles,  Jacob,  Martin, 
IMargaret  and  Fred.  Henry  was  a  member  of  the 
One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantiy,  in  which  he  en- 
listed in  1 8G2,  and  w-as  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chick- 
aniauga. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
this  sketch  was  born  on  the  Mohawk  River,  near 
Frankfort,  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  September  5, 
1816.  He  was  but  four  years  old  when  his  father 
removed  to  the  Prairie  State,  the  journey  being 
performed  by  rail  to  Chicago  and  by  team  to  the 
farm  in  this  county.  Here  the  lad  grew  to  man- 
hood amid  the  usnal  surroundings  of  a  farmer's 
son  and  was  early  set  to  work  in  the  fields.  His 
education  was  received  at  what  was  known  as 
'vSkunk's  Grove  Knowledge  Shop,"  an  old  log 
schoolhouse  with  slab  benches  and  the  other  prim- 
itive furnishings  common  in  new  settlements. 

During  the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
wild  game  was  still  plentiful  in  the  vicinity  of  his 
home  and  oxen  were  used  upon  the  farms,  several 
yoke  being  attached  to  the  breaking  plows,  and 
which  he  learned  to  drive.  On  ouc  occasion  when 
about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  sent  to  Chicago 
to  sell  a  yoke  of  fine  large  oxen.  On  the  way  he 
had  to  cross  a  creek  which  was  frozeu  over  and  the 
cattle  refused  to  go  upon  the  ice.  As  soon  as  they 
came  to  the  edge  of  the  stream  they  woidd  back 
and  in  spite  of  his  efforts  they  continued  this 
process  for  about  an  hour  when  the  bo3- thought  of 
a  scheme  by  which  he  could  get  them  across.  Turn- 
ing them  with  their  heads  toward  home  he  backed 
them  on  to  the  ice  and  as  soon  as  they  saw  it  before 
them,  they  continued  the  backing  process  very 
rapid  1  J'. 

Young  Karch  remained  at  work  for  his  father 
until  about  twenty-four  years  old   when   he  took 


238 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


personal  control  of  the  farm,  continuing  it  some 
Ibree  years.  He  then  purchased  his  present  place, 
tlie  quarter  section  having  no  improvements  except 
the  breaking.  The  soil  being  all  tillable  except 
what  is  left  in  the  timber  and  the  owner  having  tiie 
knowledge  and  experience  of  a  practical  farmer,  he 
soon  brought  it  to  its  present  condition  of  beauty 
and  worth.  The  lady  to  whom  he  owes  the  com- 
fort of  his  home  life  was  known  in  her  maidenhood 
as  Miss  Louisa  Schraeder.  She  was  born  on  board 
a  Mississipi)i  steamer  when  her  i)arents  were  com- 
ing from  New  Orleans.  Her  father,  Martin  Schrae- 
der, was  formerly  a  farmer  at  Blue  Island,  Cook 
County,  but  is  now  residing  in  Chicago,  having  be- 
come well-to-do  and  retired  from  his  active  labors 
four  years  since. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  Karch  was 
celebrated  in  tliis  county  in  1873,  and  has  lieen 
lilest  by  the  birth  of  six  children  named  respectively, 
Albert,  Laura,  diaries,  Carrie,  Lydia  and  Artliur. 
Their  home  being  but  two  miles  from  Frankfort, 
they  have  excellent  advantages  which  combine  tlic 
best  of  country  and  town  life, and  their  children  arc 
being  well  reared  and  educated.  Mr.  Karch  was 
School  Director  nine  years  and  was  the  means  of 
placing  the  school  on  the  improved  footing  in 
which  it  is  now  carried  on.  He  belongs  to  tiie 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Frankfort,  in  which 
he  has  been  Steward  and  Trustee.  In  politics  he  is 
a  stanch  Republican.  His  personal  popularity  is 
great  and  all  recognize  his  worth  as  a  man  and  cit- 
izen. 


ON.  MICHAEL  COLLINS.     Day  by    day 
I)  each    human   being    is  building   a     monu- 


ment more  enduring  than  Time  itself — 
one  which  for  grandeur  and  sublimity 
depends  entirely  upon  the  subject  and  is  in  no  wise 
affected  by  what  '•  they  "  say  or  do.  This  is  the 
monument  of  a  life,  and  the  pleasing  task  of  the 
biographical  writer  is  to  set  this  upon  the  printed 
page.  When  the  mind  and  bean  of  men  are 
attuned  to  noble  deeds  and  upward  growth,  it  needs 
not  that  we  add  to  the  simple  record  what  would 
but  "gild  refined  gold  "  but  to  call  attention  only 


to  wliat  has  been  done  in  l)usiness,  ottice  or  society, 
anil  the  traits  that  a  personal  acquaintance  will 
reveal. 

The  Irish  race  is  honored  in  the  person  of  the 
gentleman  named  above,  who  is  now  engaged  in 
business  in  Peotone,  owning  a  large  grain  elevator 
there,  and  also  holds  membership  on  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  as  will 
be  seen,  and  the  reason  therefor  understood  by  fol- 
lowing the  facts  of  the  parental  histor}-.  His 
parents,  John  and  Bridget  (IMulvihill)  Collins, 
were  born  in  County  Clare,  Ireland,  the  one  in 
1815  and  the  other  in  1817,  the  father  being  a 
gardener  in  bis  own  land.  They  were  married  in 
1843,  and  became  the  parents  of  five  children — 
Miciiael;  John,  deceased;  Martin,  who  is  in  the 
hardvvare  business  in  Peotone;  Thomas,  Illinois 
Central  Agent  at  Grand  Crossing;  and  Mary,  wife 
of  William  T.  Shaffer,  a  farmer  in  Wayne  County. 

When  the  Emerald  Isle  was  sorely  afflicted  by 
famine  in  1848,  Mr.  Collins  came,  to  America  and 
obtaining  work  on  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad 
earned  money  to  send  his  suffering  family  and 
finally  to  bring  the  mother  and  two  sons — the  fam- 
ily then — across  the  briny  deep.  A  temporary 
home  was  ma<le  in  the  Green  Mountain  State, 
whence  they  removed  to  Canada.  There  the  fatlier 
worked-on  the  Great  Western  Railroad  for  six  years 
or  until  its  completion,  then  locating  in  Fayette 
County,  111.,  where  he  still  resides.  He  helped  to 
build  Ihe  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  continuing  his 
arduous  laltors  until  about  a  dozen  years  ago.  He 
is  still  active,  bearing  his  years  well,  but  his  wife 
is  not  in  robust  health.  They  were  not  able  to 
bestow  upon  their  children  all  the  advantages  that 
would  be  possible  if  they  were  young  now,  but 
gave  them  good  advice  and  what  education  they 
could. 

Michael  Collins  was  born  in  County  Clare,  ne.ar 
the  historic  ground  of  tlie  Shannon  River,  October 
15,  1845,  and  was  about  five  years  old  when 
brought  to  America.  The  schooling  he  received 
was  barely  sufficient  to  give  him  an  understanding 
of  the  rudiments  of  education,  but  since  attaining 
manliood.hc  has  diligentl}'  applied  himself  to  study 
and  made  wonderful  progress.  He  has  carried  on 
a  systematic  course  of  general  rciading,  including 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


239 


law,  politics  and  ethics;  aiul  has  collected  one  of 
the  finest  and  best  selected  libraries  in  this  locality. 
It  contains  standard  works  on  almost  every  con- 
ceivable subject,  scarcely  a  topic  referred  to  in  his 
home  being  without  its  volume  for  consultation. 

When  sixteen  years  old  young  Collins  l)cgan  life 
for  himself  by  securing  a,  clerkship  in  a  store  at 
Farina,  Fayette  County.  The  opportunity  for  ad- 
vancement seemed  limited  and  his  ambition  led 
him  to  desire  a  broader  field.  He  therefore  went 
to  Kinniundy,  Marion  Count}',  where  he  learned 
telegraphy  and  station  work  on  the  Illinois  Central 
line.  In  18G3,  he  was  appointed  night  operator  at 
<!ilman,  Iroquois  County,  and  a  month  later  w.is 
transferred  to  Makanda,  Jackson  County,  as  agent 
and  operator  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  He 
performed  the  duties  of  the  oHice  but  a  year  when 
on  account  of  fever  and  ague  he  obtained  a  trans- 
fei'  to  Peotone,  where  he  added  the  duties  of  ox- 
press  agent  to  those  he  had  formerly  carried  on. 

For  twelve  years  Mr.  Collins  held  the  position 
here,  satisfying  his  employers  and  the  public,  and 
he  then  resigned  in  favor  of  his  brother  Thomas, 
himself  entering  into  the  grain  and  h.ay  business 
in  company  with  Robert  Rains,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Rains  &  Collins.  In  1875,  the  connec- 
tion was  dissolved  and  a  new  partnership  formed, 
the  firm  of  Schrocder,  Smith  &  Collins  embarking 
in  the  sale  of  general  merchandise  and  carrying  it 
on  five  years.  During  that  time  our  subject  and 
Mr.  Schroeder  were  also  connected  in  the  grain 
business,  the  style  of  the  firm  being  Collins  and 
Schrocder. 

The  same  year  that  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  Presidency,  Mr.  C'oUins  made  the  race  in  this 
district  for  the  Legislature  and  was  elected  on  the 
Republican  ticket  by  a  large  raajorit}'.  His  record 
in  the  Thirty-second  General  Assemblj'  of  Illinois 
is  one  of  an  opponent  of  all  ring  jobs,  unnecessary 
and  extravagant  ai)iiropriations,  and  the  friend  of 
every  means  of  real  development  and  moral  growth, 
lie  has  held  local  offices  for  many  years  and  his 
popularity  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  has 
repeatedly  defeated  candidates  of  the  German  race 
which  predominates  in  his  locality.  He  has  been 
Sujiorvisor  of  Peotone  Township  for  years,  has 
also  been  Chairman  of  the  County  Hoard,  member 


of  the  Village  Board  and  School  Director.  He  has 
likewise  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  although  he 
read  law  for  purely  business  purposes  and  not 
with  the  intention  of  practicing  it  other  than  in 
his  own  affairs. 

The  same  fall  that  he  was  elected  to  the  legisla- 
ture, Mr.  Collins  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  business  and  bought  out  his  part- 
ner in  the  grain  trade,  to  which  he  has  given  his 
exclusive  attention  as  a  means  of  support  and  gain. 
The  trade  has  constantly  grown  in  his  hands,  the 
month  of  May,  1890,  having  brought  him  $20,000 
in  business  in  Peotone.  In  connection  with  that 
business  he  holds  a  membership  in  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade,  thus  being  able  to  operate  among 
the  bulls  and  bears  of  the  grain  market  that  almost 
rules  the  deals  of  the  country.  Mr.  Collins  also 
has  a  half  interest  in  the  Tile  Works  at  Peotone, 
and  a  share  with  his  brother  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Collins  was  fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a  life 
comp.anion,gaining  for  his  wife  Miss  Caroline  Foike, 
who  became  Mrs.Collins,December  2,1869.  She  looks 
well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  graciously  pre- 
sides over  the  tasteful  dwelling,  and  surrounds  her 
family  with  the  joys  of  home  only  possible  to  a 
true  and  devoted  woman.  She  was  born  May  22, 
1852,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and 
belongs,  like  her  husband,  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Her  father,  Dr.  Henry  Folkc,  was  a  prom- 
inent ph3'sician  of  this  county  for  many  years;  he 
died  in  1879.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Louisa  Klinsman  and  is  still  living,  making  her 
home  with  ftlr.  and  Mrs.  Collins.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
FoIke  were  born  in  German}'  whence  they  came  to 
America  many  years  ago. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collins  three  children  have  been 
born — Kittle,  Grace  and  Paul.  Miss  Kittle  was 
graduated  from  the  Peotone  High  School  in  1890, 
and  will  take  a  course  of  instruction  in  instrument- 
al and  vocal  music  at  Lake  Forest  University,  near 
Chicago,  next  year.  Miss  Grace  will  accompany 
her  and  take  a  classical  and  scientific  course,  while 
it  is  the  intention  of  the  parents  to  give  Master 
Paul  equally  good  opportunities  as  his  years 
increase. 

Mr.  Ct)llins  is  Elder  and   Trustee  in  the  Presby- 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


terian  Church  nnd  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School.  Miss  Kiltie  teaches  the  infant  class.  In 
principles  and  practice,  Mr.  Collins  is  a  temperance 
man.  He  has  been  a  Republican  since  he  arrived 
at  manhood  and  was  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  when  it  was  dangerous,  in  Southern  Illinois, 
to  belong  to  it  or  the  Republican  part}'.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  conventions,  county,  State 
nnd  Congressional.  He  belongs  to  Peotone  Lodge, 
636,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  in  which  he  has  occupied  the 
Secretary's  chair  man)^  times. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Collins  was  a  purchase  and 
has  been  remodeled  and  beautified  since  he  became 
the  owner.  It  is  furnished  throughout  in  accor- 
dance with  the  taste  of  the  occupants  and  is  a  pop- 
ular gathering  place  for  the  best  citizens.  A  few 
years  ago  Mr.  Collins  platted  Collins'  Addition  to 
Peotone.  He  has  owned  several  farms  but  only  for 
purposes  of  speculation,  selling  when  good  oppor 
tunities  came.  When  three  years  old  he  had  the 
small  pox,  and,  taking  cold,  the  disease  settled  in 
his  right  side  and  limb,  permanently  crippling 
him. 


=ISi 


!ai;?s 


HIHE 


if^^^HOMAS  CULBERTSON.  Tliis  genlleman 
is  numbered  among  the  old  settlers  of  Will 
County,  in  which  his  residence  began  in 
1836,  a  few  months  after  he  liad  attained  his  ma- 
jority. The  long  years  which  he  has  spent  here 
have  given  him  an  extended  acquaintance  through- 
out the  count}',  and  he  is  well-known  .is  one  whose 
}  ears  have  been  spent  in  industry  and  good  citi- 
zensiiip.  He  is  the  youngest  of  ten  children  who 
comprised  the  family  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Wood)  Culbertson,  parents  and  children  being- 
natives  of  New  Castle  County,  Delaware. 

The  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light  Au- 
gust 23,  1814,  and  his  boyliood  was  passed  in  the 
ljurtuit  of  knowledge  and  the  home  duties  suited 
lo  liis  years.  AVhon  sixteen  years  old  he  learned 
the  miller's  trade,  at  which  he  was  occu[)ied  in  liis 
native  State  until  he  came  to  Joliet.  Here  he 
found  em|iloyment  in  the  McKee  mill,  in  which  he 
remaidcd  until  August,  1838,  after  which  lie  spent 
two  or  tliree  months  in  the  Norman   mill,  the   dam 


of  which  was  then  taken  out  for  the  canal.  He 
then  went  to  Wilmington,  finding  employment  at 
his  trade  in  the  mill  of  Dr.  Bowen,  and  after 
twelve  months  spent  tjiere  returned  to  Joliet  and 
entered  the  Robert  Jones  steam  mill.  There  he 
was  engaged  but  a  few  weeks,  leaving  to  settle  on 
Hickory  Creek,  where  he  engaged  in  milling  for 
himself.  The  old  Red  Mill  having  been  begun 
but  left  unfinished,  Mr.  Culbertson  rented  and  fin- 
ished it,  operating  it  for  two  years  prior  to  his 
purchase  of  the  property,  which  he  continued  to 
manage  until  the  summer  of  1865.  Since  that 
time  he  has  followed  different  occupations,  having 
sold  his  mill  a  short  time  after  he  gave  up  oper- 
ating it,  and  having  since  his  marriage  occupied 
the  homestead  on  section  12.  His  home  is  one 
of  comfort,  the  dw'elling  being  a  cozy  one,  and 
tlie  Land  which  accompanies  it  sufficient  in  extent 
to  furnish  farm  products  "enough  and  to  spare" 
fpr  the  use  of  the  family.  The  little  farm  com- 
prises thirteen  acres,  which  under  careful  control 
is  of  more  value  than  many  estates  much  greater 
in  extent. 

In  March,  1850,  having  been  .attacked  by  gohl 
fever,  Mr.  Culbertson,  with  several  companions 
left  Joliet  to  cross  tlie  plains  to  California.  Their 
journey  to  the  Eldorado  and  the  experiences 
which  Mr.  Culbertson  passed  through  in  the  four 
years  of  his  residence  upon  the  Coast,  become 
very  interesting  when  graphically  pictured  by 
himself,  but  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  attempt  their 
recital  here.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  mining  to 
which  he  devoted  himself  proved  more  lucralivp 
than  in  the  case  of  many  who  had  left  home  and 
friends  and  exposed  themselves  to  danger  and  pri 
vation  in  their  search  for  tlie  precious  metal. 

On  November  19,  1856.  in  Joliet  Townshi[),  Mr. 
Culbertson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar- 
tha M.,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Mary  (Runyon )  Ker- 
cheval.  The  bride  was  born  in  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  October  9,  1824,  and  was  six  years  of  age 
when  brought  by  her  parents  to  the  Prairie  State, 
their  settlement  being  made  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship, tills  county,  where  they  abode  until  death. 
Mr.  Kercheval  was  a  native  of  A'irginia  and  his 
wife  of  Kentucky.  They  had  ten  children,  of 
whom    Mrs.    Culbertson   is  the   fifth    in   order  of 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


241 


birtli.  Slie  had  the  advantage  of  exccileut  home 
trftinini>-,  acquiring  many  useful  arts,  together 
with  the  qualities  of  disposition  and  character 
wliieli  malie  her  respected  and  admired,  and  wiiich 
liave  been  a  potent  factor  in  the  comfort  of  liome 
life.  She  has  borne  her  husband  three  children — 
Thomas  E.,  Mary  E.  and  Anne  E.  The  son  is  now 
book-keeper  for  Sanger  &  IMoody,  in  Chicago; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Wilbur  11.  Smith,  of  Joliet; 
Anne  died  when  aliout  nineteen  months  old. 

l\Ir.  Cull)erlson  lias  served  both  as  School  Direc- 
tor and  School  Trustee,  fulfilling  the  duties  of  the 
offices  in  a  creditable  manner,  and  evincing  a  deep 
interest  in  the  progress  of  education.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat.  Both  himself  and  wife  have 
man>'  warm  friends  in  the  county,  and  although 
they  are  highl}'  regarded  for  the  labors  of  their 
eai'lier  years  and  their  record  as  old  settlers,  the 
respect  in  which  tiiey  are  held  is  due  still  more  to 
their  i)Ieasant  naf\ires  and  upright  chai'acters. 


.^ilfi%.. 


bEVI  M.  CLAYES.  This  name  represents 
one  of  the  oldest  living  pioneers  of  Will 
County.  lie  came  to  this  region  as  early 
as  1832,  when  the  present  site  of  Joliet  was  covered 
with  weeds  fifteen  feet  higli.  The  main  thorough- 
fare through  this  part  of  the  country'  terminated 
at  Lockport,  which  was  a  hamlet  of  half  a  dozen 
shanties  located  near  the  river.  ^Ir.  Clayes  took 
up  a  tract  of  riovernment  land  in  the  vicinity  of 
Lockport,  and  after  making  some  improvements 
left  it  and  went  to  Chelsea,  now  Frankfort,  where 
he  esLablished  a  store  of  general  merchandise, 
having  mostly  the  i-ed  men  of  the  forest  for  his 
customers. 

Mr.  Clayes  likewise  was  one  of  the  first  Postmas- 
ters in  Will  County,  and  conducted  the  office  and 
his  store  until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  a 
change  of  occupation.  He  then  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming  on  the  section  of  land  of  which  he 
was  the  owner  and  became  well-to-do,  bringing  a 
large  portion  of  Lis  land  to  a  good  state  of  culiva- 
tion  and  putting  up  fine  buildings.     He  also  set  out 


an  orchard  with  numbers  of  other  fruit  and  shade 
trees,  while  about  one  mile  south  grew  up  by  de- 
grees the  town  of  F'rankfort. 

In  March,  18G8,  Mr.  Clayes  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  another  farm  belonging  to  him  and  lo- 
cated in  the  same  section.  There  also  he  operated 
a  steam  sawmill  and  in  this  manner  dis|)0sed  of 
about  eighty  acres  of  oak  and  walnut  timber.  The 
Rock  Island  Railroad  furnished  him  al)undant  ship- 
ping facilities  and  he  realized  from  this  venture 
handsome  returns.  He  remained  there  until  wisely 
deciding  to  lessen  his  labors  and  cares,  and  in  1873 
removed  to  Joliet  .and  erected  a  large  fine  house  at 
the  intersection  of  Scott  and  Webster  Streets.  This 
forms  one  of  the  most  attractive  homes  of  the  city. 
The  dwelling  stands  back  from  the  street  and  in 
front  of  it  is  an  extensive  lawn  while  the  general 
surroundings  of  the  place  indicate  the  cultured 
tastes  and  ample  means  of  the  proprietor.  Mr. 
CLaj'es  is  the  owner  of  other  valuable  city  iiroperty 
and  a  farm  in  Green  Garden  Township,  besides  real 
estate  in  Wilmington.  He  has  accumulated  his 
jrosscssions  by  his  own  industry  and  economy,  hav- 
ing at  the  start  no  resources  but  those  with  which 
nature  h.ad  endowed  him.  He  has  had  little  time 
to  meddle  with  political  matters,  aside  from  giving 
his  unqualified  support  to  the  Republican  party. 

During  his  younger  years  Mr.  Cla3-es  enjoyed  in 
more  tlian  an  ordinar}'. degree  youthful  |)leasures 
and  recreations,  and  in  com[)any  with  Mr.  Stillman, 
inaugurated  the  first  ball  ever  given  in  the  county. 
The  invitations  were  gotten  up  in  fine  style,  the 
paper  being  embellished  with  the  United  States 
coat-of-arms  and  the  American  eagle.  They  were 
headed  "Union  Hall"  and  read  as  follows:  "The 
man.agers  present  their  compliments  and  respect- 
fully solicit   the  company  of at   the  Joliet 

Hotel,  Thursd.ay,  the  24th  inst.,  at  3  o'clock,  P.jM., 
fall  of  1834. 

O.  W.  Stillman,  J.  W.  Biowu,  ().  T.  Rogers,  L. 
M.  Clayes,  S.  S.  Chamberlain,  C.  Sa^'re,  A.  Castle, 
R.  Nixon,  S.  Munson,  Man.agers.      , 

O.  W.  Stillman,  L.  M.  Clayes,  Floor  Managers." 

The  suliject  of  this  notice  was  born  February  8, 
1808,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  is  the  son  of  Peter 
and  Lois  Clayes,  who  were  natives  of  Scotland  and 
Massachusetts,   respectivelj',   and   spent  their  last 


242 


PORTltAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


j-ears  in  Frankfort,  Will  County.  Peter  Clayes 
was  the  original  manufacturer  of  the  Chickering 
Pianos  at  iS'evv  Ipswich,  N.  H.  L.  M.  when  a  young 
man  removed  to  Pittsford  near  Rocliestcr,  N-.  Y. 
When  reaching  manhood  he  repaired  to  Pittsburg, 
Pa.  and  subsequently  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  both  of 
whicli  places  his  brother-in-law,  Sylvauus  Lathrop, 
was  engaged  as  a  builder  and  contractor,  mostly  of 
bridges,  and  i»ut  up  several  large  structures  of  the 
l<ind  at  both  places.  He  came  to  Illinois  when 
about  twcnt3--three  years  old  and  was  sui)sequently 
married  in  Moivena.  III.,  November  21,  1858,  to 
Miss  Parthena  F.  I5eiiedict.  This  lady  was  born  in 
Colborne,  Canada,  June  29,  1832.  Of  this  union 
there  are  two  daugiiters,  viz. :  Hattie  A.,  the  wife 
of  C.  H.  'I'alcott,  Cashier  of  the  Will  County  Bank, 
and  Louise  B.,  who  remains  at  home  with  her  par- 
ents. The  parents  of  Mrs.  Claj'cs  were  Amzi  L., 
and  Lucy  (Iloyt)  Benedict,  natives  of  Connecticut 
and  New  Hampshire,  respeclivcl}-,  now   deceased. 


r«»r' 


THOMAS  D.  P'ERGUSON.  Farming  has 
W^^  been  the  chief  occupation  of  Mr.  Ferguson 
S^^y  since  he  reached  man's  estate,  and  he  now 
gives  his  attention  to  that  and  to  the  dairy  busi- 
ness at  his  pleasant  iiume  on  section  6,  New  Lenox 
Township.  Although  still  on  the  sunny  side  of 
forty,  having  been  born  March  31,  1853,  Mr. 
Ferguson  has  manifested  the  qualities  of  true 
manhood,  and  won  an  honorable  name  among  his 
fellow-men.  His  estate  comprises  eighty-eight 
acres,  on  which  a  conii)lele  line  of  farm  buildings 
li.as  been  erected,  all  above  the  average,  wliile 
other  improvements  are  in' accord  with  tiic  edifi- 
ces. The  snug  estate  is  so  well  managed  that  it 
affords  an  excellent  income  and  is  more  profitable 
than  a  larger  numlier  of  acres  would  be  if  under 
less  efficient  control. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  derives  his 
sterling  qualities  from  honorable  Scotch  ancestors, 
combining  traits  which  the  friends  of  his  deceased 
parents  well  remember  in  them.  His  father  was 
William  Ferguson,  and  liis  mother  Elizabeth  Doig, 


sister  of  Thomas  Doig,  whose  sketch  appears  in 
this  volume.  Thej'  were  born  in  the  land  which 
has  given  to  the  world  a  Bruce,  a  Burns,  and  many 
heroes  of  sword  and  pen.  After  their  marriage 
the}^  emigrated  to  America,  settling  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  this  county,  about  1833.  They  were 
therefore  numbered  among  the  early  settlers,  and 
shared  in  the  labors  which  have  resulted  in  the 
present  prosperity  and  liigh  development  of  this 
County.  They  continued  to  live  in  New  Lenox 
Tovvnship  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Ferguson,  which 
occurred  in  May,  18G2.  His  widow  breathed  her 
last  in  Chicago,  in  August,  1871. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  four  daughters 
and  live  sons,  he  of  whom  we  write  being  the  fifth 
in  order  of  birth.  His  early  years  were  spent  at 
the  home  in  this  countj'  and  in  Chicago,  his  edu- 
cation being  olttained  in  the  common  schools.  He 
was  first  married,  Januar3'  10,  1878,  to  Miss  .Sadie, 
daughter  of  Sylvauus  and  Mary  (Doxtader)  Lynk. 
The  wedding  took  pl.ace  in  New  Lenox  Township, 
in  which  the  bride  was  born,  and  where  she  died 
after  a  brief  married  life,  passing  away  December 
10,  1879.  She  left  .an  infant  son,.  William  L.  The 
second  marri.age  of  Mr.  Ferguson  took  |)l.ace  at  the 
residence  of  the  Hon.  Dwight  Haven,  October  19, 
1.S81.  The  bride  was  Miss  Nellie  L.,  daughter  of 
Dwiglit  and  Helen  L.  (Savage)  Haven,  and  was 
born  in  New  Lenox  Tovvnship,  November  2,  1853. 
Her  i)arental  and  ancestral  history  is  given  in  th? 
sketch  of  her  father,  found  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. 

Mr.  Ferguson  has  served  efficientlj'  as  School 
Director,  as  an  official  and  as  a  i)rivate  citizen 
manifesting  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion. In  politics  he  is  a  llejiublican.  Jlrs.  Fergu- 
son is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Growing 
to  maturity  amid  the  most  favorable  surroundings, 
she  developod  into  a  Iad3'  of  pleasing  manners, 
more  than  average  intelligence,  and  a  knowledge 
of  both  useful  and  ornamental  arts,  which  fitted 
her  for  any  sphere  in  life  and  causes  her  not  only 
to  be  cherished  bj"  her  companion  as  his  choicest 
blessing,  but  to  make  friends  wherever  she  is 
known.  Mr.  Ferguson  is  likewise  one  of  whom 
good  is  si)oken,  affording  the  biographical  writer 
a  pleasant  task  in  inditing  his  life  history. 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGUAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


245 


'JULIUS  S.HOLMES.  Among  the  piomiiient 
I  citizens  of  Will  C'ountj\  consitJerable  nien- 
!    tion    belongs   to  tiie  gentleman  whose  por- 

W  trait  is  shown  on  tiie  opposite  patce,  and 
wiio  lias  lieen  a  life-long  resident  of  New  Lenox 
Townshi|).  In  his  native  place  he  has  acciuircMi  a 
reputation  for  integrity  and  perseverance,  and 
wliercver  known  is  highl}'  respected.  When  still  a 
small  child  he  was  orjihaned  bj'  the  death  of  his 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  in  New  Lenox  Township. 
Our  suliject  was  therefore  earl}'  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources,  and  tliough  at  present  only  in  the 
|irime  of  life  has  by  his  own  efforts  made  himself 
indepeiident.  To  such  men  as  he.  America  owes 
her  high  standing  among  other  older  countries,  and 
to  the  efforts  which  such  citizens  as  he  have  made, 
Will  County  may  justly  attribute  the  development 
of  her  limitless  resources. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  sketch  is  written  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Aslier  Holmes  and  his  wife,  Eliza 
Ann  Kltnore.  Both  were  born  in  Sherburne,  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  the  father  on  September  28, 
17'J7,  and  the  mother  on  Sei)tember  22,  1805.  In 
their  native  county  they  made  their  first  home 
after  marriage,  subsequently  removing  to  Chautau- 
qua County,  and  in  1832  returning  to  that  in  which 
they  were  born.  In  the  spring  of  1835  they  turned 
their  footsteps  westward,  and  coming  to  Will 
County,  III.,  made  a  settlement  on  section  22,  New 
Lenox  Township.  Here  the  father  was  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  death,  January  24,  1854.  The 
widowed  mother  continued  to  live  on  the  old 
homestead  until  her  death,  which  occurred  .lune 
5,  1880.  They  had  six  children — James  E.,  My- 
ron 1'.,  Eliza  A.,  Orsamus,  L3dia  and  Julius  S. 
Eliza,  who  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Stolp,  died  in 
Nebraska  in  May,  1873. 

The  natal  da}-  of  our  subject  was  August  30, 
1848,  and  his  birthplace  the  old  homestead  on 
which  he  grew  to  manhood  and  continued  to  live 
until  the  siiringof  1890.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  by  the  use  of  the  means 
which  are  open  to  all  who  desire  knowledge,  he  has 
added  to  the  knowledge  obtained  at  school  the 
lii'o.ader  education  which  can  onlj'  be  gaineil  by  a 
mature  mind  and  a  practical  a|)plication  of  theories 
in  contact  witli   mankind.     After  having    pursued 


an  agricultural  life  until  the  date  before  mentioned, 
Mr.  Holmes  rented  his  farm  and  removed  to  New 
Lenox  Village.  He  is  now  giving  his  attention  to 
the  grain  trade,  his  ))rincipal  place  of  business 
being  Manhattan,  although  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  His  Inisiness  ability 
is  undisputed,  and  has  been  made  use  of  by  his 
fellow-citizens,  who  have  called  upon  him  to  fill 
official  stations  of  various  natures. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Holmes  was  celebrated  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  January  24,  1871,  his  bride 
being  Miss  Sophie,  youngest  child  of  Abraham 
and  Jane  (Wood)  Willis.  Mrs.  Holmes  was  born 
in  New  Jersey,  August  14,  1852,  but  grew  to 
womanhood  in  this  county,  to  which  her  jjarents 
came  in  18G1.  They  were  natives  of  the  Empire 
State  and  the  parents  of  nine  children.  The 
mother  died  in  Wenona,  Marshall  County,  111., 
February  28,  1  88G  ;  Mr.  Willis  is  yet  living.  Mrs. 
Holmes  [)ossesses  an  estimable  Christian  character, 
and  has  the  knowledge  of  domestic  arts  and  social 
accomplishments  which  make  her  home  a  happy  one 
and  give  her  popularity  among  her  acquaintances. 
She  has  borne  twelve  children,  named  respective- 
ly: Raynor  E.,  Arthur  W.,  I^aura  E.,  Herbert  H., 
Bessie  J..  Eva  Ikl.,  Mamie  E.,  Ethel  J.,  Mattie  A., 
Olive  I.,  Sophie  L.  and  Julius  W.  Eva  .M.  and 
Olive  I.  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Holmes  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest  in 
politics,  and  is  numbered  in  the  Republican  ranks. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  School  Trustee  for  twelve 
years,  and  has  also  been  School  Director.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  has  held  the  offices 
of  Steward  and  Trustee,  positions  of  financial  im- 
portance, for  which  his  business  talents  and  deep 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  church  well  qualified 
him. 


I  ¥ 


^ILLIAM  GOODSON  has  for  a  period  of 
\/\/l'  t"'Gnty  years  pursued  his  farming  opera- 
V^y  tions  in  Plaiufield  Townsliii),  and  is  counted 
one  of  the  most  substantial  residents  of  the  place. 
He  is  a  native  of  Leicestershire,  England,  born  De- 
cember 11,  1834.     His  father,  John  Goodson,  was 


246 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


born  in  the  same  shire  and  was  there  reared  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  always  earned  his  living 
tilling  the  soil,  spending  his  entire  life  in  ids  native 
land.  The  maiden  name  of  tlie  mother  of  our 
subject  was  Lucy  Howell,  and  she  was  born  in 
Rutland,  England.  She  came  to  America  in  1869, 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  her  children,  she 
having  attained  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  There 
were  eleven  children  born  to  the  parents  of  our 
subject,  eight  of  whom  were  reared  to  maturity  as 
follows:  George,  William,  .Samuel,  Thomas,  Henry, 
John,  Richard  and  Robert,  all  of  whom  came  to 
America,  except  Richard,  and  settled  in  different 
parts  of  the  country-. 

He  of  whom  we  write  went  to  work  on  the  farm 
at  an  early  age  and  earned  his  own  living.  The 
wages  were  low  and  the  chances  of  securing  a  home 
in  his  native  land  were  almost  nil,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  see  wiiat  life  held  forli  im  in  America,  and 
on  the  29th  of  October,  1856,  accompanied  by  his 
bride,  set  sail  from  Liverpool  in  the  good  ship 
"Cultivator,"  and  on  the  29th  of  November  landed 
in  New  York.  From  there  he  and  his  wife  pro- 
ceeded to  Orange  County*,  N.  Y.,  where  they  found 
themselves  penniless  and  among  strangers.  Our 
subject  with  charactcristicself  reliance  immediately 
set  about  finding  emplo^'meut,  and  soon  obtained 
work  upon  a  farm.  He  resided  there  until  August, 
1856,  and  then  went  with  his  famil}'  to  St.  Clair 
Count3^  Mich.,  and  there  was  engaged  in  a  saw- 
mill until  1859.  In  that  year  he  again  started 
westward,  and  coming  as  far  as  Illinois  resum^^d 
his  old  employment  as  a  farm  hand  in  Canton, 
Fulton  County.  \n  1864  he  went  to  Kend.all 
Count}'.  Having  prudently  saved  ids  earnings  he 
was  enabled  to  be  more  independent,  and  com- 
menced farming  on  his  own  account,  renting  land. 
He  carried  on  his  farming  operations  in  that  man- 
ner for  six  years,  and  then  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land,  which  is  included  in  his  present  farm  in  Plain- 
field  Township.  This  was  scarcely  at  all  im[)roved, 
and  a  rude  shanty  on  the  place  was  the  only  build- 
ing. Since  then  he  has  been  much  prospered,  and 
has  brought  about  great  changes  on  his  place,  liav- 
ing  erected  a  good  set  of  frame  buildings,  planted 
fruit  and  sh.ade  trees,  fenced  the  land  and  now  has 
it  under  admirable   cultivation.      lie    has    been    so 


successful  that  he  has  .added  to  his  estate,  and  now 
has  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  and  one-third  acres 
of  fine  farming  land,  all  lying  in  a  body  and  con- 
stituting as  productive  and  well-improved  a  farm 
as  is  to  be  found  in  the  locality. 

\n  1856  Mr.  Goodson  was  happily  married  to 
Miss  Sarah  Broom,  a  native  of  Rutland,  England, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  IJroom.  Their  marriage 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  eleven  children, 
nine  living,  namely:  Mary  A.,  Lucy,  Lillie,  Amelia, 
Edward,  Charles,  Ernest,  Herbert  and  Eva.  The 
deceased  were  Hannah  and  William  H.  Mr.  Good- 
sou's  career  as  a  farmer,  since  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  this  place,  proves  him  to  be  a  shrewd, 
practical,  industrious  man,  and  the  honorable,  up- 
right life  that  he  h.as  alwa3'S  led  entitles  him  to  be 
called  a  trustworthy  man  and  a  good  citizen,  and 
he  and  his  family  are  well  respected  in  this  com- 
munity. 


OHN  W.  DOWNEY.  The  legal  fraternity 
of  Will  County  numbers  among  its  most 
painstaking  and  promising  members  him  with 
whose  name  we  introduce  this  notice.  He 
is  yet  j-Qung  in  years,  having  been  born  April  3, 
1860,  and  his  childhood  home  was  in  Norman 
Township,  Grundy  County,  this  State.  His  par- 
ents were  John  and  Mary  (O'Halloran)  Downey, 
who  were  natives  of  County  Tipperar}',  Ireland. 
The  father  of  our  suliject  came  to  America  in 
1849,  and  in  1851  was  married  to  Jliss  O'Hallo- 
ran, in  LaSalle  County,  this  State.  They  settled 
upon  a  farm,  and  there  were  born  to  them  six  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  one  daughter.  One  son,  Ed- 
ward, died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years.  The 
others,  with  the  exception  of  our  subject,  are  re- 
siding in  Grundy  County.  John  W.,  who  was  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth,  spent  his  boyhood  on  the 
farm,  .assisting  in  its  labors,  and  attending,  mostly 
during  the  winter  season,  the  common  school.  He 
was  of  studious  habits,  improving  his  leisure 
hours  by  reading  and  study,  and  after  leaving 
school  occupied  himself  as  a  teacher,  which  is  the 
usual  stepping  stone  to  other  professions.  He  was 
desirous,  however,    of    advancing    his   education, 


IM 


/ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


247 


111(1  in  the  suuunor  of  1882  entered  the  Normal 
school  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  whicli  he  attended  three 
ernis. 

Mr.  Downey,  liavinjj  resolved  upon  following 
he  profession  of  law,  eame,  in  the  spring  of  1885. 
o  Joliet,  and  entered  the  otlice  of  Haley  &  O'Don- 
lell,  where  he  closely  a|iplied  himself  to  tiie  stiid^- 
if  the  hest  legal  works  until  December  following, 
I'lien  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  remained 
I'ith  his  preceptors  one  year,  then  opened  a  law 
ittice,  and  has  since  confined  himself  to  the  prae- 
ice  of  his  profession.  He  was  elected  Cit}-  Atlor- 
cy  in  April,  1889,  for  a  term  of  two  years, 
'olitically,  Mr.  Downey  affiliates  with  the  Demo- 
ratic  party,  and  in  religion  he  adheres  to  the 
'atholic  faith  of  his  forefathers.  Sociality,  he  be- 
jngs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters.  He 
ives  bis  whole  time  to  the  duties  of  his  profession, 
nd  is  rapidly  acquiring  a  substantial  footing 
herein. 


:^.  ENRY  C.  (.'ULLOM.  The  real-estate  and 
insurance  business  of  Joliet  and  vicinity 
^'  finds  a  lively'  representative  in  Mr.  Cullom, 
who  with  his  partner,  James  W-.  Patterson. 
as  a  well-equipped  office  on  Chicago  Street.  He 
rabarked  in  these  enterprises  in  the  f.all  of  1888, 
Tiling  fire,  life  and  accident  policies.  He  is  a 
ative  of  Illinois  and  was  born  in  Tazewell  Count}-, 
ipril  1,  1839,  to  Richard  N.  and  Betsey  Elizabeth 
Coffey)  Cullom. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  natives  respect- 
^rely  of  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  and  met  in 
Kentucky,  where  they  were  married.  In  the  fall 
f  1830  they  emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  the  father 
liereafter  occupied  himself  at  farming  in  Tazewell 
;ounty,  111.  The  mother  passed  away  in  Decem- 
er,  18C8.  The  household  circle  numbered  five 
ons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  the  subject  of 
his  notice  was  the  youngest.  Five  of  these  are 
iving. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  lived  in  his  native 
ounty  until  reaching  man's  estate — in  fact  eight 
ears    after    reaching  his  majority.     The  most  of 


this  time  was  employed  in  farm  pursuits.  His 
education  was  such  as  was  afforded  by  the  common 
school,  and  he  acquired  those  habits  of  industry 
and  economj-  which  have  followed  him  through 
life.  In  1868  he  rapaired  to  Springfield,  111.,  and 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  until  1874. 
Then,  goi)ig  to  Southeastern  Nevada,  he  entered 
tlie  employ  of  the  Government  as  Indian  Agent, 
and  was  in  that  region  and  Indian  Territor}' 
about  eighteen  months. 

At  the  expiration  of  this  time  we  find  Mr.  Cul- 
lom on  a  farm  in  Lawrence  County,  111.  Later  he 
took  a  contract  from  the  penitentiary  in  Joliet, 
to  manufacture  hosiery  and  clothing,  and  occu- 
lted himself  at  that  industry  for  a  period  of 
twelve  j-ears.  Then,  selling  out,  he  embarked  in 
his  present  business.  He  was  married  October  29, 
1861,  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Kingman.  Mrs.  Cullom 
was  born  Ma}'  16,  1S41,  and  like  her  husband  is  a 
native  of  Tazewell  County,  this  State.  Their  union 
has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters,  seven  of  whom  remain  under  the  par- 
ental roof.  The  second  daughter,  Jennie  N.,  is 
the  wife  of  Edward  C.  Barrett,  of  Joliet.  JNIr. 
Cullom  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Lin- 
coln, and  in  politics,  continues  a  .stanch  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  an  Elder  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  belongs  to  the  Patriotic 
Order  .Sons  of  America. 


REDE  RICK  A.  LUTHER.  Probably  a  ma- 
jority of  the  farmers  of  Wilmington  Town- 
ship are  men  well-to-do,  and  of  that  class 
who  have  been  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes. 
Among  them  may  be  properly  mentioned  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  who  is  comparatively  3'oung  in 
years,  and  who  is  a  native  of  this  State,  born  in 
Kankakee  County,  March  28,  1855.  He  is  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  substantial  old  family  of  New 
England  ancestry,  the  son  of  Charles  and  Lucy 
(Holland)  Luther,  who  were  natives  of  Vermont. 
The  p.aternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Jabez  and  Elizabeth  (Parkman)  Luther,  the  former 
of  whom  was  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Rebecca  (Brown) 


248 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Luther.  Caleb  was  the  son  of  .Tabcz  nnd  Alse  Lu- 
ther, who  were  natives  of  ^MassachuselU.  and  .Tabez 
was  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Mary  Luther,  natives  of  the 
New  England  States.  Caleb  was  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah,  likewise  natives  of  New  England,  and 
.Samuel  was  the  son  of  Samuel.  Sr..  and  Mar}-  Lu- 
ther. Samuel,  Sr..  was  the  son  of  Capt.  John  S. 
Luther,  a  seafaring  man  and  commander  of  a  mer- 
chant vessel.  The  latter  was  killed  hy  the  Indi.ans 
on  the  Delaware  River,  in  1645;  he  was  of  German 
descent,  but  born  iu  Ireland. 

Some  of  the  earl}'  members  of  the  Lutiier  family- 
were  meu  of  note  iu  New  England,  and  exercised 
no  unimportant  influence  in  their  communities. 
Grandfather  Jabez  Luther  was  a  merchant  in  Cor- 
nish, N.  H..  for  mauy  years.  He  lost  both  his  arms 
bj'  the  premature  discharge  of  a  cannon,  on  tlie  4th 
of  July,  1805.  Charles  Luther,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Pittsford,  Rutland  County, 
A't.,  June  30,  1819,  and  spent  the  first  twelve  3-ears 
of  his  life  there.  He  was  married  there,  in  1844, 
and  in  1849  set  his  face  westward,  coming  to  Illi- 
nois and  settling  on  a  farm  in  Kankakee  Count}-. 
He  lived  there  until  1865,  then  removed  to  Wil- 
mington Township,  this  county,  where  he  still 
lives. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  also  a  native  of  the 
Green  Mountain  State,  was  born  in  Stockbridge, 
Windsor  Count}-,  to  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Ranney) 
Holland.  The  latter  were  also  natives  of  Vermont, 
where  they  spent  their  entire  lives.  To  Charles  and 
Lucy  Luther  there  were  born  three  children  only, 
viz.:  Julius  J..  CharJes  W. ;  and  Frederick  A.,  of 
this  sketch.  The  latter  is  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  Julius  J.  was  in  Chicago  sev- 
eral ye.irs  prior  to  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
business  qualifications  and  considerable  means,  and 
for  several  years  was  the  owner  and  superintend- 
ent of  the  Brink  Express  Company. 

Frederick  A.  Luther  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  since  1865.  He  has  followed  farming  all 
his  life,  and  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
Land,  comprising  a  well-improved  farm  lying  .about 
one  and  one-hijlf  miles  northwest  of  AVilmington. 
He  has  a  fine  residence,  with  substantial  outbuild- 
ings, an  ample  supply  of  farm  machinery,  and  all 
the  other  appliances  for  prosecuting  his  calling  in 


a  profitable  and  successful  manner.  In  addition  to 
general  agriculture  he  is  considerably  interested  in 
blooded  horses,  of  which  he  is  enabled  to  exhibit 
some  fine  specimens.  He  makes  of  farming  and 
stock-raising  an  art  and  a  science,  and  by  reading 
and  observation  keeps  himself  thoroughly  posted 
as  to  the  best  methods  employed  in  connection 
therewith. 

One  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  life  of 
Mr.  Luther  was  the  occasion  of  his  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1877.  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Thomas,  the 
wedding  taking  place  at  the  bride's  home  in  Wil- 
mington. Mrs.  Luther  was  born  January  10,  1856, 
in  England,  to  Henry  and  Mary  (Lester)  Thom.as, 
who  were  likewise  natives  of  England,  and  with 
whom  she  came  to  America  when  a  child  nine  years 
of  age.  They  settled  in  this  county:  the  father  is 
deceased,  and  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Luther  are  the  parents  of  two  sons — Charles 
J.  and  John  H.  Both  parents  and  sons  belong  to 
the  New  Jerusalem  Church,  and  our  subject,  po- 
litically, affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 


AVID  L.  LIIKISTIAN  occupies  a  f.arm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  on  section  13 
Peotone  Township,  which  is  sufficiently  large 
to  afford  a  comfortable  maintenance.  He  has, 
however,  obtained  what  is  better  than  silver  or 
gold,  a  good  name  and  the  respect  of  his  fellow- 
men.  He  has  been  a  leader  on  the  side  of  moral- 
ity when  it  took  hig-h  moral  courage  to  announce 
his  beliefs  and  uplift  the  standard  of  right  and 
justice  in  the  community. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Cayuga  County.  N.  Y., 
September  6,  1824,  and  is  the  oldest  child  of  Da- 
vid and  Jane  (Wolverton)  Christian.  The  father 
was  born  in  1795,  and  tbe  mother  April  26,  1804, 
both  in  the  Empire  .State,  where  their  marriage 
also  took  place,  the  date  of  that  event  being  Jan- 
uary 15,  1822.  The  wife  breathed  her  last  Au- 
gust 26,  1833,  after  having  borne  three  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  only  survivor.  Two 
years  after  her  death  the  father  removed  to  Mich- 
igan, sojourning  but  four    years    ere  settling    in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


249 


DuPage  Count}',  111.,  on  a  farm  which  he  eon- 
ioued  to  occupy  until  overtaken  by  death,  in 
845.  He  married  for  his  second  wife  Mrs. 
^hristianna  Ketchum,  nee  Churchill,  who  still  sur- 
ives.  This  union  was  blest  by  the  birth  of  two 
hildren. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  received  a 
ommon-school  education  in  New  York  and  Mich- 
gan,  his  jouthful  daj-s  being  passed  in  the 
)rdinar3-  manner  of  a  farmer's  son.  Being  the 
ildest  child,  he  had  charge  of  his  father's  busi- 
less  for  a  few  years  prior  to  the  latter's  death, 
ind  for  a  short  time  after.  He  took  up  the  High 
<chool  studies  in  the  old  Chicago  Academy,  fitted 
limself  for  teaching  and  found  employment  in 
he  district  schools  of  DuPage  Count}-,  for  three 
vinters.  In  the  intervals  of  his  professional  work 
le  was  employed  on  the  construction  of  the  111- 
uuis  &  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  from  Kensing- 
on  to  Chicago.  During  a  part  of  three  seasons, 
n  1852-53-54,  he  was  occupied  under  a  contract 
'or  fencing  the  road,  and  some  of  the  fence  is 
itill  standing  near  ]\Iadison,  after  thirty-seven 
(•ears. 

In  the  fall  of  1854,  Mr.  Christian  returned  to 
,he  old  home,  remaining  thereon  until  the  spring 
)f  1858,  when  he  located  in  the  village  of  Peo- 
,one.  Will  County.  In  the  spring  of  1867  he  re- 
Boved  to  the  farm  where  he  has  since  resided. 
[t  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fortj'  acres  of 
jood  land,  wholly  unimproved  at  the  time  of  his 
aurchase.  He  erected  upon  it,  in  1867,  a  good 
resi,'ence,  which  cost  82,500,  the  accompanying 
barns  and  other  outbuildings,  and  placed  the  en- 
tire acreage  under  good  cultivation.  When  he  be- 
jan  life  for  himself  Mr.  Christian  was  nearly 
smpt^'-handed,  8250  being  his  share  of  his  father's 
estate.  He  has  an  interest  in  the  old  homestead 
in  DuPage  County. 

On  October  23,  1851,  Mr.  Christian  was  united 
in  marri.age  with  Miss  Clara,  daughter  of  Samuel 
md  Judith  (Klliott)  Page,  natives  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Page  removed  to  Illinois  in 
1839,  settling  in  Kane  County,  where  the  husband 
died  in  1840,  his  widow  surviving  until  1863. 
Thev  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  living,  and  Mrs.  Christian  was  the 


fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Her  natal  d.a}'  was  March 
28,  1833,  and  her  native  State  New  Hampshire. 
.Slie  attended  a  select  school  in  DuPage  Count}', 
111.,  enriching  her  mind  with  useful  knowledge  and 
mental  culture.  A  womanly  woman,  her  quiet 
dignity  is  felt  in  every  circle  that  she  enters,  and 
she  has  stood  side  by  side  with  her  husband  in 
moral  and  Christian  endeavors. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cliristian  six  children  have 
been  born,  as  follows:  Walter,  September  22,  1852  : 
Ella.  February  27,  1854;  Mary,  October  1,  1856; 
David  Warren,  November  6,  1859;  Sarah  F., 
M,arch  17,  1863;  Clara  Jenny,  May  30,  1866. 
They  have  received  more  than  common-school  ed- 
ucations, and  Warren  and  Clara  have  taught  in 
this  county.  More  than  one  of  the  family  are  es- 
pecially gifted  in  intellect  and  possess  musical 
and  other  talents.  The  three  eldest  children  are 
deceased.  Ella  passed  away  November  11,  1879, 
leaving  a  host  of  friends  to  honor  her  memory.  Her 
especial  talent  was  for  music,  and  she  excelled  in 
organ  playing,  also  succeeding  wonderfully  as  a 
teacher.  With  a  strong  intellect  and  a  noble  heart, 
she  bore  a  share  in  the  good  works  instituted 
throughout  the  vicinity,  and  became  greatly  loved. 
She  was  the  leader  of  the  music  in  the  church 
where  the  family  attended,  and  promoted  its  in- 
terests very  largely.  She  was  the  wife  of  John  H. 
Brayton. 

Two  of  the  surviving  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Christian  are  living  in  homes  of  their  own.  David 
W.,  a  merchant  in  Kankakee,  111.,  married  Cora  J. 
Palmer,  and  has  one  child,  David  Palmer.  Sarah 
F.  is  the  wife  of  H.  Anson  Harsh,  of  Normal  Park, 
Cook  County,  and  they  have  one  child,  Clara. 

Mr.  Christian  has  been  School  Director  in  Dis- 
trict No.  6,  also  Township  Trustee  of  Schools, 
Township  Treasurer  of  Schools,  Supervisor  of  Peo- 
tone  Township  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  at 
the  beginning  of  his  political  experience  was  a 
strong  Abolitionist.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  for  which 
he  has  acted  as  Township  Representative,  in  con- 
ventions, probably  a  greater  number  of  times  than 
any  other  man  here.  He  has  also  been  a  delegate 
to  State  and  Congressional  conventions.     Before 


250 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  war  lie  was  connected  with  tlie  "underground 
railroad,"  and  during  the  war  he  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I'nion  League. 

For  a})out  five  3'ears  Mr.  Christian  was  the  only 
man  in  the  village  of  Peotone  who  would  speak  out 
in  hflialf  of  temperance,  liquor  being  at  that  time 
sold  there  witliout  license.  So  frank  had  he  been 
in  expressing  his  views,  and  so  ardently  had  he 
labored  against  the  liquor  interest,  that  he  was  at 
one  time  threatend  by  mob  violence,  but  good 
counsel  finally  prevailed  and  he  was  not  molested. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  formerly  belonged  to  the 
Good  Templars'  organization  and  held  office  therein. 

'IMie  entire  Christian  family  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist Kjiiscopal  Church,  and  take  an  active  part  in 
the  work  of  the  donomination,  especially  in  the 
Sunday -scJKiol  and  music.  The  son  Warren  has 
ever  been  connected  with  the  choir,  his  fine  bass 
voice  adding  volume  and  depth  to  the  lighter  tones 
of  his  sisters  and  others.  Mr.  Christian  took  part 
in  the  initiatory  steps  to  secure  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  and  a  pl.ace  of  worship  in  the  village  of 
Peotone.  He  is  Trustee. Steward  and  Class  Leader; 
he  has  been  Superinten<lent  of  the  Sund.aj'-school 
in  Peotone  twent^'-three  years  continuously,  and 
held  the  same  position  elsewhere.  At  present  he 
teaches  the  IJilile  class.  Mrs.  Christian  has  had  a 
class  for  about  twent3'-two  years  continuousl3%  and 
the  children  have  also  been  teachers.  The  influence 
exerted  bj'  such  a  f.ather  and  mother  is  beyond 
calculation,  and  when  extended  bj'  the  sons  and 
daughters  the  benefit  to  mankind  is  boundless, 
giving  re.ison  for  the  approval  of  all  who  feel  an 
interest  in  the  advancement  of  humanity. 


-^^ 


<^OHN  WILLIAM  DIERSEN  is  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  whose  fine  farm  is 
located  on  section  15,  Crete  Township.  He 
^^^JJ  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  highl}'-imi)roved  land,  besides 
thirty  acres  of  timber,  all  of  which  formerly  be- 
longed to  his  father,  whom  he  succeeded  in  the 
ownership  and  operation  of  the  homestead.  It  has 
been  almost  his  life-long  home,  as  he  came  to  it 


with  his  parents  in  his  3'outb,  having  previously 
lived  in  Chicago  some  six  j'ears.  The  family  ar- 
rived in  America  in  1846  from  Hesse-Cassel,  Ger- 
many, where  he  of  whom  we  write  was  born,  Sep- 
tember 2,  1838. 

-John  H.  Diersen,  father  of  our  subject,  was  of 
good  tierraan  blood,  and  in  his  native  country-  was 
in  the  emplo}'  of  a  German  nobleman  liearing  the 
name  of  Munchhausen,  from  the  time  he  was  a 
young  man  until  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He 
married  Sophia  Hoe,  who  was,  like  her  husband,  a 
native  of  the  Prussian  Province  of  Hesse-Cassel 
and  of  pure  Hessian  ancestry'.  After  the  birth  of 
four  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  iufancj",  Mr. 
Diersen  set  out  for  America  with  his  wife,  son  and 
two  daughters.  They  set  sail  from  Bremen  in 
M.iy,  1846.  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  landed  in 
the  American  metropolis,  .Tuly  b.  Thence  they 
went  up  the  Hudson  River  to  Albanj-,  thence 
on  the  canal  to  Buffalo,  where  thej'  embarked  upon 
a  lake  steamer,  which  anchored  in  Chicago  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.  They  remained  in  tluat 
city  until  1852,  when  ilr.  Diersen  procured  forty 
acres  of  Government  land  in  Will  County  and  be- 
gan agricultural  labors  as  a  poor  farmer. 

By  hard  work  and  the  rigid  econoni3-  best 
known  to  themselves,  he  and  his  wife  got  on  in 
the  world,  finally  becoming  quite  rich.  They  ac- 
euninlated  the  land  now  owned  bj'  their  son.  im- 
proved and  occupied  it  for  some  years,  fijially 
removing  to  Crete  Village,  where  both  died.  The 
death  of  IMrs.  Diersen  took  place  in  1885,  and  that 
of  her  husband  in  1887.  both  being  about  seventy- 
three  3-ears  of  age.  The}'  were  estimable  people, 
well  known  in  the  vicinitj'  and  well  respected. 
They  were  closelj'  connected  with  the  work  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  to  which  they  gave  liljerally. 
The  onl}'  members  of  his  familv  now  living  are 
our  subject  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Sophia  Brown, 
of  Chicago.  Before  his  marriage  Mr.  Diersen  had 
served  his  couutrj-  as  a  soldier  in  the  Hanoverian 
War. 

.J.  W.  Diersen  assisted  his  parents  .as  his  strength 
would  permit,  becoming  of  .age  on  the  farm  he 
now  owns  and  in  tlie  improvement  of  which  he 
took  part.  He  w.as  married  in  this  townshij)  to 
Eiigel   Descnisz,  who    was    born     in    Hesse-Cassel, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


251 


Germany,  August  28,  1842.  When  sixteen  jears 
old  she  accoin|>.aiiie(l  lier  lirother  Philip  to  Amer- 
ica, their  liome  being  made  in  this  eount}'.  Philip 
Desenisz  served  some  time  during  the  late  Rebellion 
as  a  member  of  tlie  I'nion  army.  Mrs.  Diersen  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  .and  excellent 
home  training  from  her  worthy  parents,  and  dur- 
ing her  mature  years  has  exhibited  marked  ability 
as  a  housewife  and  great  kindness  in  her  domestic 
.and  social  relations.  Her  motlier.Sophia  (Sailer) 
Desinisz,  died  in  the  year  18«4,  being  then 
quite  old.  Her  father,  I'hilip  Desenisz,  Sr.,  is  still 
living  in  his  native  clime,  where  he  has  l)een  a 
small  farmer.  He  is  a  lifelong  member  of  tiie 
Lutheran  Church,  of  which  his  deceased  wife  was 
also  a  communicant. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  has  borne  him  twelve 
children,  of  whom  we  note  the  following:  John  is 
a  hardware  dealer  in  Crete,  iiis  wife  being  Sophia 
Piei)enbrink;  U'illiau)  is  at  present  working  in  a 
grain  house  in  the  same  town;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of 
Pliilli|)  Piejierbrink,  a  farmer  in  Crete  Township; 
Henry  is  now  with  his  brother,  assisting  him  in  the 
hardware  business  ;  August,  Herman,  Gotleib, 
Amelia,  Emma,  AValter,  Anna  and  Otto  are  at 
home  Herman  is  learning  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith. Mr.  Diersen  has  held  the  minor  offices  of 
the  township  and  is  now  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
School  Director,  and  has  been  Highway  Commis- 
sioner since  1871,  and  has  also  been  Treasurer 
for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  is  Secretary  of 
the  Crete  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company. 
He  and  the  members  of  his  family  who  are  entitleil 
to  vote  belong  to  the  Republican  party.  The  en- 
tire family,  parents  and  chililren.  belong  to  the 
Lutheran  Church. 


[f^EV.  ERNST  A.  BRAUER,  pastor  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Crete,  is 
one  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  ministry  and 
besides  possessing  natural  talents  of  a  high 
order,  is  finely  educated,  a  close  student  and  an 
extensive  reader.  For  the  last  forty-three  years 
he  has  given  his  i^ntire  attention  to  the  interests  of 


his  church  and  people  and  is  greatly  esteemed  in 
the  community,  not  only  among  those  with  whom 
he  is  intimately  associated,  but  by  the  people  at 
large.  Mr.  Brauer  came  to  this  place  from  St. 
Louir,  Mo.,  where  for  six  years  he  had  been  pastor 
of  Trinity,  one  of  the  oldest  Lutheran  Churches 
in  that  city.  Prior  to  this  he  was  for  ten  yeais  a 
Professor  in  Concordia  Theological  Seminar}'  at 
St.  Louis,  to  which  he  removed  from  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  where  he  had  been  connected  with  the  oldest 
church  in  that  city  for  six  years.  During  the 
Civil  War  he  served  with  the  Missouri  Militia  and 
assisted  in  quelling  the  disturbances  in  that  State, 
although  never  having  regularly  enlisted. 

Mr.  Brauer  assumed  charge  of  his  tirst  congre- 
gation at  Addison,  DuPage  County,  111.,  in  No- 
vember, 1847,  during  the  pioneer  days,  when  his 
salary,  like  his  congregation,  was  exceedingly  small 
and  continued  so  for  a  number  of  years  and  he 
lived  to  see  this  society  become  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  prosi)erous  in  the  S3-nod,  comprising  the 
States  of  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri  and  others. 
He  was  one  of  the  earliest  preachers  of  the  Luth- 
eran denomination  in  Illinois  which  was  not  rep- 
resented by  any  other  for  a  number  of  jcars.  He 
labored  faithfully  in  the  service  of  the  Master 
and  was  rewarded  by  witnessing  in  due  time  a 
bountiful  harvest. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  the  King- 
dom of  Hanover,  April  19,  1819,  his  early  home 
being  in  the  vicinity  of  Northeim.  He  received 
his  education  at  a  cloister  in  Elfeldt,  where  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  six  j-ears,  but  he  afterward  en- 
tered the  University  at  Gottingen  from  which  he 
was  duly  graduated  and  after  this  he  btcaine  a  pu- 
pil in  the  college  at  Berlin.  Subsequently  he  be- 
came a  private  tutor  in  the  famil}^  of  Jlr.  Omp- 
teda,  the  German  Ambassador  at  London,  and  was 
thus  occupied  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
this  time  be  sailed  for  America  in  October,  1847, 
and  after  a  nine  weeks'  voyage  landed  in  New 
York  City.  He  hatl  only  intended  remaining  a 
few  years  in  this  country,  but  his  labors  have 
been  attended  witii  such  pros|)erity  and  he  has 
made  so  many  friends,  besides  becoming  greatly 
attached  to  its  institutions  that  he  has  no  desire  of 
returning  except  to  visit  the  scenes  of  his  youth. 


252 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


AVbile  a  resident  of  Addison,  Mr.   Braaer  made 
tlie  acquaintance  of  Miss  Beate  Reinmann,  who  be- 
en me  his  wife  Septeiiibcr  9,  1849,  tlie  wedding  tak- 
ing   place    in     Chicago.      Mrs.    Brauer    was    boni 
October  23,    1822,  in   the  town   of  Schullmburg. 
Hanover,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Richard  Reinmann 
who  vvas  of  pure  German  ancestry.     She  was  care- 
full_v   reared    and  received    a  thorough  education 
in  her  native  tongue.     She  went  to  Paris,    Fiance, 
with  an  uncle  and  from  there  came  to  America  in 
18  It).     Of  lier  union  with  our  subject    tliere   have 
been  born  nine  cliildren,  all   of  wiiom   are  living. 
Five  sons  and  two  daughters  are  married.     Albert 
H.  was  born  in  1850  and  at  an  earl}'  age  evinced 
more  than  ordinary  talent,  being  fond  of  his  books 
and   ambitious  to  excel  in   his  studies.      He  was 
graduated  .-aFt.  Wayne,  (lad.)  College  and  later  at 
Concordia  .Seminary   in  St.  Louis.     He    now  has 
charge  of  tlie  Lutheran  congregation   at  Beecher, 
III.     He  married  Miss  Louisa  Stein,  of  St.   Louis, 
Mo.  and  they   are  the   parents  of   seven  children. 
Jane  became  the   wife  of  Prof.   Theophile   ;\Iees, 
Rector  of  the  Ohio  Seminary  at  Woodville,  (Jhio; 
they  have  six  children.     Dorothea  is  at  home  with 
her  parents;  Charles  II.  married   Miss  Anna  Bart- 
ling  and  is    living   at   Eagle    Lake,  III.      He  was 
educated  in    Springfield,  III.,    and    has  charge  of 
St.    John's   Evangelical    Lutheran    Church.      He 
is  the  father  of    four   chiklren.     August    G.    was 
eilucated  in  a  Seminary-  at  St.  Louis,  where  he  now 
lives  engaged  as  a  stove  repairer;  he  married  Miss 
Amelia  vSchuricht   and    they    have  four  children; 
Helene  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Frederick  Pfoten- 
hauer,  who  has  charge  of  a  congregation  at  Lewis- 
ton,  Wis.  and  they  have  four  children;  Herman  E. 
is  the  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Niles,  this 
State;    he   was    educated    in    St.    Louis,    Mo.    and 
Springfield,  III.,  and   married  Miss  Johanna  Brock- 
man  of  Chicago;  the\'  have  four  children.  Frederick 
E.  was  gi'aduatcd  at  Ft.  AV.ayne,  (Ind.)   Seminar}- 
and  later  at  Concordia  Seminary,  St.  Louis,  and  is 
now  assistant  pastor  with  his  father,  besides  having 
charge  of  other   local  churches;  he   married  Miss 
Anna  Me3-er  of  l^ake  View,  111.;  they   make  their 
home  with  our  subject.     William  A.  is  a   minister 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  having  charge   of  a  flour- 
ishing congregation    at    Hammond,    Ind.;   he  was 


graduated     from    the    college   of   his   church   at 

Springfield.  111.     He  is  unmarried. 

.Mr.  Brauer  and  his  son  Frederick  have  a  fine 
library  of  which  they  make  constant  use  and  which 
contains  many  choice  volumes  including  some  an- 
cient works  of  great  value.  The  family  holds  a 
high  social  position,  representing  the  culture  and 
refinement  of  the  community. 


y.f  BRAIIAM    GOCKLEY.       A  compcud    of 
iO:     biographies  of  residents  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship would  be  incomplete  if  it  did  not  in- 
^  elude  that  of  the  gentleman  above  named, 

a  retired  farmer  who  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of 
his  early  industry.  His  farm  is  on  section  24, 
where  he  has  resided  since  April  1857.  He  now 
makes  his  homo  in  Joliet.  His  landed  estate  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  which  he 
rents,  feeling  that  he  is  entitled  to  repose  in  his 
declining  years.  The  residence  is  of  pleasing  ar- 
chitectural design,  well  furnished  and  pleasantly 
located,  and  all  of  the  outbuildings  upon  the 
estate  are  well  built  and  sufficient  in  size  and  num- 
ber to  adequately  shelter  stock,  crops,  and  ma- 
chinery. 

The  early  life  of  Mr.  Goekley  was  s|)ent  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  in  which  he  was  born  May  17, 
1827.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  early  deter- 
mined to  follow  the  business  of  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  which  he  has  done  throughout  his  entire 
active  life.  He  was  married  in  his  native  county 
in  October,  1848,  to  Miss  Hannah  Lutz,  who  w.ts 
born  in  the  same  counlj-  in  1827.  When  the  re- 
moval to  this  count}-  was  made  the  famil\-  in- 
cluded three  children.  The  parents  have  had  ten 
sons  and  daughters,  five  of  whom  died  when  they 
were  young. 

The  living  children  of  Abraham  Goekley  and 
his  esteemed  wife  are:  Henry,  a  resident  of  Joliet; 
.Sprah,  wife  of  Harmon  Deutschman  of  Jackson 
I  Towtship;  Marinda,  wife  of  Andrew  Peterson,  of 
1  Jackson  Township;  Albert,  a  resident  of  Joliet, 
I  and  Mary,  wife  of  Jerry  Johnson,  of  Rice  County, 
I   Kan.     The  devoted    wife  and  mother  was  called 


J-£a^AAy 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


255 


from  time  to  eternity  April  25,  1867.  She  was  a 
inemljer  of  tiie  German  Baptist  Cliurcli,  whose 
principles  siie  ever  entleavored  to  carry  out  in 
daily  life. 

The  nature  of  Mr.  Gockiey  is  extremely  genial 
and  social,  and  his  memory  is  stored  with  infor- 
mation and  incidents  of  earlier  life,  which  make 
him  an  entertaining  companion,  lie  manifests  a 
deep  interest  in  tlie  welfare  of  those  about  him, 
particularly  in  tlie  cause  of  education  and  tlie 
spreading  of  the  Gospel.  He  has  been  School  Di- 
rector for  twelve  years  and  is  an  active  member  of 
tlie  German  ISaptist  Church. 


=^ 


(f, 


<;f;AMKS  11.  ASHLEY.  The  subject  of  this 
notice  is  familiarly  called  "the  fatiier  of  all 
the  wire  mills  of  this  county."  He  is  one 
'f^))  the  oldest  residents  of  the  county,  having 
come  to  Plainfield  as  early  as  1837,  when  a  boy  of 
twelve  years,  lie  w.as  born  February  3,  1825,  in 
Martinsburg,  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  the  son 
of  Riley  B.  and  Sally  (Searles)  Ashley,  the  latter 
of  whom  die<l  when  her  son  James  R.  was  only  two 
years  old,  also  leaving  an  infant  daughter  who  died 
in  early  childhood. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  with  his  fa- 
tiier in  his  native  place  until  1837,  and  then  the 
latter  decided  to  emigrate  to  Illinois,  set  out  with 
his  little  family  and  in  company  with  three  other 
families  journeyed  overland  with  teams  from  New 
York  to  this  county.  After  a  tedious  journey  of 
one  month  they  arrived  in  the  embryH)  town  of 
.Idlict,  .June  0,  following. 

The  father  being  a  I'>aptist  minister  jturchnsed  a 
lioiiie  ill  the  village  of  Phuiitield  and  also  bought 
a  farm  in  that  vicinity,  the  latter  of  which  he 
leased  while  he  confined  his  attention  to  his  pas- 
toral duties.  He  organized  the  first  Baptist  Cliurch 
in  the  ))lace  and  remained  in  charge  of  it  for  sev- 
eral years.  Through  his  efforts  various  other 
churches  were  organized  throughout  the  surround- 
ing country,  and  among  these  he  labored  faithfully, 
sometimes  going  as  far  as  Chicago  to  preach.  He 
maintained  his  home  continuously  in  Plainfield  and 


died  there  in  August,  1880,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-one  years.  He  had  in  the  meantime  con- 
tracted a  second  marriage  and  there  were  born  to 
him  three  more  children,  only  one  of  whom  is 
now  living.  After  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  was 
married  a  third  time,  and  his  widow  is  at  present 
residing  in  Leyden,  N.  Y. 

James  R.,  of  this  notice,  was  reared  by  his  father 
and  step-mother   in   Plainfield,   and  was   given    a 
good  education,  completing  his  studies  at  Warren- 
ville,  this  State.     He  first  engaged   in   business  iu 
Plainfield  as  a  merchant  in  a  small  way  and  by  the 
exercise  of  a   wise  economy,  succeeded  in  accurau 
lating  sufficient  means  to  erect  a  large  store  build- 
ing   in    which    he  placed  a    first-class    stock   of 
merchandise.     He  conducted    the    business    until 
July,  1870,  and  then  sold  out.     In  the  meantime, 
when   the   township   organization  was    effected  he 
was  elected    Township   Clerk,   which   position    he 
held  for  a  period  of   fifteen  years.     During  that 
time  he  also  held  the  office  of   Justice  of  the  Peace 
two  terras  and  in   addition  to  this,  from  the  fall  of 
18G2  until  the  spring  of  1870,  was  the  United  States 
Ganger  for   what   was  then  the   Eighth    Congres- 
sional District,  comprising  sis  counties.     He  hail 
the   supervision  of  all    the    distilleries,    wholesale 
liquor  and    rectifying  establishments    within     his 
bailiwick,  and  was  required  to  inspect  all  liquors 
made  and  collect  the  tax   thereon.     It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  during  those  years   he  was  a  very  busy 
man. 

After  disposing  of  his  mercantile  interests  Mr. 
Ashley  rested  for  a  time,  then,  in  1874,  removed  to 
Joliet  and  became  connected  with  the  firm  of  A.  B. 
Sliarpe  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  until  Jan- 
uary, 187C.  He  then  sold  his  interest  in  the  con- 
cern and  that  same  day  he  and  his  brother  formed 
a  [lartnership  with  II.  B.  Scuttand  William  Wat- 
kins,  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  wire  fence — 
Mr.  Ashley  furnishing,  with  the  exception  of  1500, 
all  the  capital.  The  partners  operated  together 
until  the  summer  of  1876,  and  resolved  themselves 
into  the  Joliet  Wire  Fence  Comjjany,  taking  in 
several  new  men  and  INIr.  Watkins  (lrop[)ing  out. 
They  located  their  plant  at  Adam's  Dam  until  the 
1st  of  August  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Not 
finding  a  suitable    location  elsewhere,  they    took 


256 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


their  macliinery  to  the  penitentiary  and  the  com- 
pany continued  to  do  l)iisiness  until  January  1, 
1879.  Then  Mr.  Seutl,  D.  Robertson  and  Mr. 
Ashley  purchased  the  interest  of  the  otjier  part- 
ners and  formed  the  new  firm  of  H.  B.  Scutt  <k 
Co.,  and  they  operated  iHitil  September,  1881, 
when  Mr.  Ashley  dis|)osed  of  liis  interest  in  the 
business  to  his  partners. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Ashley'  organized  another 
firm  called  the  Joliet  Wire  Company,  with  a  cai)ital 
of  §.')0,000,  and  in  connection  with  it  established  a 
wire  drawing  company,  which,  however,  was  sepa- 
rate in  its  operations.  At  this  time  there  had  been 
no  enterprise  of  this  kind  west  of  the  city  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  it  was  made  a  grand  success.  In 
July  18iS2,  Mr.  Ashley  purchased  the  ma' hinery  of 
the  Joliet  Wire  Company  and  took  the  contract  for 
employing  one  hundred  and  twentj'-five  convicts 
for  eight  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  or- 
ganized the  present  Ashley  Wire  Compan}^,of  wliich 
he  was  made  President  and  Treasurer.  On  account 
of  his  failing  health,  W.  S.  Brooks  w.is  appointed 
Acting  President  and  Treasurer,  while  Mr.  Ashle3' 
retained  tlie  chief  supervision  of  the  concern.  At 
the  last  election  of  stockholders  he  was  reelected 
President  and  Treasurer.  The  companj'  are  re- 
moving their  plant  to  the  southwest  part  of  the 
city  on  the  banks  of  the  caual,  wheie  thty  are 
erecting  extensive  brick  buildings  and  will  thus 
double  their  present  capacity.  In  1876,  H.  B. 
Scutt  &  Co.,  constitiited  the  third  firm  in  the 
United  States  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  barb 
wire  and  solved  the  problem  of  the  feasibility  of 
such  fencing  on  the  western  plains.  Mr.  Ashlej^ 
has  large  real-estate  interests  in  Joliet,  and  at  one 
time  owned  forty  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Flor- 
ida,three-fourlhs  of  which  he  subsequently  disposed 
of  to  parlies  in  this  city. 

The  marriage  of  James  K.  Asliley  .md  Miss  Julia 
F.  lyler  was  celebrated  in  Plainfield,  October  27, 
1850.  Mrs.  Ashlej-  was  born  in  April,  1825,  in 
Bridgewater.  Mass.,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Daniel 
Tyler,  who  spent  his  last  j-ears  in  Troy,  N.  Y. 
The  Tyler  farail}'  left  the  Bay  State  in  an  early 
day.  settling  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  Mrs.  Ashley 
spent  her  younger  j'ears.  She  came  with  her  sister 
to  Plainfield  about  1841.  Of  this  union  there  were 


born  four  daughters,  only  one  of  whom  is  now 
living,  Ella  M.,  the  wife  of  George  W.  Bush,  of 
Joliet.  Religiously,  Mr.  Ashley  is  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church  in  Plainfield,  while  in  political 
affairs  he  is  a  stjineh  Republican,  and  in  the  coun- 
cils of  his  part}-  occupies  a  in-ominent  place.  He 
has  made  for  himself  a  fine  record  in  business  cir- 
cles while  as  a  member  of  the  communit}-  he  occu- 
pies no  secondary  i)Osition  among  his  fellow-citizens. 
Elsewhere  in  this  volume  will  be  found  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  Mr.  Ashley. 


Dn- 


--m^^ 


?j>^' 


^  AMUEL  S.  WHITE.  Among  the  energetic 
men  who  came  to  Joliet  a  number  of  3-ears 
ago.  and  who  were  identified  with  its  in- 
terest for  years,  living  an  upright  and  use- 
fid  life  in  the  midst  of  their  fellow-men.  maj-  be 
numbered  the  late  Samuel  S.  White,  who  entered 
into  rest  February  3,  1884.  He  was  bom  in  Law- 
rence Count\-,  Pa.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  ob- 
tained his  education,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
painter.  For  some  j-ears  after  reaching  man's  es- 
tate he  continued  to  reside  in  the  Keystone  State, 
finding  abundant  employment  at  his  trade,  in  which 
he  became  proficient,  and  which  he  followed  uutil 
his  death. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride,  in  New  Castle,  oi  his 
own  native  count}',  on  April  22,  1851,  Mr.  White 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Inez  E.  Craw- 
ford. This  lad}'  was  a  native  of  the  town  in  which 
her  wedding  took  place,  and  had  opened  her  eyes 
to  the  light  July  25,  1835.  She  is  the  third  of  six 
children  born  to  David  and  Rebecca  (Hozack) 
Crawford,  the  parents  having  also  been  natives  of 
the  Keystone  State.  She  possesses  many  virtues  of 
character,  much  intelligence,  and  the  cordial  man- 
ners which  add  to  the  attractions  of  the  true  wo- 
man. 

After  their  marri.age  Mr.  and  Mrs.  While  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  New  Castle  some  five  or  six 
j-ears,  after  which,  in  1856,  thej-  came  to  Joliet. 
In  the  spring  of  1868  they  settled  on  a  tract  of 
laud    not  far  from   the  city,  and  there  Mr.  White 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


•257 


hreathed  his  last.  The  widow  still  occupies  the 
homestead,  which  consists  of  about  eighty  acres  of 
fertile  land,  upon  which  such  improvements  have 
been  lU'ide  as  are  coiumon  to  the  homes  of  those 
who  are  in  comfortable  circumstances  and  pos- 
sessed of  energ}'  and  good  taste. 

Mr.  White  belonged  to  the  Universalist  Church, 
in  which  he  held  good  standing,  and  among  llie  so- 
cial Ijodies  was  connected  witli  tlic  Knights  Temp- 
lar. He  was  the  father  of  tive  children,  named 
respective^-:  P^lla  L.,  Lillian  M.,  C.  Harold,  Da- 
vid ('.  and  Florence  K. 


^\  AMUEL  LOEBSTEIX.  The  late  Samuel 
Loebstein,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Beecher, 
JLarch  15,  1888,  was  a  prominent  citizen 
of  the  (ilace  in  wliich  lie  had  been  the  first 
til  establish  a  general  store.  It  was  situated  in 
wiiat  is  now  tlie  eastern  part  of  Beecher,  but  was 
fiirnierly  known  as  Washington  Center.  A  store 
liuilding  was  erected  and  the  business  established 
in  1870.  and  the  proprietor  had  from  the  start  an 
excellent  trade,  which  increased  and  brought 
wealth  to  the  originator  and  extended  his  reputa- 
tion as  an  honorable  and  enterprising  dealer.  The 
store  was  well  located  to  accomodate  the  country 
trade,  and  Mr.  Loebstein  IhoroLighl^-  understood 
the  needs  of  his  customers  and  with  the  assistance 
i)f  his  able  wife  kept  tlie  establishment  well  stocked 
and  the  business  carefully  managed  in  every  de- 
tail. During  his  active  life  at  this  place  Mr.  Loeb- 
stein was  also  extensively  engaged  in  bu3ing  and 
selling  stock. 

The  n.atal  daj-  of  our  suliject  was  February  13, 
If^.'^i,  and  his  birthplace  Ilebenhausen,  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Loeb- 
stein, a  native  of  the  same  kingdom,  whose  business 
was  that  of  a  horse  dealer  and  who  was  a  promi- 
nent man  in  his  town.  He  had  married  a  native 
of  the  same  kingdom,  who  also  passed  her  entire 
life  there. 

Their  son,  of  whom  we  write,  was  but  a  boy 
when  lie  lost  his  jiarents  and  after  becoming  of  age 
he  set  out  to  try  his  fortune  in    the    New    World. 


After  landing  in  New  York  he  went  at  once  to 
Chicago,  111.,  from  which  point  he  traveled  in 
Illinois,  Indiana  and  Michigan  for  some  time,  fin- 
all3'  locating  in  Dwyer,  Ind.  There  he  began  his 
career  as  a  stock  dealer,  thence  coming  to  what  is 
now  Beecher,  111.  He  possessed  excellent  busi- 
ness qualifications  and  made  a  success  of  whatever 
he  undertook.  He  belonged  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, being  enrolled  in  Blue  Lodge,  No.  740,  at 
Grant  Park.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat. 
He  came  of  the  old  Hebrew  stock  and  was  a  firm 
believer  in  the  Jewish  religion. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Loebstein  .and  Miss  Anna 
Hess  was  celebrated  in  Chicago.  The  bride  was 
born  in  Aufhausen,  Germany,  Septenil)er  23,  184t), 
and  was  quite  young  when  her  [)arents  came  to  the 
I'nited  States.  In  this  connti}-  she  grew  to  matur- 
ity and  received  her  education.  She  possesses  a 
cultured  mind,  friendly  manners  and  a  more  than 
ordinary  amount  of  business  ability,  which  has 
been  particularly  manifested  since  the  death  of  her 
husband  in  keeping  the  enterprise  in  which  he  had 
been  engaged  going  with  its  normal  success.  Her 
judgment  regarding  stock,  her  shrewdness  in  buy- 
ing, and  the  thorough  oversight  which  she  gives 
to  every  detail  of  the  business  marks  her  as  a 
worthy  member  of  a  race  from  which  such  able 
financiers  as  the  Rothchilds  and  others  have  s[)rung. 
She  is  the  mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  Min- 
nie, Jennie  and  Polly  died  in  infancy.  The  sur- 
vivors— Emma  and  Fannie — are  now  making  their 
home  with  their  maternal  grandparents  in  Chicago 
and  being  well  educated  in  the  Douglas  School  of 
that  city.  Mrs.  Loebstein  belongs  to  the  Jewish 
Church. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Loebstein  arc  Lippman  and 
Jetty  (Leiter)  Hess,  natives  of  Aufhausen,  Ger- 
many, where  the  father  was  born  i\Ia3'  22,  1818, 
and  the  mother  June  25,  1825.  They  were  com- 
panions in  youth  and  their  childish  regard  strength- 
ened and  led  them  to  unite  their  lives  and  for- 
tunes. Mr.  Hess  was  a  manufacturer  of  vinegars 
in  Germany  until  late  in  the  summer  of  1856,  when 
he  emigrated  to  America.  The  family  which  in- 
cluded three  children,  after  crossing  the  oce.an  set- 
tled in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  later  removing  to  Har- 
risburg.  Pa.,  and  still  later  to  Freeport,  111.    They 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


finally  located  in  Chicago  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess 
ran  a  hotel  for  some  years.  They  have  now  re- 
tired from  active  labor  and  are  still  living  on  the 
South  side.  They  are  now  quite  full  of  years  but 
smart  and  active,  and  are  excellent  representa- 
tives of  their  race.  Mr.  Hess  is  a  man  of  much 
ability,  recognized  as  such  bj'  all  who  knew  him, 
and  both  have  many  friends  in  their  wide  circle  of 
acquaintances.  They  are  devoted  adherents  of  the 
Jewish  faith. 


■•^^i•;;;•:i;;^■— * 


\l/OHN  II.  ROBINSON,  deceased,  began  liis 
residence  in  Will  County,  in  the  fall  of  1841, 
making  his  6rst  settlement  in  Troy  Town- 
ship, but  several  years  later  removin'g  to 
Joliet  Township.  In  the  latter  he  breathed  his 
last  December  8,  1873.  During  the  early  years  of 
his  residence  here  he  fdled  the  official  station  of 
Supervisor.  His  birth  took  place  in  Tonawanda, 
Niagara  County,  N.  Y.,  June  5,1811,  and  at  his 
native  place  lie  resided  until  he  was  nineteen  years 
old.  He  then  came  West  as  far  as  Ashtabula 
County,  Ohio,  which  was  his  home  until  he  removed 
to  Illinois.  During  his  residence  in  Ohio,  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  State  and  in  the  town  of  Hamp- 
ton, Washington  County,  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nancy  A.  Ilulett.  This  worth}-  lady 
was  a  native  of  that  place,  where  her  ej'es  opened 
to  the  light  October  14,  1813.  Their  union  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  cliildren,  four  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  The  survivors  are  Andrew  J.  and 
John  H.,  the  former  a  resident  of  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  and  the  latter  of  the  parental  homestead  in 
this  county. 

The  young  man,  who,  since  his  father's  death, 
has  had  charge  of  the  Robinson  homestead,  was 
born  in  Channahon  Townsliii),  February  20,  1855. 
He  was  educated  in  tlie  sohools  in  Will  County 
and  grew  to  manhood  in  possession  of  a  goodly 
store  of  practical  knowledge  which,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  his  natural  inclination  toward  all  that 
is  progressive  and  enterprising,  lias  brought  him 
rapidly  to  tlic  front  in  the   business   enterprises  in 


whicli  he  is  engaged.  The  homestead  comprises 
eighty  acres  on  which  are  excellent  improvements 
and  its  appearance  shows  that  it  is  ably  managed 
and  remunerative. 

Mr.  Robinson  is  also  engaged  in  the  Fire  Insur- 
ance business,  representing  the  Home  Company  of 
New  York,  and  he  also  represents  the  Michigan 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Detroit.  He 
is  thorougldy  adapted  to  this  work,  having  an  acute 
and  almost  instantaneous  judgment  of  human  na- 
ture, and  a  persistence  in  presenting  his  cause  that 
is  kept  from  being  dis.agreeable  by  affable  manners 
and  good  conversational  powers.  In  all  business 
transactions  he  is  careful  yet  enterprising,  while  he 
ranlvs  high  among  the  public-spirited  citizens,  being 
one  of  the  most  foremost  in  all  meritorious  enter- 
jnises.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Richard 
Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Joliet,  and 
in  both  city  and  country  is  well  and  favorably 
known  for  his  private  character  and  his  business 
ability. 

An  iui|)ortant  step  in  tlie  life  of  Mr.  Robinson 
was  taken  June  16,  1886,  when  at  tlie  bride's  home 
in  Joliet  Township  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
ISIiss  Jennie  H.  Lawrence.  Sh.e  is  a  well  educated 
and  amiable  lady,  a  native  of  this  county,  and  one 
well  calculated  to  fill  her  place  at  the  head  of 
household  affairs.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  two  children.  Jay  and  Alice. 


OSES  BOWE  occupies  an  important  [tlace 
among  the  leading  farmers  and  stock-rais- 
ers of  Will  Townshii),  who  have  contril)uted 
to  raise  it  to  its  present  prosperous  coiuli- 
tion,  and  have  thus  materially'  advanred  the  inter- 
ests of  the  count}'.  Mr.  Bowe  is  of  Irish  birth  ami 
parentage,  born  in  County  Wexford,  town  of  Ball- 
clay,  June  22,  1835,  a  son  of  .lolin  and  Annastatia 
Bowe.  They  had  five  children,  naniel}':  JIaiy. 
Fllen,  Elizabeth,  Moses  and  John  P.,  all  of  wliDni 
grevv  to  maturity,  and  Ellen  and  Mary  married  and 
reared  families. 

Oni-  subject  spent  the  early  years  of  his  boyhood 
in  Ihc  I.Hiid  of  his   nativity,   coming  to  the  United 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


259 


States  with  his  uncle,  Philip  Bowe,  in  1845,  who 
located  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1852,  Mr.  Bowe  came 
to  Chicago,  where  he  lived  two  years,  working  in 
the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  In 
1854  he  came  to  Monee,  where  he  was  connected 
with  the  same  railway  till  about  1881.  lie  then 
took  up  farming  for  a  living  and  located  on  the 
one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres  which  he  had 
purchased  here  in  1864,  and  on  which  lie  had  made 
various  improvements.  lie  now  has  his  place  in  an 
excellent  condition,  provided  with  suitable  build- 
ings, and  the  land  well  tilled.  lie  gives  much 
attention  to  stock-raising  and  has  a  fine  herd  of 
tiioroughbred  Short-horns.  Our  subject  has  ac- 
quired this  property  bj-  the  exercise  of  his  keen 
foresigiit  and  practical  al)ility. 

May  6,  18G0,  Mr.  Bowe  took  unto  himself  a  wife 
in  the  person  of  Miss  Hanora  Hurley.  She  is  a 
native  of  County  Kerry,  Ireland,  and  a  daugliter 
of  Michael  and  Catherine  (Green)  Hurley.  Tliey 
were  tlie  parents  of  five  children.'  Ellen,  .Icjlin, 
Mary,  Catherine,  Hanora,  all  of  whom  came  to 
America,  with  the  exception  of  the  oldest,  all  mar- 
rying and  rearing  families,  excepting  John.  The 
latter  was  an  officer  in  the  Fedeial  Army,  serving 
as  Sergeant  during  the  late  war,  and  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain.  Mary  was  the 
(irst  to  come  to  the  United  States,  taking  up  her 
residence  in  Glens  Fall,  N.  Y.,  in  1847,  and  then 
subsequently  removing  to  Chicago.  Mrs.  Bowe 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1852  and  has  ever 
since  been  a  resident  of  Illinois.  Of  her  happy 
wedded  life  with  our  subject  the  following  children 
have  Iteen  liorn  :  Philip  S.,  John  J.,  Michael  M., Will- 
iam M.,  and  Agnes.  AVilliam  died  at  the  age  of 
seventeen. 

We  have  seen  that  our  suljject  is  a  self-made 
man,  and  we  may  add,  wiiat  seems  to  be  the  uni- 
versal testimony  of  the  entire  community,  that  he 
is  a  strictly  hor.oralile,  straightforward  man,  a  most 
desirable  citizen  and  In  his  domestic  relations  is  all 
that  a  considerate  husband  and  wise  fatlier  should 
be.  He  interests  himself  in  public,  social  and  reli- 
gious matters  and  Itears  a  prominent  part  In  the 
civic  life  of  Cf)untj'  and  township,  having  been 
elected  Supervisor  to  represent  the  township  of 
Will  on  the  Count}'  Board   for   five  j'ears  without 


opposition,  which  fact  speaks  well  for  his  popularity 
and  ability.  In  polities  he  Is  a  decided  Democrat. 
Religiously  he  and  his  wife  are  esteemed  members 
of  the  Reformed  Church. 


AVID  S.  HENNEBKRRY  occupies  one  of 
the  fine  tr.acts  of  land  of  whicii  Wesley  Town- 
shij)  l)oasts  so  many,  being  joint  proprietor 
with  his  brother  John.  It  consists  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  fertile  acres  on  section  21,  on  which 
both  crops  and  stock  are  raised.  The  fields  pro- 
duce abund.-mtly  under  the  intelligent  manage- 
ment to  which  they  are  subject,  and  the  most  care- 
less eye  will  discern  that  the  stock  is  in  excellent 
condition.  The  Messrs.  Ilenneberry  are  single,  but 
their  pleasant  home  is  presided  over  by  their  sister 
Jenny,  who  surrounds  them  with  all  the  home 
comfort  which  they  desire. 

In  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  David  Ilenne- 
berry and  Bridget  Reeves  were  born.  They  be- 
came man  and  wife,  and  have  reared  a  famll}'  of 
seven  children,  viz:  David;  John  and  Annie 
(twins),  Jenny,  Christopher,  Mary  and  Agnes. 
The  imrcnts  came  to  America  in  1849,  making 
their  first  settlement  in  DuPage  County,  111.  Tlicv 
removed  thence  to  Grundy  Count}-,  and  a  few 
j-ears  later  lo  Marshall  (bounty,  where  they  so- 
journed but  a  short  time.  Returning  to  Grundy 
County  they  resided  therein  until  1883,  when  they 
took  up  their  abode  on  a  farm  on  section  2,  Wes- 
ley Township,  Will  County,  where  they   still   live. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  first  opened  his  eyes 
to  the  light  of  day  December  31,  1857,  in  Grundy 
County.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools, 
and  began  life  for  himself  wiien  seventeen  years 
old  by  hiring  out  on  a  farm.  He  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  two  years,  then  In  1876  with  his  brother 
bought  the  place  which  they  now  occupy  and  oper- 
ate. Being  still  young  in  years,  they  have  plenty 
of  time  before  them  in  which  to  reach  a  high  posi- 
tion among  the  farmers  of  the  county,  and  to  add 
to  their  already  comfortable  possessions. 

Mr.  Ilenneberry  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term 
as  Supervisor  of  Wesley   Township,   and    In's   con- 


2fi0 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tiiiiiance  in  office  iiiflicatcs  llic  opinion  that  is  lielcl 
b}'  liis  fellow-citizens  of  his  good  judgment  and 
zeal.  For  three  years  he  held  the  otliee  of  Road 
Commissioner  of  the  district.  The  Republican 
ticket  is  ahvaj's  voted  by  him,  and  he  has  ever 
been  active  in  [Kjlilii-al  woi'k,  both  .as  one  of  Ihe 
rank  and  file  of  the  jiartj',  and  as  a  delegate  to 
county  and  congressional  conventions.  He  has  the 
ready  speech  and  quick  intelligence  of  the  race 
from  which  he  descends,  is  respected  as  his  good 
qualities  deserve,  and  like  other  members  of  his 
family,  is  a  devout  member  of  the  C'atholic  Church. 


ANIEL  PATTERSON.  In  the  ann.als  of 
Wheatland  Towiishi|»,  the  name  of  this  gen- 
tleman occupies  an  honorable  place  as  one  of 
its  efficient  pioneers  who  h.as  given  practical  aid  in 
maliing  it  one  of  the  finest  farming  regions  in  this 
section  of  the  county.  By  steady'  toil  and  excel- 
lent management  he  has  acijuired  a  valuable  prop- 
erty since  he  came  to  Illinois  fort^^  years  ago,  and 
he  and  his  brother  own  a  large  tract  of  land,  all 
lying  ill  a  body,  and  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation 
and  exceedingly  well  improved. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Dumfriesliire,  Scot 
land,  born  October  13,  1828.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Jane  Patterson,  also  natives  of  that 
country.  He  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth 
on  a  farm,  and  received  a  fair  education.  Ambi- 
tious to  see  something  more  of  the  world  and  to 
liuild  up  a  home  for  himself,  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1850,  taking  passage  at  Liverpool  on  a  sail 
vessel.  He  encountered  a  heavy  storm  at  sea 
which  lasted  nearly  a  week,  but  at  last,  after  a  voy- 
age of  thirty-seven  days,  landed  in  safety  in  New 
York  City.  From  there  he  came  directly  to  this 
count}',  and  for  a  time  made  his  home  with  his 
brother  Mungo.  He  finally  settled  on  his  present 
farm  on  section  10,  in  which  he  owns  a  half  inter- 
est, his  brother  James,  who  lives  with  him,  being 
the  proi)rietor  of  the  remainder.  This  is  one  of 
the  largest  farms  in  this  vicinity,  and  is  well  pro- 
vided with  substantial  buildings,  modern  machin- 
ery and    everything  to  operate   it  to    advantage. 


When  he  and  his  brother  first  took  possession  of  it 
it  was  in  a  wild  condition,  and  by  their  united 
labors  the\'  have  made  it  what  it  is  to-day.  Their 
farm  is  well  stocked,  as  they  pay  much  attention 
to  that  branch  of  business.  When  they  began 
farming  here  Lockport  was  their  grain  market,  and 
grain  was  shipped  to  Chicago  from  that  jdace  by 
canal.  Almost  the  entire  growth  of  this  section  of 
Illinois  has  taken  place  under  their  eyes,  and  they 
have  ably  assisted  in  |)laciug  this  county  where  it 
is  to-day,  among  the  foremost  agricultural  counties 
in  the  State. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mr.  Patterson's  wife  was 
Jane  Williamson,  and  she  is  also  of  Scottish  birth. 
He  has  found  in  her  a  true  helpmate,  one  who  is 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  family-,  and  by  her 
patient  toil  has  been  a  factor  in  liringing  about  his 
prosperity.  The}'  have  had  ten  children,  of  whom 
the  following  are  living:  William,  IJobert,  Mar- 
garet, John,  Mary,  (irace,  Laura  and  Frank. 

Mr.  Patterson's  life  has  been  one  of  industrious 
toil,  guided  by  discretion,  prudence  and  sound 
common  sense,  that  have  placed  him  among  the 
moneyed  men  of  Wheatland.  He  has  always  <lis- 
played  the  qualities  which  mark  a  good  citizen,  is 
loyal  to  his  adopted  country,  and  gives  his  alleg- 
iance to  the  Republican  party.  A  man  of  earnest 
views  and  strong  principles,  he  is  a  firm  temperance 
advocate.  He  has  interested  himself  in  forward- 
ing the  educational  advantages  of  the  township  as 
School  Director,  which  office  he  still  holds. 


C-^-^HOMAS  DOKt.  New  Lenox  Township  [irob  ■ 
,y«<^\  abl}'  has  not  a  more  enterprising,  lilieral  or 
Vg>^'  public-spirited  man  within  its  limits  than  he 
with  whose  name  we  initiate  this  sketch.  He  is  a 
life-long  farmer  by  occupation,  but  notwithstand- 
ing the  cares  and  labors  involved  in  looking  prop- 
erly after  a  large  tract  of  land,  he  has  always  taken 
time  to  keep  himself  informed  in  regard  to  the 
various  enterprises  calculated  to  benefit  his  com- 
munity, and  to  these  has  given  his  uniform  sup- 
port. His  well-tilled  fields  yield  abundaiitl\-  the 
choicest  crops  of    Northern   Illinois,   and   he    culti- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


261 


vales  them  with  the  latest  improved  machinery' 
He  has  a  neat  anrl  substantial  farm  dwelling,  and 
the  various  outbuildings  required  for  tiie  proper 
prosecution  of  his  calling. 

Thomas  Doig  traces  his  ancestrj'  to  one  of  the 
best  nationalities  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  being 
the  son  of  Andrew  Doig,  wlio  was  born  September 
21,  17H7,  on  the  river  Tay,  in  the  city  of  Dundee, 
in  Forfarshire,  Scotland.  The  latter  when  reacli- 
ing  manhood  married  Miss  Isabella  Fife,  a  native 
of  his  own  shire,  tiie  wedding  occurring  in  October, 
1805,  at  Dundee.  The  father  set  out  for  America 
in  1830,  and  located  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he 
was  joined  by  his  family  two  years  later,  and  they 
lived  tliere  several  years.  He  followed  Ids  trade 
of  a  stonecutter,  was  a  skilled  workman,  and  was 
employed  in  the  erection  of  Oirard  College,  the 
Exchange  Building,  and  other  important  edifices 
in  the  city  of  Brotherly  Love. 

Early  in  the  '40s  the  parents  of  our  subject 
removed  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  Andrew 
Doig  continued  his  former  business,  also  being  con- 
cerned in  the  erection  of  various  public  buildings, 
including  the  postoffice,  and  he  put  up  tiie  self- 
supporting  hanging  stairs,  a  piece  of  architecture 
diiticult  to  accomplish,  and  wliicli  lias  been  gazed 
upon  liy  admiring  thousands.  He  was  also  em- 
ployed on  the  Capitol  Building  and  other  import- 
ant structures,  remaining  there  until  1847.  That 
j'ear  he  decided  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  West, 
and  coming  to  Will  County  settled  in  Homer  Town- 
ship, and  securing  a  tract  of  land  changed  his 
occupation  to  that  of  a  farmer.  He  built  up  a  com- 
fortable home  and  lived  there  until  after  the  death 
of  the  mother,  who  passed  away  May  4,  1861.  Mr. 
Doig  survived  his  estimable  partner  for  a  period 
of  twenty-six  years,  departing  this  life  at  the  home 
of  his  son  Alexander,  on  Maple  Street,  New  Lenox 
Township,  February  17,   1887. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  leu  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as 
follows:  Mary  Ann  died  in  Philadelphia  in  girl- 
liood;  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  William  Fer- 
guson and  died  in  Cliicago,  111.;  Thomas  resides 
on  Maple  Street  in  New  Lenox  Township;  Andrew 
is  a  miller  by  trade  and  lives  in  McTIenry  County; 
Jessie    died    in    Philadelphia    when  quite   3'oung; 


James  is  farming  in  the  State  of  Kansas;  Isabella 
is  the  wife  of  St.anton  Lynk,  of  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship; William  died  at  Hadley,  in  Homer  Township, 
when  a  youth  of  sixteen  years;  Alexander  is  farm- 
ing in  New  Lenox  Township;  John  H.  prosecutes 
.agriculture  in  the  same  township. 

The  subject  of  tliis  notice  w^as  the  third  cliild  of 
his  parents  and  is  also  a  native  of  Dundee,  Scot- 
land, born  March  3,  1826.  He  came  to  America 
with  his  mother  in  1832,  and  at  the  early  age  of 
twelve  years  started  out  to  earn  his  own  living, 
being  employed  in  a  butcher  shop  in  Philadelphia 
until  a  youth  of  eighteen.  He  then  accompanied 
the  family  to  Washington,  1).  C,  where  he  was 
emploj^ed  at  bricklaying  three  years.  We  next 
find  him  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  was  similarly 
employed  until  1849.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he 
came  to  this  county,  locating  in  Homer  Townshii), 
but  in  1850  joined  the  caravan  moving  toward  the 
Pacific  Slope,  and  until  January,  1853,  was  en- 
gaged in  hunting  for  the  yellow  ore.  He  was  fairly 
successful,  but  decided  to  return  to  Homer  Town- 
ship, and  a  year  later  settled  on  Maple  Street  in 
New  Lenox  Township.  In  May,  1854,  he  removed 
to  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided  and 
given  his  entire  attention  to  its  improvement  and 
cultivation.  He  has  one  hundred  and  seventy -two 
acres  of  good  land  with  modern  improvements. 

Thomas  Doig  was  married  in  Chicago,  111.,  May 
5,  1854,  to  Mrs.  Ann  M.  (Lynk)  Van  Duser.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Columbia  Township,  N.  Y.,  No- 
vember 17,  1820,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Z.  W.  and 
Sallie  (Harder)  Lynk,  mention  of  who'ii  is  made 
in  the  sketch  of  Stanton  Lynk,  on  anotlier  page  in 
this  Ai.iiUM.  Her  first  husband  w.as  Gilbert  Van 
Duser,  who  died  on  Maple  Street,  New  Lenox 
Townsliip,  April  2,  1853.  Of  this  union  there 
were  born  two  children:  Sarah  C'.,  the  wife  of  Alex- 
ander Doig,  of  New  Lenox  Tovvnsliip,  and  John  I. 
who  died  here  in  April,  1882. 

Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Doig  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, viz:  Isabella,  who  died  in  childliood;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  George  L.  Francis,  of  New  Lenox 
Township;  Irene,  who  died  young,  and  Tliomas  J., 
who  is  farming  in  New  Lenox  Township.  Mr. 
Doig  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  politically,  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  councils  of   his   party, 


262 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lioklii)<r  various  ])ositions  of  trust  and  responsibil- 
itj',  and  representing  his  township  in  the  Counts- 
Board  of  Supervisors.  Mrs.  Doig  is  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  tlie  ^fethodist  Episcopal  Cluirch. 
The  family  liokl  a  good  social  position  in  thecom- 
nuinity,  and  are  contributing  their  full  quota  toward 
the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 

•<>• — •^ — *j::^^:^^:z  *    CT' — •<>• 


--W^ 


felLLIAM  GEORGE  JACKSON.  Froba- 
'fl  bly  no  business  man  in  the  cit}'  of  .Toliet 
is  more  shrewd,  careful  and  persistent  in 
his  operations,  or  displays  a  greater  vigor  in  his 
undertakings  than  the  above-named  gentleman, 
who  withal  is  modest  and  conscientious  in  his  deal- 
ings. A  few  years  ago  he  abandoned  the  occupa- 
tion in  which  he  had  previously  been  engaged,  to 
embark  as  a  furniture  dealer,  which  he  thought 
would  l)c  a  more  congenial  and  money-making 
business.  He  has  been  well  repaid  for  the  change, 
his  present  enterprise  reaching  a  trade  of  S!20,000 
per  year. 

Mr.  .Jackson  is  of  English  ancestry  and  parent- 
age, and  belongs  to  a  family  which  for  five  genera- 
tions had  followed  the  same  business.  In  1841 
his  parents.  AV.  .S.  and  Frances  M.  (Ilogbin)  .Tack- 
son,  left  the  mother  country  to  make  a  home  in 
America.  They  located  at  L^tica,  N.  Y.,  where  our 
subject  was  born,  October  27,  1851,  being  one  of 
three  sons  and  one  daughter  who  comprised  the 
parental  lioiisehold.  The  father  was  a  first-class 
butcher  and  did  a  large  market  liusiness.  Young 
•lackson  finished  a  commercial  course  of  stud)'  at 
the  age  of  twentj--two  j'ears,  and  being  ready  to 
embark  in  business  for  himself  followed  the  foot- 
steps of  his  ancestors,  thinking  it  a  rut  from  which 
he  could  not  escape. 

In  1878  Mr.  Jackson  determined  to  seek  a  home 
farther  west  than  his  native  State,  and  after  trav- 
eling around  considerably  decided  upon  Joliet  as 
his  future  location,  lie  went  into  J.  J.  Culver's 
meat  market,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  August.  1879, 
started  a  similar  business  for  himself  in  the  build- 
ing next  door  to  the  First  National  Bank,  where  he 
remained  until  the    Hoard    of  Trade   building    w.as 


erected  on  North  Ottawa  Street.  Into  that  he 
moved,  continuing  to  jn-osper.  and  soon  afterward 
bu3'ing  a  splendid  home  just  outside  the  city 
limits. 

It  took  many  hard  knocks  to  bring  .about  the 
prosperity  which  is  so  easily  men'^ioned,  and  it  w.as 
not  without  some  misgivings  that  in  1884  Mr.  Jack- 
son abandoned  the  block  to  engage  in  his  new 
enterprise.  On  tlie  1st  of  September  he  rented 
the  entire  second  lloorof  the  Board  of  Trade  IMock. 
and  with  this  and  his  market  store-room  he  bloomed 
out  with  a  first-class  furniture  repository.  The 
many  friends  he  h.ad  made  in  his  old  business  nat- 
urally clung  to  him  in  the  new,  and  a  deserved 
success  has  been  his. 

On  April  20.  1876,  at  the  home  of  the  bride  in 
New  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  our  subject  and  Miss  Maggie 
E.  Craig.  This  lady  is  a  daughter  of  James  Craig, 
was  the  recipient  of  careful  home  training  and  ex- 
cellent educational  advantages,  and  her  cultured 
mind,  refined  manners  and  fine  cliar.actcr  fit  her  for 
the  positions  of  wife  and  mother,  and  member  of 
society.  She  h.-is  borne  her  husband  three  children, 
named  respectively:  (xcorge  Elliott,  born  Septem- 
ber 18,  1878,  Clarence  Mason,  born  October  20, 
l!J80,  and  Cleora  W.,  born  February  4,  1884.  Mr. 
J.sckson  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity-,  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  to 
several  insurance  societies. 


0-^:»t^-*g-2);^-«-«^-<S- 


OriS  WENBERG  was  born  in  the  southern 
(?§)  part  of  Sweden  in  1856,  and  grew  to  man- 
^^  hood  in  his  native  land,  engaging  in  the 
occupations  of  a  farmer  and  stonemason.  At  the 
age  of  tw-enty-four  years,  in  compan}-  with  his 
m(>thcr  and  four  brothers,  he  embarked  at  Gutten- 
berg  and  ere  long  landed  in  New-  York.  They 
came  West  at  once,  locating  in  Joliet,  where  our 
subject  resumed  his  trade  of  a  stonemason  and  his 
brothers  engaged  as  quarrymen.  Tw-o  years  later 
the  Wenberg  brothers  and  a  brother-in-law  formed 
a  co-|iartnership  under  the  style  of  Wenberg  it  Co., 
and  having  bought  three  acres  of  land   on   Maple 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArillCAL  ALBUM. 


265 


Street,  embarkerl  in  the  business  of  qnariyiiig. 
Business  grew  rapidi)',  (inrl  by  1889  they  had  trans- 
acted a  trade  which  reached  tlie  value  of  $46,000. 
The  firm  of  Wenberg  &  Co.  was  dissolved  in  1890, 
Alfred  Wenberg  and  his  brother-in-law  taking  the 
department  of  contracting  and  masonry,  and  Louis, 
our  subject,  continuing  the  quarry  business  alone. 

Of  the  four  brothers  of  our  subject  two  are  now 
deceased.  I'^rank  was  born  in  1818  and  died  in 
1886;  Peter  was  born  in  1850  and  died  in  1884, 
leaving  two  chiUlren,  whose  home  is  with  his 
luotlier.  Tliis  estimable  lad3'  was  born  in  1821, 
and  is  now  living  in  .loliet  with  her  grandchildren. 
She  is  noted  for  her  excellence  of  character,  and  is 
regarded  witii  loving  respect  by  hosts  of  friends. 
Her  husband  died  in  Sweden  in  1878.  The  mother 
and  sons  were  preceded  to  America  by  a  sister  of 
our  subject,  Ida  Louisa,  who  married  Charles  E. 
Swerberg  in  1881,  and  died  in  1885,  leaving  one 
child. 

Louis  Wenberg  was  married  in  1883  to  Miss 
Lottie  Soderland,  a  native  of  .Sweden,  who  came  to 
America  in  1882.  To  them  have  been  born  two 
children:  Albert,  aged  five  years,  and  Laura,  aged 
ten  niontiis,  whose  childish  beauty  and  l)right  ways 
are  a  C(nistant  delight  to  their  parents.  INIr.  Wenberg 
lias  risen  by  his  own  industry  and  judgment  to  an 
honorable  place,  and  is  highly  respected  for  his 
integrity  and  social  qualities.  Uoth  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wenberg  belong  to  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church. 


GEORGE  M.  CAMPBELL,  Secretary,  Treas- 
urer and  General  Manager  of  the  Joliet 
Stone  Company,  is  one  of  that  class  of  men 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  advancing  the  ma- 
terial interests  of  the  city.  A  residence  of  nearly 
twent3'-eight  j'ears,  during  which  he  has  made  for 
himself  a  good  record,  both  in  social  and  luisiness 
circles,  has  fully  established  him  in  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  all  who  know  him.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  three  years,  one  of  which  was  spent  in  the 
South,  and  two  at  his  old  home  in  New  England, 
he  has  been  a  continuous  resident  of  Joliet  since 
April,  18C2. 

The  native  place  of  t)ur  subject  was  in  Unit}-, 


Waldo  County,  Me.,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  Jan- 
uary 5,  1848.  He  is  the  son  of  John  B.  and  Mar- 
garet  W.  (Norton)  Campbell,  the  former  of  whom 
was  a  native  of  Montville,  Me.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  grew  to  mature  years  in  his  native  town, 
and  at  an  early  age  went  to  sea  and  followed 
a  sailor's  life  for  four  years,  in  the  meantime  be- 
coming (irst  mate  of  a  vessel.  He  then  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  finally  became  expert 
as  an  architect  and  a  skilled  mechanic.  After  mar- 
riage he  moved  to  Medford,  Mass.,  and  thereafter 
lived  in  several  [ilaccs  in  the  Bay  State  until  1857, 
employing  himself  as  an  artisan.  That  year  he 
resolved  to  seek  the  far  west  and  removed  with 
his  family  across  the  Mississipi)i  to  Lynn  County, 
Iowa,  settling  at  a  point  sixty-five  miles  beyond 
a  railroad.  He  still  continued  at  his  trade  and 
took  the  lead  in  the  building  interests  of  that 
section  of  the  llawkeye  State,  putting  up  some 
of  the  best  structures  in  the  surrounding  countrj', 
including  Central  Citj'.  At  that  place  he  built  the 
first  church  and  schoolhouse  and  left  the  marks  of 
his  handiwork  upon  various  other  important  struc- 
tures, remaining  there  until  1862. 

In  the  spring  of  1862,  Mr.  Campbell  returned 
East  as  far  as  Joliet,  III.,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  one  year,  and  then  on  account  of  an  accident 
which  crip})led  one  of  his  hands,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  portrait  painting,  taking  up  the  art 
readily  and  becoming  very  proficient.  He  subse- 
quently returned  to  Iowa,  where  he  lives  at  a  i)leas- 
ant  country  seat,  called  "The  Pines,"  situated  two 
miles  east  of  the  capitol  building  at  Des  Moines. 
He  was  first  identified  with  the  Whig  party,  and  is 
now  a  stanch  Republican  and  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  his  county. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  consisted  of 
three  children,  the  youngest  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  survivors  are  George  INL,  our  subject, 
and  Susan  E.,  now  the  wife  of  Gurdon  Eox,  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.  The  mother  is  likewise  living. 
She  was  born  January  16,  1827,  while  the  father 
was  born  September  15,1822.  Mrs.  Camjibell  was 
in  her  girlhood  Miss  Marg.aret  W.  Norton.  She 
was  born  near  Bucks  Harbor,  Me.,  in  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Brooksville,  in  the  same  house  under 
whose  roof  her  father  first  opened   his  eyes  to  the 


2G6 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


light,   though  at   tlie    time  of  his  birth   the  place 
formert  a  part  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

George  M.  Campbell  pursued  his  early  studies  in 
the  Joliet  schools  and  completed  them  in  the  Eng- 
lish and  Classical  Institute  at  Springfield,  Mass., 
where  he  spent  tvvo  3'ears.  He  then  occupied  him- 
self as  a  teacher  in  Tennessee  at  the  foot  of  Lone 
Mountain  for  five  months.  We  next  find  him  in 
Joliet,  whore  he  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter, 
which  he  had  learned  from  his  father,  and  he  soon 
commanded  jourue.yman's  pay.  While  at  school 
he  had  taken  a  commercial  course  and  became  fitted 
for  an  accountant  and  now  occupied  himself  in  this 
capacity  from  July,  1867,  until  May,  187.5. 

The  next  move  of  Mr.  Campbell  was  to  embark 
in  business  for  himself,  having  as  his  partner,  Mr. 
George  H.  Monroe.  In  1875,  the  Joliet  Stone 
Company  was  formed  and  incorporated  two  i^ears 
later  with  Mr.  Monroe  as  I'resident  and  Mr.  Camp- 
bell as  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  The  latter  also 
became  interested  in  the  Crescent  Stone  Company, 
Joliet,  and  is  at  present  one  of  its  Directors.  lie 
is  also  engaged  in  real  estate  to  a  certain  extent. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  always  been  an  active  worker 
in  the  Republican  part}^  but  with  the  exception  of 
serving  as  Assistant  Supervisor  of  Joliet,  he  has 
declined  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  office.  He 
was  married  December  25.  1873,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
R.,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Henry  Snapp.  Mr.  Snapp 
in  former  years  was  a  noted  attorney  and  repre- 
sented this  district  in  Congress.  He  is  now  living 
retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life  in  San  Jose. 
Cal.  Mrs.  Campbell  was  born  in  Joliet,  this  county, 
August  25,  1851,  and  obtained  her  education  in  the 
common  schools.  She  possesses  considerable  musi- 
cal talent  and  perfected  herself  in  this  accomplish- 
ment in  Chicago.  ]Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  have 
two  children.  Jessie  M.  and  Ida  A.  Our  subject 
and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  Uiiivcr- 
salist  Church. 

The  Joliet  Stone  Company  was  incorporated  in 
1877  with  a  capital  of  830,000,  which  later  was  in- 
creased to  §100,000.  The  principal  quarries  are 
near  the  foot  of  Richards  Street  and  from  them  are 
ol)tained  the  largest  output  of  any  quarry  in  this 
part  of  Illinois,  the  district  covering  an  area  of 
about  eighty  acres  from  which  is  taken  all  the  va- 


rieties of  stone  known  to  this  region.  The  main 
olHce  is  at  Joliet  and  there  are  five  branch  offices 
in  Chicago  to  which  is  run  a  fleet  of  boats  owned 
by  the  couipanj-  and  operated  by  a  force  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  during  the  busy  season. 
They  have  connection  with  all  the  raihoads  center- 
ing in  Joliet,  being  the  only  quarrj-  enjoying  such 
ample  transportation  facilities. 

On  another  page  of  this  Album  appears  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  Mr.  Campbell. 


y  ALTER  J.  FIDDYMENT.  After  years 
of  well-directed  efforts  as  one  of  thefarm- 
^  ,,  ers  and  business  men  of  Lockport,  this 
gentleman  h;is  retired  in  affluence  to  the  enjoyment 
of  an  elegant  home  and  the  society  of  a  charming 
family.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sophia  (Blogg) 
Ftddj'ment,  natives  of  Norfolk,  England,  where  he 
was  born,  April  3,  1837.  His  father  came  to 
America  the  same  year,  and  was  joined  by  the 
mother  and  son  in  1839.  John  Fiddj-ment  was  a 
distiller,  and  carried  on  his  business  in  Lockport 
until  18G5,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Lock- 
port  Township. 

Walter  J.  Fiddymeut  attended  the  public  schools, 
proving  an  apt  pupil  and  fitting  himself  for  a  pra<-- 
tical  application  of  the  theories  which  he  learned 
with  his  father.  When  his  father  removed  to  his 
farm  our  subject  engaged  in  farming  with  him, 
but  resided  in  Lockport.  In  1881  he  embarked  in 
the  business  of  a  quarryman,  by  opening  a  quarrv 
at  Lockport,  in  which  the  quality  of  the  stone  is 
unsurpassed.  B3-  strict  attention  to  business  and 
honorable  methods,  his  product  obtained  a  ready 
sale,  and  the  business  which  began  with  but  a  few 
n)en,  emplo3'ed  from  one  to  two  hundred  when  our 
subject  disposed  of  his  interest  in  1889. 

In  1886  Mr.  Fiddyment  organized  a  stock  com- 
pany called  the  Lockport  Stone  Company,  of  which 
lie  became  President;  Olas  Paulsen.  Secretary  and 
Treasurer;  W.  J.  Fiddyment,  Olas  Paulsen  and 
J.  C.  Fiddyment,  son  of  our  subject.  Directors. 
The  business  was  extended  until  it  became   one  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


26: 


the  best  equipped  and  most  profitable  plants  in  the 
West.  Having  disposed  of  liis  plant  to  the  West- 
ern Stone  Com  pan}'.  Mr.  Fiddjment  retired  from 
the  hiisiness.  He  has  always  been  noted  for  his 
lil)cr;ihl  V  nnd  geniality.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. The  lecord  of  liis  business  life  is  creditable 
aUkc  to  liis  financial  ability  and  manly  spirit,  while 
his  personal  character  'omniands  the  respect  of  his 
friends. 

Tlie  marriage  of  Mr.  Fiddynicnt  and  Miss  Ellen 
.1.  Claikson  took  place  in  1862,  and  has  been  blessed 
with  llic  Itirth  of  fourteen  children,  eleven  of  whom 
arc  living  \n  Will  County  near  the  parental  home. 
Mrs.  Fiddyment  is  a  native  of  Joliet  and  belongs 
to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honored  families  of 
the  county.  She  is  a  member  of  St.  Dennis  Cath- 
olic Church,  is  a  woman  of  devout  Christian  char- 
acter, and  possesses  the  gracious  manners  which  are 
St)  ciiarminir  in  a  hostess. 


^ FORGE  M.  J>YND.  It  affords  the  bio- 
(- — ,  graphical  writer  pleasure  to  be  able  to  re- 
JA\  cord  in  this  volume  the  main  incidents  in 
Lhe  life  of  an  honest  and  upright  citizen,  a  good 
business  man  and  a  patriotic  soldier,  who  has  been 
well  known  in  Lockjiort  for  a  number  of  years. 
Mr.  L3nd  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1836. 
\nd  as  the  fortunate  son  of  educated  parents  and 
Lhe  inheritor  of  the  zeal  and  mental  ability  which 
have  characterized  his  progenitors,  he  became  pro- 
Rcient  in  book  lore  and  capable  of  performing  well 
Ills  part  in  life. 

The  father  of  him  of  whom  we  write  was  Samuel 
Lynd,  a  native  of  Gerraantown.  Pa.,  who  devoted 
liimself  to  the  ministry  in  the  Baptist  Church.  Such 
was  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Master  that 
he  left  a  lucrative  position  in  the  East  and  came  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  when  it  was  but  a  straggling  vil- 
lage. There  he  remained  eighteen  years,  building 
up  a  large  congregation,  afterward  going  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  as  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 
He  was  chosen  as  President  of  the  Western  Baptist 
Theological  Institute,  located  at  Covington,   Ky., 


and  moved  to  Georgetown,  Ky.  Subsequently  he 
came  to  Chicago,  111.,  as  pastor  of  the  North  Street 
Churi'h.  but  was  recalled  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
closed  an  active  ministry  of  forty-five  years,  to 
spend  his  last  days  with  his  sc)n  in  Lockport. 

The  wife  of  this  able  minister  and  the  mother  of 
our  subject  was  born  in  New  .Jersey,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  James  Staughton,  at  onetime 
Chaplain  of  the  House  of  Representatives  at  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Staughton  \va.s  the  divine 
whose  eloquence  made  Chatham  Street  Ciiurch,  of 
Philadel|)hia,  famous,  drawing  thither  such  crowds 
that  the  capacity-  of  the  building  was  never  suffic- 
ient to  accommodate  them,  although  the  edifice 
was  so  s[>.acions  that  no  successor  was  able  to  fill  it, 
and  it  was  eventually  torn  down. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
school  [iresided  over  by  his  father,  and  began  his 
l)ersonal  career  as  a  teacher,  his  [larticular  field 
being  that  of  a  private  tutor.  "The  shot  heard 
round  the  world"  aroused  him  from  his  peaceful 
calling,  and  answering  the  first  call  for  troops  to 
suppress  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry.  His  command- 
ing officers  were  Capt.  Bacon  and  Col.  Bartleson, 
under  whose  leadership  he  saw  service  in  the  West, 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Chicknniauga  and  in 
Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  He  was  subsequently 
sent  back  to  Nashville,  where  he  assisted  Gen. 
Thomas  to  defeat  and  destroy  Hood's  army.  He 
was  never  touched  by  a  bullet,  but  passed  through 
the  many  dangerous  scenes  of  war  unscathed,  ex- 
hibiting the  qualities  which  led  to  his  successive 
j)romotious  from  the  rank  of  Sergeant  to  that  of 
Captain,  which  he  held  when  mustered  out. 

Upon  returning  to  the  North  at  the  close  of  the 
war  Mr.  Lynd  entered  the  grocery  business  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Lull,  in  Lockport,  111.,  and  to- 
gether they  carried  on  a  growing  trade  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  About  a  decade  ago  Mr.  Lull  retired, 
his  former  partner  continuing  the  business  at  the 
old  stand,  where  he  has  an  excellent  trade  and  en- 
deavors to  meet  every  want  of  his  patrons.  Mr. 
Lynd  is  fortunate  in  his  home  life,  having  won  as 
his  companion  Miss  Mary  M.  Blount,  whose  family 
is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  in  the 
county.     Her  father,  Samuel  Blount,  was  the  first 


268 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Supervisor  of  Iloiner  Townsliip.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lynd  are  the  pnrents  of  twodnughters — Carrie  and 
Louise.  Mr.  Lynd  is  a  nicmljcr  of  Gooding  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  at  Locliport. 


-^^ 


E^M' 


AUTIN  WKSTPHAL  was  born  at  Bram- 
stadt,  Holstein,  October  27,  1837,  when 
that  section  of  the  country  was  under 
Danish  rule.  In  1856  lie  came  to  America, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  located  in  Crete, 
tills  county  ;  here  he  remained  until  1863,  when 
coming  to  Joliet,  he  was  employed  as  Deputy  Re- 
corder until  the  autumn  of  1869.  Having  been 
admitted  to  the  bar,  he  now  began  the  practice  of 
law,  and  in  1875,  opened  the  German  Loan  &  Sav- 
ings Bank,  which  he  continues  at  present  with  the 
assistance  of  his  two  sons  as  clerks. 


1  ERG  AN  BROS.  The  Messrs.  Michael.  John 
and  Daniel  Bergan  own  and  operate  three 
hundred  and  tweut3'  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 4,  Manhattan  Township,  their  specialty 
being  the  importing,  breeding  and  sale  of  horse- 
flesh. The}-  have  become  known  far  and  near  for 
their  herd  of  Shetland  ponies  which  generally 
numbers  from  fift}-  to  sixtj'  head;  and  for  the  fine 
Kentucky  saddle  horses  in  which  they  deal.  The}' 
also  raise  draft  horses,  full-blooded  Short  horn 
cattle,  thorough-bred  Cottswold  sheep  and  full- 
blooded  Poland-China  swine.  The  zeal  which  they 
have  manifested  in  their  business  is  bringing  them 
the  success  which  they  merit,  and  they  have  the 
pleasure  of  knowing  that  in  their  former  line  of 
labor  they  were  also  successful,  not  only  gaining 
worldly  goods,  but  relieving  their  parents  of  a 
great  burden  and  securing  their  choicest  blessing. 
Martin  Bergan,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  County  Kilkenne}',  Ireland,  in  1803,  and 
tilled  the  soil  in  his  native  land  until  the  fall  of 
1847.  In  November  he  bade  adieu  to  the  Emer- 
ald Isle,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to   New  Orleans  and 


started  nortliward  with  his  family.  The  river 
froze  so  that  he  was  not  able  to  reach  Joliet,  111., 
until  Ai)ril,  1848.  He  then  bought  eighty  acres  of 
raw  land  which  now  forms  a  p.art  of  the  Bergan 
Bros,  estate.  At  that  time  the  township  of  Tren- 
ton, comprising  what  are  now  Green  Garden  and 
Manhattan  Townships,  contained  but  seven  voters, 
and  Mr.  Bergan  is  the  oldest  settler  therein  now 
living.  He  improved  and  operated  his  farm,  for 
some  3'ears  being  very  successful,  and  adding  to 
his  landed  estate  until  his  possessions  here 
amounted  to  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  and 
he  held  laud  elsewhere  in  the  county.  Misfortune, 
however,  overtook  him  about  a  decade  since,  and 
he  retired,  his  sons  assuming  control  of  affairs  with 
the  determination  to  recover  all  that  he  had  seem- 
ingly lost. 

Mr.  Bergan  has  at  different  times  been  the  in- 
cumbent of  the  various  township  offices,  and  he  has 
also  been  useful  in  his  day  and  generation  b}'  re.i- 
son  of  the  assistance  which  he  has  given  to  the 
cause  of  education  and  religion.  He  put  up  the 
first  schoolhouse  in  his  district  and  has  helped  to 
build  churches.  He  has  alwaj-s  voted  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  He  is  now  eighty-seven  years  of  age, 
while  his  wife,  formerly  Miss  Esther  Welsh,  of 
County  Kilkenn}',  Ireland,  has  reached  her  three- 
score years  and  ten.  Both  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church  and  as  devout  believers  have  reared  their 
children  in  the  tenets  of  the  faith.  Their  family 
includes  Michael,  Mary,  John  and  Nicholas,  who 
were  born  in  Ireland,  and  two  of  whom  are  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  of  which  we  write.  Mary  is  the 
wife  of  John  Peterson  and  lives  in  Harris,  Ander- 
son County,  Kan.,  and  Nicholas  resides  in  Nuckolls 
County,  the  same  State.  The  children  born  in 
America  are  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years;  Mrs.  Bridget  Hayden,  of  Flor- 
ence; Ann,  widow  of  Tbom.as  C.  Kelly,  who  lives 
witli  her  iiarents;  Daniel,  of  the  firm  of  Bergan 
Bros.;  and  Martin,  who  keeps  a  livery  stable  in 
Manhattan. 

The  three  brothers,  of  whom  we  write,  were 
reared  upon  the  farm  which  they  now  operate  and 
the  work  of  which  they  learned  the  rudiments  of 
when  quite  joung.  They  enjoyed  the  privileges 
of  the  district  school   in   which   they  acquired    a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


269 


practical  education.  John  was  the  hunter  of  the 
famil}-  ami  made  several  trips  to  Green  Ba^-,  Wis., 
and  the  hunting  grounds  of  Minnesota,  where  he 
spent  some  time  in  hunting  and  trapping,  doing 
well  in  this  occupation.  In  1880,  after  their  father's 
misfortune,  the}'  put  their  shoulder  to  the  wheel 
and  togetiier  bought  the  home  farm  and  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  grain.  They  worked  liard, 
managed  carefuUj'  and  won  success,  soon  being  re- 
warded by  seeing  tlie  mortgage  lifted  and  having 
the  deed  of  a  well-improved  farm  in  their  posses- 
sion. 

The  brothers  gradually  worked  into  the  stock 
business  and  in  1887  began  importing  Shetland 
ponies.  John  Bergan  went  to  the  Shetland  Islands 
bringing  back  a  herd  and  is  now  making  his" fourth 
trip  thither.  They  not  only  import  but  they  also 
breed  the  little  animals,  having  the  best  herd  of 
brood  mares  in  the  country.  It  includes  Minnie 
Warren,  the  smallest  brood  mare  in  the  United 
States;  her  weight  is  but  one  hundred  and  ninety 
[xiuiids.  She  took  the  honors  at  the  American 
Horse  Show,  in  Chicago,  where  tliree  other  first 
premiums  were  secured  by  the  Bergan  Bros.  Their 
ponies  are  all  registered.  Few  prettier  sigiits  can 
be  imagined  than  that  afforded  by  the  playful  an- 
tics of  the  tin}'  equines. 

The  Bergan  Bros.,  keep  nothing  but  fine  stock, 
and  in  all  their  labors  use  the  latest  farm  machinery, 
likewise  keeping  up  to  the  times  in  the  construc- 
tion and  arrangement  of  necessary  buildings.  An 
immense  barn  having  a  frontage  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  affords  stabling  and  shelters  the 
large  amount  of  hay  and  grain  needed  to  supply 
the  wants  of  the  stock.  The  land  is  watered  by 
Jackson  Creek  and  is  further  supplied  with  the 
cooling  liquid  by  means  of  a  windmill  and  tank, 
wiiile  a  lieauliful  orchard  and  shade  trees  provide 
fruit  and  afford  shelter  from  the  scorching  rays  of 
the  sun. 

In  1888  the  Bergan  Bros.,  assisted  to  organize 
the  American  Shetland  Pony  Association,  of  which 
John  Bergan  is  Vice-President.  All  are  members 
of  the  Grange  at  Manhattan,  three  miles  distant 
from  their  home,  and  Daniel  is  Treasurer  of  the 
Lodge.  lie  has  also  been  Highway  Commissioner 
for  four  years  and  is  now  serving  as  School  Direc- 


tor. He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Central  Com- 
mittee of  the  Democratic  party,  to  the  principles  of 
which  all  the  brothers  stanchly  adhere.  They  be- 
long to  the  Sacred  Heart  Catholic  Church  in  Joliet, 
and  have  a  high  standing  among  its  members. 


^.|  LLEN  G.  HAWLEY,  editor  of  the  Will 
iLM  County  Commercial  Advertise);  was  born 
in  Centralia,  111.,  April  25,  1858.  He  is 
the  son  of  Henry  S.  and  Deborah  (Bramen) 
Hawle}',  natives  of  the  Empire  State,  who  settled 
in  Lockport  early  in  the  '30s.  Our  subject  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Lockport  and 
at  an  early  age  entered  the  otHce  of  the  Lockport 
Courier,  which  was  then  edited  by  N.  S.  Grim- 
wood,  the  balloonist.  After  two  years  spent  in 
the  employ  of  that  gentleman  he  entered  the  office 
of  the  Joliet  Sun,  where  he  finished  his  apprentice- 
ship. He  had  become  thoroughly  conversant  with 
the  printer's  trade,  and  had  also  acquired  a  good 
knowledge  of  journalistic  work  in  editorial  and 
other  departments. 

In  1877  Mr.  Hawley  opened  a  small  job  |)rint- 
ing  office  in  Lockport,  and  during  the  same  year 
began  the  publication  of  the  Lockport  Standard. 
The  enterprising  spirit  of  the  man  and  his  ambition 
to  reach  a  high  standing  in  the  fields  of  journalism 
was  not  satisfied  with  this  enterprise,  and  he,  there- 
fore, began  the  publication  of  the  Advertiser,  be- 
lieving that  a  sheet  of  this  nature  would  reach  a 
larger  circulation  and  a  more  influential  place.  He 
began  it  by  himself  filling  the  vai  ious  positions  of 
editor,  reiiorter,  printer,  devil  and  business  man- 
ager. The  plant  consisted  of  one  old  jtress  pro- 
pelled Ijy  hand. 

Ere  long  the  standing  of  the  paper  had  become 
sufficiently  assured  to  allow  the  use  of  horse-power 
to  run  the  press,  and  eventually  the  business  grew 
until  all  the  modern  appliances  of  a  first-class  es- 
tablishment were  obtained  and  steam  became  the 
motive  power.  The  Coinniercial  Advertiser  now 
has  eight  editions  for  as  m.-ui}-  places  in  Will 
County.     Mr.  Hawley  is  without  a  [leer  as  a  solici- 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tor  for  advertising  and  job  work,  and    is  what  in 
Western  parlance  would  be  called  a  "hustler." 

The  enterprise  of  Mr.  Hawley  is  n(_)t  confined 
to  tiie  newspaper  business,  but  in  1888  he  Imilt  a 
brick  building  at  No.  407  Chicago  Street,  Joliet, 
and  in  I88it  inaugurated  the  electric  light  system 
in  Lockport.  He  introduced  the  Edison  incandes- 
cent light,  placed  the  business  on  a  firm  basis  and 
then  diposed  of  his  interest  to  Norton  A-  Co.  He 
is  now  building  for  himself  an  elegant  home, 
which,  when  completed,  will  be  a  ciedit  to  the 
city.  As  he  is  yet  in  his  thirties  and  has  not  yet 
reached  the  highest  point  of  man's  vigor,  it  is  liut 
natural  to  suppose  tliat  this  section  of  country  will 
hear  yet  more  of  his  work  in  years  to  come. 

In  IsTll  ]\Ir.  Hawley  led  to  the  hyoieneal  altar 
Miss  Aretta  M.  Riggs,  of  Pontiac,  a  lady  well  fitted 
to  assist  iu  building  up  his  fortunes  and  making  a 
liappj'  home.  She  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
descends  from  an  old  family,  and  inherits  the  pro- 
verbial industry  of  the  ancestral  race.  She  worked 
in  the  priuting-ofHce  as  long  as  her  assistance  was 
needed,  and  has  by  her  clear  understanding  and 
good  advice  also  assisted  her  husband  in  his  labors. 
'Mr.  Hawley  takes  uo  siiecial  interest  in  politics, 
but  is  descended  from  Republican  ancestors.  He 
belongs  to  the  lodges  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic  fraternity,  and  to  the 
Universalisl  Church.  The  Hawley  family  have 
been  pillars  in  that  church  for  years  and  assisted 
in  founding  the  university  of  that  failh. 

ICHAEL  WALTER.  No  better  example 
of  pluck  amid  discouragements  can  be 
found  than  iu  the  life  of  this  gentleman, 
who  is  a  prominent  grocery  man  of  Lock- 
port.  His  industry  is  tireless,  his  integrity  be- 
yond question,  and  his  personal  popularitj'  almost 
iail)ounded.  He  is  liberal-hearted,  generous  to  a 
fault,  his  good  traits  of  head  and  heart  win  for  him 
the  respect  and  friendship  of  all  who  know  him, 
while  in  citizenship  he  is  progressive  and  energetic. 
Mr.  Walter  was  born  in  Kleinwelzheim,  Ger- 
many, December  6,  1838,  but  became  a  resident  of 


America  in  18.')1.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoe- 
maker but  after  working  at  it  for  sometime,  he 
became  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  J.  S.  Finch,  subse- 
(pientl3-  finding  employment  with  N.  S.  Rafferty, 
who  was  eng.aged  in  the  clothing  business.  Tiring 
of  indoor  life  ^oung  Walter  left  Lockport  in  18.'j9, 
and  went  to  Pike's  Peak  where  he  endured  all  the 
hardships  which  were  to  be  met  with  in  the  rough 
mining  camps.  H"  returned  to  Lockport  with  but 
little  to  show  for  his  peril  and  toil,  except  the  ex- 
perience of  human  nature  which  he  had  gained. 

The  smoke  of  the  shots  upon  Ft.  .Sumter  had 
scarcely  disap|ie;u-ed,  when  at  the  first  call  for  vol- 
unteers young  Waltei'  answered  by  enrolling  his 
name  in  a  Lockport  artillery'  company.  The  date 
of  his  enlistment  was  April  19,  1861,  and  the  term 
three  months.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
le-enlisted  as  a  member  of  Dresser's  Batter^-,  and 
was  assigned  to  duty  in  Battery  D,  Second  Ar- 
tillery-. During  the  severe  campaigns  of  that  bat- 
ter^'  he  was  never  absent  from  his  post  of  dutj'. 
The  batterj-  was  organized  at  Cairo  and  mustered 
into  service  in  December,  1861,  beginning  their 
active  work  at  Ft.  Douelson,  where  they  partici 
pated  in  the  entire  siege.  They  then  went  to 
Pittsburg  Landing  and  on  the  Friday  preceding 
the  great  battle  took  u])  their  position,  being  in 
constant  readiness  until  the  opening  of  the  fierce 
conflict  Sunday,  December  6.  Batter}-  D  was  one 
of  those  that  formed  on  the  advanced  line  within 
one  hundred  j'ards  of  Shiloh  Church  and  was  not 
surprised  at  the  first  onset  of  the  enemy. 

Battery  D  accompanied  Gen.  Grant  to  Corinth 
and  subsequently  went  with  Col.  Ben  Grierson  on 
his  famous  raid,  after  which  they  did  post  duty 
until  ordered  to  join  the  expedition  against  Vicks- 
burg.  rhey  accompanied  Sherman  on  his  march 
from  Vieksburg  to  Meridian,  Miss.,  and  until  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  November  21,  1864,  Mr. 
Walter  took  part  in  all  the  marches,  raids  and  bat- 
tles in  which  the  battery  participated.  His  record 
for  bravery  and  devotion  to  duty  was  second  to 
none,  and  he  received  the  commendation  of  hissu-, 
perior  officers  and  the  good  will  of  his    comrades. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Walter  again  re- 
turned to  Lockport  and  eng.aged  in  business,  first 
as  a  dealer    in   dry-goods.     Disposing  of  this  busi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


271 


ness  he  went  to  Lemout  to  superintend  a  store  and 
finally  on  Maj-  25,  1875,  he  began  the  business  in 
wliieh  he  is  at  present  engaged.  He  was  married 
October  16,  1865,  to  Miss  Margaret  Pitts,  a  native 
of  this  county,  who  bore  him  ten  children,  nine  of 
whom  are  living.  Mrs.  Waller  died  in  1881,  and 
Mr.  Walter  was  again  married  in  June,  1887,  to 
Miss  Adline  Heron.  He  is  interested  in  the  social 
orders,  being  both  a  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow  and  is 
Commander  of  Gooding  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Lock- 
port. 


<i¥]  OlIN  H.  BURKHART,Supervisor  of  DuPage 
Township,  occui)ies  a  pleasant  home  on  sec- 
tion 36.  He  is  a  well-informed  and  enter- 
prising man.  has  been  engaged  in  some  form 
of  agricultural  work  since  bo3'hood  and  commands 
the  respect  of  his  fellovv-men.  He  was  born  in 
Cook  County,  October  24,  1858,  was  educated  in 
llie  public  schools  and  finished  the  High  School 
studies  at  Lcmont.  Subsequently  he  attended  a 
l)usiness  college  in  Chicago,  thus  fitting  himself  for 
a  practical  splierc  of  life. 

In  1869,  our  subject  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Will  Count}',  here  growing  to  manhood  and  be- 
ginning his  personal  career  which  has  not  yet 
taken  him  from  the  paternal  fireside.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican and  has  been  called  upon  by  his  associates 
to  fill  several  official  stations.  For  two  terms  ho 
was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  one  year  Assessor,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1890  w.as  elected  Township  Super- 
visor. 

Henry  Burkhart,  father  of  our  subject,  w.as  born 
in  Saxon}',  Germany,  January  26,  1819,  to  George 
and  Susan  C.  Burkhart,also  natives  of  that  kingdom. 
He  was  reared  to  manhood,  receiving  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  his  native  tongue,  to  which  since  coming  to 
America  he  has  bj*  personal  effort  added  a  knowl- 
edge of  English  reading  and  writing.  In  1845  he 
emigrated,  sailing  from  Bremen  to  New  York  in 
forty-two  da3's,  and  going  at  once  to  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  several 
ye.irs.  There  he  was  married,  October  31,  1848,  to 
Miss  Fredericka  Dorre,  a  German  lady  of  fine 
character  and  useful  knowledge.  She  bore  her  part 


in  the  cares  and  shared  in  the  joys  that  he  en- 
countered until  February  4,  1886.  when  she  en- 
tered into  rest,  leaving  a  wealth  of  .affectionate 
remembrances. 

The  familj'  of  Henry  and  Susan  Burkhart  con- 
sisted of  seven  children,  five  of  whom  survive  their 
mother.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Williams, 
living  in  California  ;  John  H.  is  at  home;  Charles 
A.  lives  in  Stockton,  Cal.;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of 
George  A.  Hills,  of  Chicago;  Anielia  is  at  home. 
In  1849,  the  father  removed  from  the  Empire 
State  to  Cook  County,  111.,  where  he  remained  un- 
1869.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  in  DuPage 
Township,  this  county,  on  the  farm  that  is  the 
home  of  our  subject.  It  comprises  eighty  acres, 
devoted  principally  to  gardening,  in  which  line 
of  agriculture  Mr.  Burkhart  is  meeting  with  de- 
served success.  He  began  life  poor,  and  by  economy 
and  industry  has  gained  all  that  he  has  of  woldly 
goods.  His  political  views  arc  like  those  of  his 
son,  in  whose  public  life  he  rejoices  as  a  fond  f.a- 
tlier  will,  as  a  field  suited  to  his  talents  and  indi- 
cating the  reputation  he  bears. 


ENRY  W.  OHLENDORF.  Among  the 
younger  members  of  the  farming  comrau- 
^  nitj'  of  Crete  Township  the  subject  of  this 
notice  may  be  properly  mentioned  as  hav- 
ing achieved  success  in  more  than  an  ordinary  de- 
gree. He  was  born  July  17,  1857,  at  his  father's 
homestead  on  section  35,  Crete  Township,  which  is 
now  his  property,  and  where  he  owns  nearlj-  three 
hundred  acres  of  some  of  the  finest  farming  land  in 
this  part  of  the  State.  This  is  well  improved  and 
largely  devoted  to  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  Mr. 
Ohlendorf  making  a  specialty  of  Holstein  cattle 
and  Berkshiie  swine.  He  was  bred  to  farm  pur- 
suits from  his  youth,  while  his  natural  Iiabits  of  in- 
dustry and  enterprise  ensure  his  continued  success 
in  his  undertakings. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  is  the  scion  of  a  sub- 
stantial old  family,  being  the  son  of  Henry  Ohlen- 
dorf, one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Crete  Townslu[) 
and  one  of  its  most  successful  farmers.     The  latter 


•272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


is  a  native  of  HesscCassel,  Germany,  ami  was  born 
September  16,  1829.  He  was  reared  in  his  native 
Province,  becoming  familiar  willi  agricullural  pur- 
snits  anil  obtaining  a  good  education  in  tlie  (Jer- 
luan  tongue.  About  the  time  of  reaoliiiig  his  ma- 
jority liis  parents,  John  Henry  and  Sopliia  (Sonne) 
Ohlendorf,  accompanied  by  the  balance  of  their 
family,  emigrated  to  tlie  United  States,  setting  out 
on  a  sailing-vessel  from  Brcmerhaven  about  1860. 
After  a  nine  weeks'  voyage  they  landed  in  New 
York  City,  whence  the^'  proceeded  directly  to 
Chicago,  111.,  and  from  there  to  Crete  Townshii). 

The  grandfather  of  iVIr.  Oblendorf,  upon  reach- 
ing his  destination,  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  .ici'cs  of  partially  improved  land  on  section 
35,  where  he  built  up  a  comfortable  homestead 
and  reinained  uith  his  good  wife  until  the  marriage 
of  their  chlest  son.  They  then  removed  to  another 
farm  in  Crete  Towiisliip,  and  when  their  third  son 
was  married  removed  the  third  time,  buying  a 
farm  each  time  a  son  was  married,  until  tlie  five 
were  all  comfortably  located.  The  parents  finally 
settled  on  a  farm  on  section  19,  where  Grandfather 
Ohlendorf  died  in  1882.  He  had  then  arrived  at 
the  advanced  age  of  nearly  eighty  years.  His 
widow,  who  is  now  nearly  eighty  years  old,  is  still 
living,  making  her  home  with  her  son,  August. 
Both  were  membars  for  many  years  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

Henry  J.  Ohlendorf,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  the  eldest  of  live  sons  and  two  daughters  born 
to  his  parents,  all  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  of 
them  being  in  this  county.  Henry  J.  was  mar- 
ried to  IMiss  Minnie  Arkenberg,  who  was  born  in 
the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  and  who  was  quite 
young  when  her  [jarents  emigrated  to  America. 
They  likewise  settled  in  Crete  Township  and  died 
there.  Mrs.  Ohlendorf  is  still  living  and  is  now 
[last  fifty  years  of  age.  She  has  been  from  early 
youth  a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
To  her  and  her  husband  there  was  born  a  family 
of  four  children,  one  of  whom,  a  son,  John,  died 
at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  Henry  W.,  our  subject, 
was  the  eldest  born;  Emily  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Trebold,  a  farmer  of  Crete  Township;  Regina  lives 
with  her  mother  in  Crete. 


The  subject  of   this   notice  received   a   careful 

parental  training,  attended  the  district  schools  in 
his    native    township    and    grew    up  healthful    in 
mind  and  body  with  strength  auti  courage  for  the 
battle  of  life.     When    reaching  his    majority,    he 
crossed    the  Atlantic    to    visit    the   scenes    of    his 
father's  early  years    and   his  grandfather's  home. 
Tliis  proved  not  only  a  pleasant  but  a  very  valu- 
able experience,  and  he  returned   feeling   that  the 
time  and  money    thus    employed  could  not  have 
been    spent   in  a  wiser  manner.     Subsequently  he 
was  nmrried,  in    Crete    Township,   to   Miss  Mary 
Hartni.inn.    Mrs.  Ohlendorf  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship June   18,  1861,  and  is    the  daughter  of  J<jlui 
and  Ellen  (Behrens)  tiartniann,  who  were  likewise 
natives  of  Germany  and  early  settlers  of  this  town- 
ship, and  who  are   now    residents  of   Crete.     Mrs. 
Ohlendorf  is  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  four  bright  children — Agnes, 
Charles  O.,  Walter  and  Ida.    Both  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  trained  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  to  which  they  faithfully  adhere.    Po- 
litically, Mr.  Ohlendorf  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.     He    has    been  tax  collector  of 
his  township  for   the   past  j'ear    and  is  a  man   in 
whom  the   community  has  entire  confidence.     He 
is   reliable    in   his   business    transactions   and  as  a 
farmer,  skillful  and  progressive,  and  in  all  respects 
is  proving  a  worthy   representative  of  one   of  t^e 
leading  families  of  this  section. 

ON.  FKKI)  KAUKA.  It  is  probable  that 
no  resident  of  Beecher  is  more  widely 
known  than  the  Hon.  Fred  Kauka,  a  retired 
farmer  and  ex-Representative.  He  was 
born  in  Hcsse-Cassel,  Germany,  November  17, 
1823,  and  lost  his  father  when  very  young.  His 
mother  married  again,  and  slie  and  his  stepfather 
died  after  our  subject  became  a  resident  of  the 
United  States.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  the  land 
of  his  birth,  receiving  an  excellent  education  in  his 
native  tongue.  lie  married  !Miss  iSIary  Hasenjaer, 
and  after  the  birth  of  one  child  the  young  couple 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


275 


et  sail  for  the  United  States,  leavino^Bremcriiaven 
)ii  the  "Gaeta,"  Capt.  Homeii  eominaiuling.  After 
I  voyage  of  seven  weelts  tliey  landed  in  the  Ameii- 
■an  metropolis,  whence  they  went  direct  to  Chicago. 

Mr.  Kaiika  settled  fourteen  miles  west  of  that 
■ity,  remaining  there  from  1847  to  18r)4,  at  which 
ime  he  became  a  resident  of  Will  County.  He 
iecurid  one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  of  Govern- 
nent  land  on  section  13,  Washington  Township, 
lis  homestead  being  surrounded  by  unbroken  lands 
levoid  of  habitation.  He  improved  the  estate, 
seeing  cultivated  fields  gradually  take  the  place  of 
the  primitive  sod,  and  various  improvements  spring 
lip  about  him.  The  enterprise  which  he  displayed 
redounded  to  his  credit,  and  he  became  known  as 
one  of  the  most  judicious  and  enterprising  farmers 
in  this  vicinity.  After  some  ^-ears  he  sold  his  fer- 
tile estate  and  bought  five  acres  on  section  21,  near 
the  town  of  Beecher.  Here  he  has  made  his  home 
since  1881,  retired  from  the  arduous  labors  of 
farm  life,  while  yet  surrounded  with  all  which 
makes  country  living  pleasant. 

Mrs.  Kauka  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel,  August  25, 
1823,  and  is  the  daughter  of  natives  of  that  Duchy, 
who  were  of  pure  Germain  stock.  They  came  to 
America  three  years  after  their  daughter,  and  set- 
tling in  this  county,  died  here  at  an  advanced  age. 
They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  as 
were  also  the  parents  of  Mr.  Kauka.  They  were 
the  [larents  of  one  son  and  three  daughters,  three 
uf  whom  arc  now  living  in  Illinois  and  one  in  Iowa. 
]Mrs.  Kauka  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth,  and 
like  her  brother  and  sisters  was  carefully  reared 
and  well  educated  in  her  native  land.  She  is  an 
excellent  housewife,  a  kind  neighbor  and  a  devoted 
wife  and  mother.  She  is  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren, all  now  settled  in  homes  of  their  own.  Caro- 
line is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Frahm  and  lives  on  a  farm 
in  Saunders  Countj',  Neb.;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Letz,  who  operates  a  farm  in  AVasliington 
Townshii),  this  county;  Sophia  married  Fred  Gev- 
eke,  who  is  farming  in  Fillmore  County,  Neb.;  Liz- 
zie is  the  wife  of  Peter  Bla^-ne  and  resides  in 
Beeclur;  Fred  II.  married  F^mma  Hattendorf,  their 
home  being  in  Chicago ;  Ellen  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Peterson,  a  mechanic  in  Chicago;  Lavina  married 
Fred  Dorman,  a  milkman  in  Chicago. 


In  1877  Mr.  Kauka  was  elected  by  the  Republi- 
cans of  this  county  to  represent  them  in  the  State 
Legislature,  and  was  re-elected  in  1879.  He  served 
on  the  committees  of  Agriculture  and  Horticulture 
during  the  entire  time  that  he  was  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, and  he  also  acted  on  special  committees  on 
Mining,  Manufacturing  and  Penitentiary.  As  a 
committeeman  he  w.as  painstaking  and  judicious, 
and  his  friends  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of 
the  record  which  he  made  in  the  legislative  halls. 
As  a  local  official  he  has  served  in  various  offices, 
among  them  being  those  of  Township  Collector, 
Su()ervisor,  Commissioner  of  Highways,  and  Justice 
of  the  Peace.  In  the  latter  office  his  term  of  serv- 
ice amounted  to  sixteen  years.  This  fact  alone  is 
proof  that  his  fellow-men  regard  him  as  upright, 
intelligent,  and  interested  in  the  best  good  of  his 
fellow-men.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  attend  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Beecher. 


,/f^  HARLES  PETTIGREW.  On  the  opposite 
/if  ^_  page  appears  a  portrait  of  this  gentlemen, 
^^i^J  who  is  Superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Steel 
Works.  He  has  for  many  years  been  intimately 
connected  with  the  business  interests  of  Joli(^t  and 
is  recognized  everywhere  as  a  man  liberal  and  pub- 
lic-spirited and  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.  He 
was  President  of  the  first  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation organized  in  the  place  and  held  the  office 
until  the  press  of  other  business  compeII'_'(l  his  res- 
ignation. 

One  of  the  best  countries  on  the  face  of  the 
globe  claims  Mr.  Pettigrew  as  her  son,  he  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Lanarksliirc,  Scotland,  February 
4,  1844.  His  parents  were  John  and  Agnes 
(Hislop)  Pettigrew,  who  were  likewise  of  Scotch 
birth  and  ancestry;  they  are  both  living  and  are 
now  residents  of  Scotland.  The  father  for  many 
years  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  and  was  a 
man  noted  for  his  sturdy  honesty  and  reliabilit}'. 
The  parental  household  included  eight  children: 
John  is  a  resident  of  Joliet;  Charles,  our  subject,  is 
the  second  child;  Ellen,  Mrs.  Scott,  lives  with  her 
husband  in  Melbourne,  Australia;  Isabel  remains 


•276 


PORTllAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  her  native  Scotland;  Gavin,  who  resides  in  the 
city  of  Loudon,  England,  is  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business;  Andrew  is  proprietor  of  a  dry- 
goods  establishment  in  the  city  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land. One  child,  also  named  Isabel,  died  in  infancy, 
and  Agnes  when  about  twenty  years  of  age. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  his  native  village  of  Lanark,  ami  after  a 
brief  time  spent  in  school  went  into  the  cotton  fac- 
tory of  the  Lanark  Spinning  Company,  where  be 
remained  seven  years  and  until  a  youth  of  eigh- 
teen. Then,  determining  upon  a  change  of  occupa- 
tion, he  repaired  to  the  city  of  Glasgow  and  served 
an  apprenticeship  of  five  years  at  the  trade  of  a 
machinist.  Not  yet  satisfied  with  the  condition  of 
his  prospects  he.  in  1867,  crossed  the  Atlantic  and 
making  his  way  to  Chicago,  111.,  followed  his  trSde 
there  until  1870. 

In  August,of  the  year  above  mentioned, Mr.  Petti- 
grew  came  to  .loliet  and  entered  the  employ  of  what 
is  now  known  sis  the  Illinois  Steel  Company  but 
what  was  liien  the  Union  Coal.  Iron  and  Transpor- 
tation Company,  of  which  A.  B.  Meeker,  was  Presi- 
dent. His  fortunes  now  began  to  mend  perceptibly 
anil  here  he  has  since  remained.  B3-  strict  atten- 
tion to  his  duties  he  secured  tlie  confidence  of  his 
employers  and  in  1872  was  promoted  to  the  fore- 
mansliip  of  the  m.aehine  shop.  A  year  later  he  was 
made  Master  Mechanic  with  its  attendant  duties 
and  responsibilities.  In  1882  he  became  Assistant 
Superintendent  and  in  1889,  was  appointed  Super- 
intendent, which  office  he  still  tills  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  all. 

Upon  becoming  a  voting  citizen  Mr.  Pettigrew 
identified  himself  with  the  Republican  partj-,  but  he 
has  meddled  very  little  in  politics  with  the  excep- 
tion of  serving  as  an  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward 
for  two  years.  He  took  unto  himself  a  wife  and 
helpmate  in  June,  1869,  Miss  Agnes,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Agnes  (Stewart)  Cameron.  Mrs.  Petti- 
grew, like  her  husband,  is  a  native  of  Lanarksliire, 
Scotland,  and  was  born  in  December,  1844.  Her 
childhood  home  was  in  the  same  town  as  that  of 
her  husband.  Her  parents  were  of  Scotch  birth 
and  ancestrj-  and  are  now  deceased.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pettigrew  there  hare  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  of  whom,  r  daughter,  Edith  Stew- 


art, is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Delos  and  lives  in  Chicago. 
The  other  daughters,  Agnes  and  Clara  Belle,  are  at 
home  with  their  parents.  The  Pettigrew  family 
occupies  a  tasteful  and  commodious  residence  at 
No.  709  Collins  Street,  and  is  numbered  among 
the  first  families  in  the  social  circles  of  the  city. 

ENRY  COLE.  One  of  the  finest  farms 
within  the  limits  of  Crete  Township  is 
-^^  owned  and  occupied  bj-  !Mr.  Cole,  who  is 
recognized  as  one  of  its  leading  citizens. 
This  comprises  his  father's  old  homestead,  embrac- 
ing four  hundred  and  ten  acres,  finelj'  located  and 
improved,  well  watered,  and  plentifully  supplied 
with  timber.  Among  its  valuable  features  is  a 
mineral  spring  which  is  utilized  b3'  both  the  pro- 
prietor and  outsiders. 

The  main  points  in  the  history  of  the  subject  of 
this  notice  are  as  follows:  He  is  the  son  of  the 
well-known  Erastus  Cole,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  of  English  descent.  The  latter  when  a 
child  of  three  3'ears  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Herkimer  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  reared  and 
educated,  and  where  he  lived  until  forty  years  old. 
In  the  meantime  he  learned  cabinet-making,  which 
he  followed  in  the  Empire  State  until  1838,  and  in 
that  3-ear  he  came  to  Illinois,  an  unmarried  man 
and  secured  a  tract  of  Government  land,  which 
land  is  now  comprised  in  the  farm  occupied  by  his 
son  Ilenr^',  and  which  he  secured  at  a  land  sale  in 
Chicago.  It  embraced  a  part  of  Sections  5,  6,  7 
and  8,  in  what  is  now  Crete  Township,  and  there  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  in  1864,  when 
sixtj'-six  3-ears  old. 

Erastus  Cole  w.as  an  honest,  hard-working  man 
who  gained  a  competence  through  his  own  efforts. 
Possessed  of  more  than  ordinarj-  intelligence,  and 
decided  in  his  views,  he  was  first  a  member  of  the 
Whig  party,  a  stanch  Abolitionist  during  the 
slavery  days,  and  died  firmly  grounded  in  Re- 
publican doctrines.  His  religious  views  accorded 
with  those  of  the  old  school  Baptist  church.  After 
coming  to  Illinois  he  was  married  in  Danville  to 
Mrs.  Martha  (Boardman)  Gilbert.     This  lady  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


277 


born  in  Rnshville  Township,  Ontaiio  County,  N. 
Y.,  in  1810,  and  came  of  American  parentage.  .She 
grew  to  womanhood  in  her  native  county,  nnil  was 
tliere  married  to  Asel  Gilbert.  They  lived  in  New 
York  .State  until  about  1835,  then  came  to  Illinois 
and  settled  near  Danville,  where  Mr.  (Gilbert  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  died.  To  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  (Gil- 
bert were  born  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  now 
deceased. 

Mrs.  Cole  proved  the  true  helpmate  of  her  hus- 
band in  all  his  worthy  undertakings,  and  contributed 
by  her  good  judgment  and  frugality,  largely  to  his 
success.  She  survived  him  a  number  of  3'ears,  and 
died  at  her  home  in  Crete  February  28,  1.H70,  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  For  some  time  she  had  been  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Of  her 
union  with  Jlr.  Cole  there  were  born  three  children, 
two  daughters  and  a  son.  The  eldest,  Kmma,  was 
married  to  1).  P.  Shoemaker,  and  died  in  1880  in 
LaPorte  County,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight 
vears,  leaving  two  sons.  Mr.  Shoemaker  is  still 
living  and  a  resident  of  Indiana.  Miss  Ellen  Cole 
is  unmarried  and  a  resident  of  Joliet.  Henry,  our 
subject,  was  the  eldest  born.  He  was  reared  on  the 
farm  and  completed  his  studies  at  the  village  schools 
of  Crete. 

Mr.  Cole  was  married  in  Crete  April  22,  1862,  to 
Miss  Lucy  A.,  daughter  of  O.  0.  and  Lydia  (Skin- 
ner) Bordwell.  Mrs.  Cole  was  born  April  5,  184.5, 
in  Shetburne,  Mass.,  of  which  State  her  parents 
were  also  natives  an<l  where  they  were  reared  and 
married.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1854,  settling  in 
Crete,  but  in  1866  removed  to  Manteno  where  they 
are  now  living  retired  from  active  labor.  Mr. 
liordwell  is  seventy-eight  years  old,  while  his  esti- 
mable wife  is  a  year  his  senior.  They  are  greatly 
respected  in  their  community,  and  possess  all  the 
traits  of  character  which  made  them  kind  and  in- 
didgent  parents  and  hospitable  neighbors. 

To  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Cole  there  was  born  a 
family  of  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living, 
and  of  whom  she  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 
She  was  a  child  of  nine  years  when  her  parents  came 
to  Crete,  where  she  was  reared  to  womanhood  and 
obtained  her  education  in  the  village  school.  Of 
her  union  with  our  subject  there  have  been  born 
six  children — Laura  E.,  Willard  M.,  Ada  B.,  Frank 


AV.,  Inez  G.  and  Ray  E.  They  are  all  at  home 
with  their  parents,  with  the  exception  of  Ada,  who 
is  the  wife  of  William  E.  Hall,  and  who  resides  at 
Manteno,  this  State. 

Mr.  Cole,  politically,  is  a  strong  supi)orterof  Re- 
publican principles,  and  hag  been  prominent  in  local 
affairs,  serving  as  Township  Assessor  eight  years; 
Road  Commissioner  four  years,  and  School  Director 
for  many  years. 

j^REEMAN  H.  ROBERTSON,  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Peotone  Eagle,  is  a  native 
;i\  ^  of  the  (irauite  State,  and  possesses  marked 
characteristics  of  the  Yankee  race.  He  is  the  sec- 
ond of  three  children  born  to  .Tohn  W.  and  Martha 
T.  (Hiuitoon)  Robertson,  who  were  also  natives  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  spent  all  their  wedded  life 
therein  except  two  }ears.  During  that  pericjd  they 
resided  in  New  York,  where  the  husband  died  in 
1855.     The  widow  survived  until  1875. 

The  town  of  Franklin  was  the  birthplace  of  oiu- 
subject,  and  May  3,  1843,  his  natal  daj'.  He  ob- 
tained a  common-school  education,  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  years  took  up  the  labors  of  life  b)'  be- 
ginning the  trade  of  a  printer.  He  finished  his 
apprenticeship  in  the  office  of  the  Statesman  at 
Concord,  when  sixteen  years  old,  spending  the  fol- 
lowing two  and  a  half  years  in  advancing  his 
studies  and  improving  his  mind. 

Coming  to  Illinois  in  1865,  Mr.  Robertson 
worked  on  the  Peoria  Transcript  a  year  and  a  half, 
then  found  employment  in  the  Democrat  office,  in 
Henr3^  A  twelvemonth  later  he  went  to  Iowa, 
and  entered  the  office  of  the  Bedford  Southwest,  at 
Bedford,  remaining  there  but  a  year,  and  thence 
going  to  JSIount  Ayr,  where  he  bought  a  half  in- 
terest in  the  Ringgold  Record.  After  a  brief  so- 
journ of  eight  months  he  sold  out,  and  removing 
to  Dakota  City,  Neb.,  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
the  Dakota  City  Mail,  retaining  it  but  a  twelve- 
month, when  he  again  changed  his  location,  first 
selling  his  share  in  the  journal. 

Madison  was  the  next  home  of  Mr.  Robertson, 
and  his  enterprise  the  purchase  and  publication  of 


278 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  Revieiv,  which  he  sold  after  a  }-ear,  buj'ing  in- 
stead the  plant  uf  tlie  old  Dakota  City  Mail,  and 
removing  it  to  Stanton.  In  that  town  he  published 
a  paper  two  years,  then  moved  the  plant  to  Mis- 
souri ^'alle^^  Iowa,  continuing  his  journalistic 
labors  there  until  an  accident  brought  them  to  a 
close.  A  runaway  team  had  caused  a  fracture  of 
his  skull,  and  six  months  after  beginning  his  work 
there  Mr.  Robertson  was  obliged  to  close  out  his 
business. 

The  next  newspaper  venture  of  Mr.  Robertson 
was  at  Gilman,  111.,  where  he  ran  the  Argus,  Cres- 
cent City  Sun  and  L;ihogue  2fews  at  the  sanie  time, 
also  carrying  on  an  office  and  publishing  a  sheet 
called  the  Panhandle  Advocate,  at  Piper.  The 
office  at  Gilman  was  burned,  in  1884,  entailing 
upon  our  subject  the  loss  of  all  his  niachiner\',  pa- 
per and  other  material.  His  spirit  was  undaunted, 
and  he  was  soon  in  the  possession  of  the  Gortrie 
Reqistor,  at  Gowrie,  Iowa,  the  plant  of  which  he 
subsequently'^  removed  to  Grand  Junction,  later 
selling  it  and  returning  to  the  Prairie  State. 

Entering  an  office  at  Kankakee,  Mr.  Robertson 
remained  there  until  November,  1889,  when  he 
became  editor  of  the  Sunday  Hero,  in  Chicago, 
leaving  that  city  to  begin  an  enterprise  in  Peotone 
for  which  he  saw  a  good  opening.  His  work  there 
was  begun  Ma}'  19,  1890.  and  already  the  Eagle  is 
finding  its  way  into  manj- a  household,  continualli' 
growing  in  favor.  "Ye  editor"  .adds  to  his  native 
energy  the  training  given  by  years  of  experience 
amid  varied  surroundings,  and  such  is  his  financial 
shrewdness  that  he  wins  success  where  manj'  a  man 
would  see  nothing  but  disaster.  He  wields  a  facile 
pen,  observes  keenly,  judges  quickly-,  and  judi- 
ciously selects  matter  for  publication. 

The  choice  of  a  com[)anion  is  an  important  step 
in  a  man's  life,  and  fortunate  is  he  who  chooses 
well.  The  lady  who  shares  the  joj'S  and  sorrows 
of  Mr.  Robertson  became  his  wife  in  1869,  prior 
to  which  time  she  bore  the  name  of  Sarah  Herold. 
Shs  is  a  daughter  of  Amos  and  Margaret  (Gander) 
Herold,  who  lived  in  Ohio  many  years.  The  mother 
was  born  in  that  State  and  the  father  in  Virginia. 
Mrs.  Herold  died  in  1849,  and  Mr.  Herold  after- 
ward went  to  California.  Returning  to  the  States 
he    married    again    and    removed    to    Livingston 


County,  III.,  dying  there  in  1873.  His  first  mar- 
riage resulted  in  the  birth  of  seven  children.  His 
daughter  Sarah,  Mrs.  Robertson,  was  born  March 
14,  1814.  She  is  a  capable  housewife,  an  honored 
member  of  society,  and  a  loving  wife  and  mother. 
She  has  one  son,  Willie  H.,  a  bright  lad  who  has 
already  been  working  at  the  printing  business  a 
year  and  a  half. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson  belong  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  have  good  standing  among 
its  members.  He  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Odd  Fel- 
lows. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  no  man 
in  the  pprty  has  more  abounding  failh  in  its  prin- 
ciples, or  is  more  interested  in  its  advancement  than 
he.  Although  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson  have  been 
so  short  a  time  in  Peotone  they  have  shown  the 
qn.alities  of  mind  and  character  that  win  friends, 
and  are  likely  to  be  the  center  of  a  large  circle  as 
they  become  belter  known. 

<^i^NESHIA  MEERS,  LL.  B.  The  legal  pro 
b)  fession  is  represented  in  Joliet  liy  severa 
/l^^  men  of  pronounced  ability  and  erudition  ini 
the  law,  who  are  an  honor  to  the  legal  brotherhood 
and  to  the  comnuinit}'  of  which  the}-  form  a  part. 
When  a  young  man  .assumes  a  prominent  place 
among  them,  rising  in  the  esteem  of  his  associates 
and  extending  his  practice,  tliese  facts  indicate  his 
possession  of  a  high  degree  of  professional  skill  and 
knowledge,and  the  manners  which  win  success  and 
respect.  Such  has  been  the  case  with  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  began  his  pr.actice  in  the  city 
in  the  fall  of  1876,  and  whose  office  in  the  Masonic 
Building  is  pointed  out  as  that  of  one  of  the  prom- 
inent and  rising  attorneys  and  counselors  of  the 
flourishing  town. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Dennis  and  Anna 
(Ilalloran)  Meers,  were  born  in  Ireland  and  came 
to  the  United  States  soon  after  their  marri.age,  their 
first  location  being  in  Massachusetts.  They  after- 
ward lived  in  other  Eastern  States,  the  husband 
being  engaged  in  railroad  work  and  contracting. 
In  New  York  Cit}-  and  the  State  of  New  Jersey  the 
greater  part  of  his  life   was  spent.      In    1875    with 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


•279 


his  family  he  removed  to  Joliet,  111.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business.  He  continued  the 
same  until  his  death,  in  June,  1888,  having  asso- 
ciated with  him  his  son  Robert,  who  still  carries  on 
the  business.  Mr.  JNIeers  belonged  to  the  Demo- 
crat party,  and  although  :dways  ready  to  cast  his 
vote,  ha<l  never  been  an  office  seeking  politician, 
being  always  a  busy  man,  whose  attention  was 
given  exclusively  to  his  personal  .'iffairs.  He  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventj'-two  j'ears,  when  he 
breathed  his  last;  his  widow  still  lives.  Both  be- 
longed to  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  before"  the 
divi-sion  of  the  pari.sh,  after  which  they  were  num- 
bered among  the  early  members  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
Church,  and  helped  to  build  the  church  edifice. 

The  birth  of  E.  Meers  took  place  in  Bloomsbury, 
N.  J.,  February  15,  1854,  and  his  youthful  days 
were  spent  in  his  native  State  and  New  York  City. 
He  was  educated  at  Seton  Hall  College,  a  well- 
known  Catholic  institution,  located  at  Orange,  N. 
J.,  and  of  which  Father  Corrigan,  now  Arch-bishop 
of  New  York,  was  President.  After  completing 
his  studies  in  that  institution  young  Meers  assisted 
his  father  in  his  work  of  contracting  until  the  re- 
moval to  the  West.  He  then  read  law  with  Messrs. 
Olin  (fe  Phelps,  and  with  the  late  -Judge  McRoberts, 
taking  his  lectures  at  the  University  of  Michigan, 
in  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  '76. 

Returning  to  Joliet  Mr.  Meers  began  the  prac- 
tice with  C.  W.  Brown,  a  prominent  attorney  of 
this  city,  with  whom  he  remained  four  years,  or 
until  the  election  of  Mr.  Brown  to  the  position  of 
States  Attorney.  He  then  opened  an  office  for 
himself,  and  continuing  to  practice  alone,  has 
proved  verj-  successful  in  acquiring  business  and 
in  winning  cases  which  have  been  given  into  his 
hands.  He  is  a  vigorous  pleader,  able  at  will  to 
employ  the  shafts  of  wit  which  are  so  peculiar  to 
the  Irish  race,  and  which  so  thoroughly  impress 
a  point  upon  the  hearers;  he  is  well  versed  in  the 
principles  of  equity  and  in  legal  precedents,  and  in 
all  respects  a  worthy  disciple  of  Coke  and  Black- 
stone. 

Mr.  Meers  served  two  terms  as  City  Attorney, 
holding  the  office  from  1879  until  1883.  He  has 
not  run  for  any   other  office,   although  an   active 


worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Democrat  party.  Dur- 
ing the  Presidential  campaigns  he  has  always  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  the  canvass,  making  speeches 
and  aiding  his  party  as  much  as  possible.  He 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters; 
Catholic  Order  of  Foresters;  Ancient  Order  of 
Hibernians;  and  the  Iiisli-Anierican  Club.  He 
belongs  to  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  Mr. 
Meers  is  still  single,  living  with  his  mother  in  a 
fine  home  on  Thinl  and  Eastern  .Avenues,  a  beau- 
tiful part  of  the  city,  where  his  father  first  built. 


^  SAAC  HENRY,  a  worthy   citizen  of  Plainfleld 
I     Township,  where  he  is  engaged  in  agriculture, 
(11    came  to  this  county  as  early  as    1856  and  cast 
his  lot  with  its  pioneers.     He   is  a  Pennsylvanian 
by  birth  and  his  father,  .Jacob  Henry,  is  supposed 
to  have    been    a   native   of   the  same    State.     He 
moved  from  there  to   Ohio   in    1835,  and   was  an 
early  settler  of  Richland    County.     At   that  time 
that    part  of  Ohio   was  sparsely  settled,  and  but 
few  improvements   had  been  made.     Deer  and  all 
kinds  of  wild  game  were   plentiful  where  now   are 
fine  farms,  thriving  towns  and  cities.     IMr.  Henry 
bought  a   tract  of  timber  land,  and  after  building 
a  log  house  for  the  accommodation  of  l)is  family, 
entered  upon  the  hard  task  of  clearing  a  farm  from 
the  primeval  forests.     There  were   no  railroads  in 
those    days,    and    Alilan,   fifty    miles    distant,  was 
the  nearest   market.     Mr.  Henry  lived   there  six- 
teen years  and  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  De- 
fiance   County,  and    buying    land    there,    entered 
upon  the    task    of    its    improvement.     His    useful 
career,  however,  was  soon  brought  to  a  close,  as  he 
died    there    about    one   year    later.     The    maiden 
name  of   his  wife  was  Christiana  Coulser,  and  she 
was  a   native  of  Pennsylvania.     In    1860   she  re- 
moved to  Wisconsin,  and  after  living  there  a  short 
time,  to  Grundy  County, Iowa,  and  later  to  Marion 
County,  Mo.,  and  there  died. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  five  years  old 
when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  and 
there  he  was  reared  under  pioneer  influences  to  the 
life  of    a   farmer.     When   the  family  removed  to 


280 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Defiance  County  lie  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land 

and  built  there.  Thinking  to  better  himself  by 
lemoving  to  Illinois,  he  came  here  in  )  856,  and 
was  cinjildyed  in  a  cabinet  shop  for  a  year.  He 
then  wcnii  to  Michigan  City,  Iml.,  but  after  a  stay 
there  of  two  months  returni'd  to  his  own  iinnic, 
and  the  following  year  .igain  came  to  Illinois.  He 
engaged  in  farming,  working  land  on  shares  for 
eight  years,  and  thi^n  [)urchascd  the  place  where  he 
now  resides,  on  section  13,  IMainficld  Township. 
It  comprises  eighty  acres  of  land  of  exceptional 
ferlilit}',  and  he  has  it  under  good  improvement, 
and  has  made  here  a  comfortable  and  cozy  home. 
Mr.  Henry  is,  no  doulit,  greatly  indebted  to  the 
aid  he  has  received  from  his  capable,  heljiful 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  18.")8. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Smith  and  she  was  a 
daughter  of  G.  Y.  Smith,  of  whom  see  sketch  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  The  pleasant  home 
circle  of  our  subject  and  wife  is  comiileted  by  the 
five  children  born  to  tlu'm,  namely:  Mary  M., 
Clara  JNI.,  AVerner  L.,  I.aura  and  Frank.  A  simple, 
upright,  independent  man,  Mr.  Ilcnry  lioars  a  g(K)d 
reputation  and  is  held  in  genuine  respect  for  his 
sterling  qualities.  He  has  made  his  way  in  the 
world  bj'  persistent  industry,  and  by  the  careful 
management  of  his  affairs  to  a  place  among  our  .sub- 
substantial  citizens. 


-^^^ 


lEORGE  H.  HAKSHHARGER  is  classed 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Plain- 
field  Township,  and  there  is  no  finer  or 
better  improved  farm  in  all  the  county  than  his. 
He  was  born  in  Penn's  Valley,  Center  County,  Pa., 
January  27,  1829.  His  father,  John  Ilarshbarger, 
was  of  German  descent.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  native  of  that  country,  and  was  there 
reared  and  married,  and  subsequently  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  and  there 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  on  his  farm  in 
Penn's  Valley. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  bred  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  followed  farming  profitably  for 
man}'  years,  until  his  life  was  brought  to  a  close  in 


his  comfortable  home  in  Penn's  Valley,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three  years.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Mary  Rishel,  aijd  she  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  went 
to  live  in  llublersburgh.  Center  County,  and  there 
passed  away  in  February,  18;)0,  at  the  venerable 
age  of  eighty-five  3ears.  She  reared  six  sons  and 
four  daughters  to  good  and  useful  lives. 

The  son  of  whom  we  write  received  his  oducH- 
tion  in  the  district  school,  and  was  early  set  to 
work  on  the  farm  and  obtained  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture,  continuing  to  live  with  his 
parents  until  1841.  In  that  year  he  commenced 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed 
in  I'ennsylvania  until  1847,  when  he  concluded  to 
come  West  to  try  life  on  the  praiiies  of  Illinois. 
He  took  the  most  expeditious  route  at  the  time, 
and  by  foot  and  stage  made  his  wa}-  to  Erie,  Pa., 
and  from  there  by  the  Lakes  to  Chicago,  where  ho 
emliarkcd  on  the  canal  for  Lockport,  and  from  that 
place  he  went  to  Morris,  (irundy  County.  There 
he  foun<l  enii)loyment  at  his  trade  the  ensuing 
three  months,  and  then  he  took  u|)  his  residence  in 
Plainfield,  continuing  here  as  a  carpenter  and 
builder  until  1878.  He  had  previously  liouglithis 
present  farm,  and  he  then  decided  to  devote  him- 
self entirely  to  its  management.  It  is  pleasantly 
located  on  section  8,  one  mile  west  of  Plainfield, 
and  contiiins  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
finely-tilled  land.  It  is  exceptionallj-  well  iiH- 
proved,  having  upwards  of  five  miles  of  tile,  and 
is  ainph'  provided  with  neat  and  commodious 
buildings,  and  ranks  as  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of 
prf)l)erty  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Ilarshbarger  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  marriage,  which  occurred  in  Plainfield,  l)eing 
to  Miss  Harriet  liaker,  a  native  of  Ghio.  Her  death 
in  1862  deprived  him  of  a  true  and  faithful  wife, 
and  their  four  children — Tacy,  Frank,  Seldon  and 
Anna — of  a  good  motiier.  Our  subject  was  again 
married,  taking  as  a  helpmate  Mrs.  Sophia  Hoay, 
nee  Barney,  a  native  of  Nevv  York  Slate,  and  to 
them  have  come  two  children — Mabel  and  John. 
.Mr.  Harshbarger's  daughter,  Tacy,  mnrried  Thomas 
Hayes  and  resides  in  Plainfield.  His  daughter, 
Anna,  marrieil  Wilson  Davis,  and  also  lives  in 
Plainfield.     Mabel  is  the  wife  of  Frank  G.  Gaskin, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


281 


of  Plainfiekl.     Frank    resides    in    vSomonaiilc,   this 
State,  and  Seldon,  in  Kendall  County,  III. 

Blr.  Ilarshbarger  is  endowed  with  a  sonnd  under- 
slanding,  decision  of  character,  and  other  traits 
lliat  have  enabled  him  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world  without  the  adventitious  aids  of  fortune 
and  birth  to  an  independent  position  among  his 
fellow-townsmen.  Me  and  his  wife  are  highly  re- 
garded in  this  community,  where  they  have  lived 
for  many  years,  and  have  the  warm  friendship  of 
man}'  of  their  fellow- citizens,  as  they  are  social, 
hospitable  people,  making  their  borne  attractive  to 
all  who  cross  its  threshbold.  They  are  valued 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
do  all  they  can  for  the  good  work   in  which    it  is 


engaged . 


-^^S-Ji^-Se 


tillOMAS  IIILES.  Northern  Illinois  has  long 
been  known  as  a  land  where  fine  crops  are 
garnered  and  fertile  fields  abound.  Among 
the  very  productive  estates  which  are  included 
within  its  borders  may  be  mentioned  that  of  Thomas 
Ililes,  located  on  section  20,  Wesley  Township, 
along  the  banks  of  the  Kankakee  River.  A  vast 
amount  of  labor  has  been  performed  here  in  order 
to  redeem  this  acreage  from  its  condition  as  a  part 
of  the  jirimeval  forest,  and  prepare  the  soil  to  bring 
forth  abundantl}'  to  the  full  extent  of  its  capacity. 
Mr.  Ililes  is  an  Englishman,  born  in  December, 
1827,  and  as  the  son  of  a  farmer  had  fewer  priv- 
ileges in  the  educational  line  than  are  afforded  that 
class  in  free  America.  Although  his  schooling  was 
quite  limited  and  his  book  learning  is  therefore 
somewhat  meagre,  he  po.ssesses  native  intelligence 
and  quicklj'  comprehends  all  that  is  going  on  about 
him.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  began  working 
out  for  farmers,  continuing  to  support  himself  in 
this  manner  until  he  had  reached  his  majority. 
Having  decided  that  in  America  he  would  find  op- 
portunities for  advancement  not  afforded  in  his 
native  land,  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends  and 
crossed  the  broad  Atlantic. 

Mr.   Ililes  landed    at    Philadelphia   a  friendless 
stranger,  with  about  $50  as  a  capital  with  which  to 


begin  his  labors.  He  came  directly  to  Cook  County, 
III.,  where  for  nine  months  he  worked  on  a  farm. 
In  the  spring  of  1850  he  came  into  Wesley  Town- 
ship, Will  County,  entered  the  employ  of  Elijah 
Freer  for  two  3'ears,  and  then  purchased  eight}' 
.acres  of  the  land  which  he  has  brought  to  so  exc('l- 
lent  a  condition.  He  had  but  few  neighbors.  He 
erected  a  frame  house  and  began  clearing  the  land, 
doing  all  the  labor  of  felling  trees,  etc.,  himself. 
From  time  to  time  headded  to  his  farm  other  tim- 
bered lands,  which  he  cleared  in  succession  until  he 
now  has  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  improved 
land,  about  two  hundred  acres  of  which  were 
cleaved  by  himself.  This  is  a  record  which  has 
been  made  by  few  even  of  our  most  enterjn-ising 
farmers,  and  Mr.  Hilcs  deserves  great  credit  for 
that  which  he  has  accomplished  in  redeeming  the 
fertile  land  to  man's  use.  He  is  engaged  in  general 
farming,  and  successfully  pursuing  his  vocation. 

Mr.  Ililes  and  Miss  Sarah  Carpenter  were  joined 
in  hoi}'  wedlock  Septembers,  1852,  .and  lived  hap- 
pily together  until  February  24,  1880,  when  the 
wife  was  called  hence.  She  was  a  d.aughter  of 
Charles  and  Abigail  (Milliman)  Carjienter,  natives 
of  the  Empire  State,  who  removed  to  Illinois  about 
the  time  of  the  Black  Hawk  War.  The  occup.ation 
of  Mr.  Carpenter  was  tilling  the  soil.  He  and  his 
wife  are  now  deceased.  I\Irs.  Sarah  Hiles  was  liorn 
January  17,  18.35.  She  bore  her  husband  six  chil- 
dren, the  record  of  the  survivors  being  as  follows: 
Mary,  born  January  1,  1857,  is  the  wife  of  IMike 
Miller,  of  Joliet,  and  the  mother  of  six  children; 
Fred  M.  was  born  October  21,  1867;  Benjamin  T. 
February  15,  1880. 

A  second  matrimonial  alliance  was  contracted  by 
Mr.  Hiles  February  1,  1881.  His  bride  on  this 
occasion  w.as  Miss  Aseneth  Harablin,  who  was  born 
May  29,  1832,  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  She 
received  a  good  education  in  the  district  schools, 
and  upon  the  foundation  thus  laid  has  reared  a 
structure  of  \vide  knowledge  through  extensire 
reading  and  keen  observation.  She  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  Sunday-school,  was  constantly  en- 
gaged as  a  teacher  while  in  New  York,  and  is  a 
willing  worker  in  the  promulgation  of  every  good 
cause.  Her  home  is  not  neglected,  but  is  conducted 
in  such  a  way  that  the  domestic   machinery  moves 


•>82 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


smootbl}',  and  every  comfort  surrounds  the  mem- 
bers of  the  home  circle. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Miles  were  Abner  L  and 
£;iecta  (Nearing)  Hamblin,  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts and  Connecticut  respectively.  They  became 
husband  and  wife  in  the  Empire  State,  and  there 
continued  to  reside  until  their  death.  Their  home 
was  in  Madison  County,  where  Mrs.  Hamblin 
breathed  her  last  Augu.«it  G,  18fi;3,  and  her  husband 
March  15,  1875.  Both  were  active  participants  in 
church  work,  and  Mr.  Hamblin  was  a  farmer.  Mrs. 
Hiles  was  the  ninth  of  the  eleven  children  born  to 
them,  of  whom  seven  survive  at  this  writing. 

Mr.  Hiles  has  ahva^'S  taken  an  active  interest  in 
politics,  and  gives  his  vote  to  the  Republican 
part}'.  Before  he  l^t  his  native  land  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
but  has  not  been  identified  with  lodges  of  that  fra- 
ternity in  America.  He  now  holds  the  office  of 
Township  Trustee,  in  which  he  has  served  for  fifteen 
years  past,  and  is  also  a  Director  of  the  local  School 
Board.  He  has  served  as  Pathniaster.  He  and  his 
wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


-€-^-B- ^ 


SlL^  ON.  AUGUST  \V.  BERGGREN,  Warden 
of  the  Hlinois  State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet, 
has  held  several  important  official  stations 
in  other  parts  of  this  State,  and  won  a  high 
reputation  for  his  uprightness,  good  judgment  and 
public  spirit.  He  was  appointed  to  the  position  he 
now  holds  in  April,  1889,  and  took  charge  on  May 
1st,  following.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Scandanavian 
Peninsula,  his  birthplace  Sweden,  and  his  natal 
day  August  17,  1840.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Catherine  Berggren,  the  hitter  of  whom  died  in 
their  native  land,  leaving  to  her  husband's  care 
six  sons  and  one  daughter. 

In  1856  the  widower  and  his  family  came  to 
America,  drawn  to  cross  the  briny  deep  by  the  ac-' 
counts  they  had  heard  of  the  "  land  of  the  free  and 
the  home  of  the  brave,"  and  its  opportunities  for 
all  who  desire  to  rise  in  the  social  scale  or  improve 
their  worldly  condition.  A  location  was  selected 
at  Oneida,  this  State,  but  the  father   subsequently 


went  to  Glendale,  Iowa,  where  he  breathed  his  last 
in  1863.  Two  of  liis  children  have  also  passed 
awa}':  Peter  Anton  died  in  the  Hawkeye  State, 
in  1863;  and  Anna  Christina  in  Knox  County, 
this  State,  the  year  after  her  arrival  in  America. 
The  surviving  members  of  the  fraternal  band  are: 
Jolin  Eric,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister,  now 
retired  and  living  in  Iowa;  Louis  G.,  a  farmer  in 
Polk  County,  Neb.;  Charles,  a  stonemason  in  Gar- 
rison, Kan.;  he  of  whom  we  write;  and  William,  a 
farmer  in  Pettis  County,  Mo.,  who  -holds  the  office 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

In  his  native  land  August  W.  Berggren  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  tailor's  trade,  serving  two  years. 
After  reaching  the  Western  Continent  he  worked 
at  liis  trade  both  in  Galesbnrg  and  Monmouth, 
this  State.  His  workmanship  was  alwa3's  to  be  re- 
lied upon,  and  his  citizenship  was  equally  trust- 
worthj'.  Ere  long  these  facts  were  recognized  by 
his  fellow-citizens,  and  while  still  quite  young  he 
was  placed  in  public  office.  In  1869  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  in  1872  became  Sheriff,  and 
to  the  latter  station  was  re-elected  in  1871,  1876 
and  1878.  A  still  higher  honor  awaited  liini.  liis 
friends  desiring  his  services  in  a  more  important 
function,  to  which  his  intelligence,  interest  in  i)ul)- 
lic  welfare,  and  keen  perception  of  its  needs  fitted 
him.  In  1880,  therefore,  he  was  sent  to  the  Senate, 
representing  the  Twenty-second  District,  composed 
of  Knox  and  Mercer  Counties.  Four  years  later 
he  was  returned  to  the  Senatorial  bod}-  as  a  mem- 
ber from  the  same  district,  then  composed  of  Knox 
and  Fulton  Counties.  During  the  last  session  of 
his  second  term  Senator  Berggren  was  President 
pro  teni  of  the  Senate.  His  record  as  a  lawmaker 
is  a  matter  of  history  and  well  known  to  his  con- 
stituents, whose  cordial  esteem  he  lias  won  by  his 
position  on  the  side  of  all  that  is  elevating  and 
true. 

The  Hon.  Mr.  Berggren  is  quite  interested  in 
social  and  benevolent  orders, and  is  identified  with 
the  Knight  Templars  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  has  been  President  of  the  Cove- 
nant Mutual  Benefit  Association  of  Illinois,  located 
at  Galesburg,  since  its  organization  in  1877,  and  he 
is  also  a  Director  in  the  Galesburg  National  Bank. 
He  chose  as  his  companion  in  life  a  Swedish  lad}', 


^ /^^"^^^^^^/^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


285 


Miss  Christina  Naslund,  their  marriage  being  eele- 
liratefl  Marcli  8,  1866.  Mrs.  Berggren  excels  in 
housewiferj',  is  intelligent  and  retined,  and  with  a 
eliar.'icter  which  causes  her  lo  lie  highly  regarded 
l)y  all  to  whom  she  is  known.  The  union  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children — Capitola 
Maud,  Guy  Werner,  Kaljih  Augustus,  Claus  Eu- 
gene, Jay  ^'alentine  and  Earl  Hugo.  The  daughter 
is  finely  educated,  being  a  graduate  of  Knox  Col- 
lege, and  the  others  have  also  received  excellent 
advantages  proportionate  to  their  years.  Death 
has  entered  the  family  circle,  removing  from  its 
midst  the  son  and  brother,  Ralph  Augustus,  who 
was  accidentally  killed  by  a  gravel  train  on  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad,  on  May  20,  1887. 


fj  bears  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the 
busiest  persons  in  the  city  of  Joliet.  He  is 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large  and  lucrative  practice, 
and  is  widely  and  favorably-  known  throughout 
Will  County,  where  thus  far  he  has  sprnt  his  entire 
life.  Me  was  born  February  8,  1858,  in  Joliet,  anti 
is  the  son  of  William  and  Barbara  (Goebel)  Wer- 
ner, who  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  mother 
while  single  emigrated  to  America,  in  1843,  and 
the  father  a  few  years  later. 

The  Werner  family-  is  of  pure  German  stock, 
as  far  back  as  is  known,  and  posses.«ed  in  a  marked 
degree  the  substantial  and  reliable  traits  peculiar  to 
that  nationality.  They  were  unusuallj'  well  edu- 
cated, conforming  to  the  laws  of  their  native  land, 
which  required  that  a  child  should  be  i)laced  in 
school  at  the  age  of  six  years,  and  pursue  his  stud- 
ies until  fourteen. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  trained  to  habits 
of  industry  in  his  5'outh,  learning  the  trade  of  a 
stone  mason,  developing  into  a  contractor  and 
builder.  Upon  coming  to  America  he  settled  in 
Will  County,  111.,  and  departed  this  life  May  20, 
1  887.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bar- 
bara Goebel.     Tho  parents  were  married   in  Joliet, 


and  Jlrs.  Werner  now  makes  her  home  with  the 
Doctor.  The  household  circle  included  seven 
children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  a  daughter,  Eliza- 
beth died  when  two  years  old ;  Annie  Marie  died 
in  infancy;  Frederick  W.,  our  subject,  was  the 
third  child:  Louis  Charles  Frederick  died  when 
about  eighteen  months  old ;  Frederick  Charles  is 
engaged  as  a  harness-maker  and  living  in  Joliet; 
George  AVashington,  a  veteiinary  surgeon  of  good 
repute,  makes  his  home  in  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  Ed- 
ward Herbert  is  one  of  the  leading  dental  surgeons 
of  Joliet.  It  will  be  observed  that  these  children 
were  named  in  honor  of  the  patriots  of  both  Ger- 
many and   America. 

Dr.  Werner  in  his  boyhood  days  attended  the 
city  schools  of  Joliet,  and  when  approaching  man- 
hood began  the  studj'  of  medicine  under  the  in- 
struction of  Dr.  A.  W.  lleise,  in  the  winter  of 
1876-77.  Later  he  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  Michigan  State  University,  and  after- 
ward Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College,  New 
York  City,  from  which  he  was  graduated  March  1, 
1880.  Returning  then  to  his  native  city,  he 
opened  an  office,  and  his  career  has  been  one  of 
uniform   prosperity. 

In  politics  Dr.  Werner  favors  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party,  but  he  meddles  very  little 
with  public  affairs,  otherwise  than  those  connected 
with  his  profession.  He  served  as  Coroner  of  Will 
County  from  June,  1880,  to  December,  1884,  first 
by  appointment  and  subsequently  was  twice  elec- 
ted to  the  office.  He  was  County  Physician  from 
1881  to  1888,  and  City  Physician  from  1884  to 
1887.  From  1882  to  1885  beheld  the  office  of 
Treasurer  of  the  United  States  Pension  Examining 
Board.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Will 
County  Medical  Society,  the  Chicago  Medical 
Society  and  the  American  Societj-  of  Microscopists. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1881,  Dr.  Werner  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa  Fredricka, 
daughter  of  C.  W.  and  Marie  Agnes  (Bertch) 
Staehle.  Mrs.  Werner  was  born  in  Joliet,  and  re- 
mained with  her  parents  until  her  marriage,  receiv- 
ing a  good  education  in  the  common  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Staehle  were  natives  of  Germany,  and 
are  now  residents  of  Joliet.  Their  family  consists 
of  seven  living*hildren. 


286 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Ill  connection  with  tliis  sketch  a  litliograpliic 
portrait  of  tlie  Doctor  is  presented  to  llie  readers 
of  the  Album. 


'F_^  ENRY  BOHL  owns  and  occupies  a  farm  on 
^^^  section  34.  Washington  Township.  A  gen- 
eral air  of  thrift  and  prosperity  is  noticeable 
and  even  a  casual  glance  is  sufficient  to 
sho«-  that  tjie  land  is  well  tilled  and  that  the 
buildings  which  have  been  erected  upon  it  are  ad- 
equate* to  their  requirements,  while  they  and  the 
other  improvements  are  well  kept  in  every  par- 
ticular. 

The  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light  in 
Mecklenburg,  Germany,  April  14,1838.  His  father, 
Herman  Bohl,  was  a  farm  laborer  who  had  mar- 
ried a  lad^'  of  his  own  Duchj' — Miss  Mar3-  Buhr- 
hng.  They  lived  in  the  neighborhood  in  which 
Ihej-  had  been  reared  until  after  the  birth  of  six 
children,  two  of  whom  died  when  quite  3-oung. 
The  parents  with  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family  set  out  for  America  in  the  fall  of  1857,  tak- 
ing passage  from  Hamburg  in  the  sailing  vessel 
"America"  and  landing  at  New  York  City  after 
having  spent  four  weeks  and  three  daj's  at  sea. 
The  faniil3-  came  west  together  and  made  a  settle- 
ment in  Du  Page  Counlj',  111.  After  some  years 
the  parents,  their  only  son  and  one  daughter,  re- 
moved to  Will  Countj'  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  our  subject,  the  parents  living  with 
him  until  their  death.  The  father  breathed  his 
last  in  1883  at  the  age  of  seven t}' -seven  years;  the 
widow  survived  until  1889,  reaching  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  During  the  last  two 
j'ears  of  her  life  she  was  entirely  blind.  Both  of 
the  parents  were  life-long  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

Henry  Bohl  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  the 
parental  family.  He  received  his  education  in  iiis 
native  country  to  which  he  bade  adieu  when  about 
nineteen  years  old.  He  became  of  age  in  Du  Page 
Count}',  111.,  and  was  there  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Minnie  Schuld.  This  lad}'  was  born  in 
M(!cklenberg,  German}',   in    1 84(),  and  after  being 


left  an  orphan  she  came  alone  to  the  United  States 
wlien  she  had  almost  reached  womanhood.  She 
made  her  home  in  Du  Page  County  where  she  was 
married  not  long  after  her  arrival.  She  was  well 
skilled  in  domestic  arts,  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Lutiieran  Church  and  a  woman  whose  good 
qualities  were  recognized  by  her  neighbors  and  ac- 
quaintances. She  breathed  her  last  at  her  home  in 
Washington  Township.  August  25,  1883,  when  but 
thirty-eight  years  old. 

The  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bohl  was 
blest  by  the  birth  of  eight  chiUlren,  of  whom  Wil- 
lie, Lena  and  two  infants  are  deceased.  The  sur- 
vivors are:  Kecka,  Henry,  William  and  .Tohn,  all 
of  whom  yet  cluster  around  their  father's  fireside. 
Mr.  Bohl  and  his  children  attend  the  Lutheran 
Church  and  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 

ULIAN  E.  WHITE.  This  young  gentle- 
man is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Jol- 
iet  in  which  he  made  a  permanent  location 
in  1885,  establishing  himself  in  a  business 
that  is  rapidly  growing.  With  an  upright  charac- 
ter, the  courteous  and  pleasing  manners  of  a  well- 
bred  gentleman,  and  an  intelligent  mind,  he  has 
been  admitted  into  the  •■inner  circle"  of  society, 
while  in  business  circles  he  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  promising  young  men  of  the  city.  He 
is  tlic  third  child  of  E.  D.  and  Margaret  (Adams) 
White  who  came  with  their  family  to  Joliet  in 
1876.  The  father  is  now  engaged  in  the  music 
trade  here  and  in  addition  to  pianos  and  other 
musical  instruments  also  handles  sewing  machines. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  .State,  while  his  wife 
opened  her  eyes  to  the  light  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  w.as  born 
March  9,  1854,  in  M.ayville,  Chautauqua  County, 
I  N.  Y.,  but  his  boyhood  was  spent  in  Crawford 
j  County,  Pa.  After  completing  his  education  he 
became  a  drug  clerk  in  his  home  town  where  lie 
continued  in  that  employment  a  year.  Being  at- 
tracted by  the  accounts  he  had  heard  of  the  Kocky 
Mountain  region,  he  then  went  to  Denver,  Col.,  but 
finding  no  opening  in  tlie  drug  business  became  a 


^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


287 


k  in  an  establishment  devoted  to  the  sale  of 
I's  furnishing  goods.  For  two  years  lie  was 
s  employed  when  he  journeyed  eastward,  reae.h- 
.loliet  in  the  spring  of  1877,  his  parents  in  the 
mtime  having  located  here.  He  entered  the 
blishment  of  J.  D.  Brown  &  Co.,  remaining 
•o  lliree  or  four  years  after  which  he  went  to 
cago.  There  he  engaged  with  the  drug  firm  of 
d,  Stoutenliergdr  Co.,  as  a  traveling  salesman  and 
r  two  and  one-half  years  spent  in  that  capac- 
lie  liccame  an  employe  of  the  firm  of  Fuller  it 
ler.  For  the  latter  firm  he  worked  about  liiree 
rs  after  which  he  began  business  for  himself  at 
time  and  |)lace  before  noted. 
Ir.  While  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles  of 
Republican  party,  wliich  he  therefore  supports 
all  occasions.  He  is  identified  with  the  Ma- 
c  fraternity,  having  reached  the  Royal  Arch 
;ree  and  being  Captain  in  the  Chapter.  An 
lit  interesting  to  Joliet  society  and  particul- 
to  Mr.  White,  took  place  at  the  residence  of 
lond  Fox,  Ai)ril  23.  1890.  Tins  w.as  the  mar- 
;e  of  our  subject  and  Miss  Jessie  Fox,  daughter 
lie  liost,  a  young  lad}-  whose  intelligence,  cul- 
■.  and  amiable  character  have  given  her  pop- 
it  v  in  societ}'  and  endeared  her  to  the  hearts 
nany  friends.  Tlie  wedding  ceremony  was  per- 
nc<l  at  six  o'clock  and  was  followed  b}'  an 
ant  reception  participated  in  by  the  society  peo- 
of  Joliet. 


A  ICHAEL  SHENK  is  a  substantial,  well-to- 
^  \V    do  farmer  of  Custer  Township,  and  he  has 

IL   borne  an  honorable  i)art  in  bringing  about 
the  great  change  wrought  by  the  pioneers 

present  citizens  of  Will  County  that  has  placed 
1  the  front  ranks  of  its  sister  counties.  Ilis 
ents  were  Christian  and '  Magdalene  (Wolf) 
nk,  natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  His  father 
rated  a  mill  there  for  thirtj'  years,  and  with 
wife  was  a  life-long  resident  of  liiat  part  of  the 
ntry,  she  dying  in  1850.  and  he  in  1824. 
)ur  subject  is  the  only  survivor  of  six  children, 
was  born  in  August,  1818.  His  education  was 
iducted    in   the   common   schools.     He  suffered 


an  accident  at  a  raising  when  he  was  eighteen  years 
of  age,  whereby  ids  right  shoulder,  ribs  and  leg 
were  broken,  and  for  four  years  he  was  unalile  to 
do  anything.  .Vfter  that  he  went  to  work  on  a 
small  farm  for  himself  in  Erie  County,  Pa.,  made 
improvements  upon  it,  built  a  house  and  barn,  and 
made  full  pa^-mcnt  at  the  rate  of  §22  per  acre,  he 
buying  it  of  iiis  mother.  He  remained  on  that 
I)lace  about  fourteen  3'ears,  and  then  disposed  of  it 
in  order  to  try  .-igriculliue  in  this  county,  and  com- 
ing here  in  1858,  he  bought  his  present  farm.  The 
improvements  upon  it  were  very  meagre,  but  he 
has  placed  it  in  a  good  condition.  He  built  his 
present  dnelling  in  1875,  and  also  erected  a  good 
liarrj  at  a  cost  of  *1,000.  He  has  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  the  home  farm,  all  of  which  is  under 
fine  cultivation  except  thirty  acres,  and  he  has  ad- 
joining it  eigiity  acres  of  land  that  is  well  adapted 
to  pasturage  and  is  used  for  that  purpose,  he  hav- 
ing his  farm  well  stocked. 

By  his  marriage,  in  1851,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Car- 
ter, our  subject  secured  the  substantial  aid  of  a 
wife  who,  by  her  good  management  of  their  house- 
hold affairs,  has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to 
bring  about  their  present  prosperous  circumstances. 
Mrs.  Shenk  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  1822, 
and  received  a  good  education  in  the  land  of  her 
birtli.  Her  marriage  with  our  subject  has  been 
gladdened  by  tiie  birth  of  eight  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living,  and  are  well  settled  in  life.  Tlieir 
record  is  as  follows:  John,  who  is  living  in  Yates 
Center,  Kan.,  married  Sarah  Wright,  and  the}'  have 
four  children;  William,  a  I'esident  of  Fairbury, 
married  Alma  Uobbius,  and  thev  have  one  child; 
Jerome,  of  Reed  Township,  married  Belle  Morrill. 
and  they  have  one  child;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Harvey 
Brown,  of  Chicago,  is  the  mother  of  nine  children; 
Delia.  Ann  is  the  wife  of  Napoleon  Leslie,  of  Braid- 
wood,  and  has  five  cinldren  ;  Joseph,  a  resident  of 
r.raidwood,  married  Ella  Rankin,  and  they  have 
five  children;  Minnie  married  John  Jilson,  who 
lives  on  the  home  farm,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren; Ida  married  Calvin  Whitson,  of  I'ontiac,  and 
the}'  lave  four  children,  .lohn  Shenk  bore  an  hon- 
orable part  in  the  late  war  as  a  soldier  in  the  One 
Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  slightly 
wounded   at   Mission    Ridge.     AVilliam    went   out 


28  S 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


with  the  same  regiment,  but  came  home  sick  before 
the  expiration  of  U'n  term  of  enlistment.  He  after- 
ward served  in  a  tlirce  months'  regiment. 

Since  1858  Mr.  Shcnk  has  been  associated  with 
the  people  to  whom  Custer  Township  owes  its  pros- 
perity, and  he  has  conducted  himself  in  all  ways  so 
as  to  secure  the  entire  confidence  and  respect 
of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  taken  part  in  the 
raan.'igcment  of  public  affairs  .as  School  Director 
of  this  district,  and  at  one  time  he  was  Assessor  of 
Custer  and  Reed  Townships  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  He  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  Mrs. 
Shenk  has  for  many  j-ears  been  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  equally  esteemed 
with  her  husliand. 


^^EORGE  S.  BRISTOL  represents  the  fiour- 
f|[  J—,  ishing  agricultural  interests  of  Plainfield 
^^41  Township,  and  his  farm  on  sections  33  and 
34.  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  this  locality  as  it 
is  under  the  best  of  cultivation  and  is  amply  pro- 
vided with  good  machinery  for  every  purpose. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Perry 
Township,  Franklin  County,  January  26,  1843,  a 
worthy  descendant  of  an  old  pioneer  family  of  that 
State.  Corel  Bristol,  his  father,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  countj%  born  in  Sharon  Township,  May  14, 
1810.  His  father,  Eri  Bristol  was  born  in  Bristol, 
Conn.,  a  son  of  Jacob  Bristol,  who  was  of  English 
birth.  The  father  of 'the  latter,  great-great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  emigrated  from  Bristol,  Eng- 
land, about  177G,and  settling  in  Connecticut.bought 
land  in  the  town  of  Bristol.  He  was  a  clockmaker, 
and  it  is  said  manufactured  the  finest  clocks  ever 
made  in  America  in  his  day.  During  the  Revolu- 
tion he  proved  to  be  a  patriotic  citizen  to  his 
adoi)ted  country  and  building  two  ships  he  placed 
them  at  the  disposal  of  the  colonists  and  aided 
tlioni  in  fighting  the  British.  Jacob  Bristol  was 
ten  years  old  when  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents.  He  became  a  clockmaker  and  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life  in  Connecticut.  Eri  Bristol,  grand- 
father of  our  sniiject,  became  a  member  of  the 
Scioto    Company    that    bought    sixteen    thousand 


acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  Franklin  County,  Ohio. 
and  he  was  thus  an  early  [lioneer  of  the  State.  In 
the  spring  of  1801  each  menilier  of  the  colony  sent 
a  son  into  the  wilderness  of  Ohio;  to  build  log 
caliins  and  prepare  the  way  of  the  others  who  soon 
joined  them,  the  removal  of  these  families  being 
m.ade  with  teams,  some  of  them  having  horses  and 
others  oxen.  They  were  among  the  first  to  locate 
in  that  part  of  Ohio,  and  the  grandfather  of  our 
sul)ject.  settled  in  what  is  now  Sharon  Township, 
nine  miles  north  of  the  ijresent  site  of  Columbus, 
on  Whetstone  Creek.  In  that  time  the  State  w.as 
in  a  wild  and  unsettled  condition,  the  dense  prime- 
val forests  being  inhabited  bj'  various  tribes  of 
Indians,  and  deer,  bears,  wolves,  panthers,  and  wild 
cats  were  numerous.  There  were  no  railways  nor 
canals,  and  in  fact  no  public  roads,  all  communica- 
tion with  the  outside  world  w.as  by  persons  passing 
tlirough  the  narrow  p.aths  or  Indian  trails  on  foot 
or  horseback.  The  people  lived  in  the  most  primi- 
tive manner,  obtaining  their  food  from  products  of 
the  land,  wild  game  and  fish,  and  the  women  spun 
and  made  all  the  clothing  used.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  resided  on  the  homestead  that  he 
hewed  from  the  wilderness,  until  death  closed  his 
mortal  career. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared,  married 
and  resided  in  the  place  of  his  birth  until  1870, 
when  he  came  to  Plainfield,  and  with  his  sons, 
bought  the  farm  where  our  subject  now  resides. 
He  is  still  living,  is  in  his  eighty-first  year,  and 
makes  his  home  with  his  children.  The  maiden 
name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  Annah 
Ross  .and  she  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  Countj-, 
Pa.,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Mary  (Satcher)  Ross. 
Her  death  occurred  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio. 

George  S.  Bristol  received  the  rudiments  of  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  then  had  the 
advantages  of  a  fine  course  at  Eastman's  Business 
College  at  Chicago.  In  M.ay,  1864,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  j'ears,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  One 
Hundred  and  Thirtj'-third  Ohio  National  Guards, 
for  one  hundred  days,  and  was  dispatched  with  his 
regiment  to  Parkcrsburg,  W.  Va.,  and  after  re- 
maining there  six  weeks  was  sent  to  Washington, 
and  thence  to  the  James  River  of  Virginia,  where 
he   did  garrison   duty  until  the  expiration  of  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


289 


irm  of  enlistment,  when  he  was  dischaiged  having 
one  honomlile  service  in  the  cause  of  his  couutiy. 
ftor  his  military  experience,  Mr.  Bristol  returned 
)  his  native  State  and  remained  a  resident  thereof 
ntil  the  spring  of  18G8,  wlien  he  made  a  new  de- 
iirture  ;ind  in  tlie  vigor  of  a  stalwart  manhood 
inie  to  IlHnois  to  try  fanning  in  the  Prairie  State. 
[e  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Plain- 
eld  in  the  summer  and  in  the  winter  utilized  liis 
lueation  by  teacliing.  He  tauglit  six  winter 
■rnis  and  tlie  remainder  of  tlie  j'ear  was  engaged 
5  before  mentioned.  In  1871,  he  located  on  the 
irm  he  now  owns  and  occupies  and  has  been  thor- 
ughly  successful  in  its  cultivation.  In  1881),  he 
ad  the  misfortune  to  have  his  dwelling  Inirned, 
lid  lie  lias  since  replaced  it  by  his  present  neat  and 
DUifortable  residence. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  in  1872  with  Miss 
:osaljeUe  Clark  was  an  important  step  in  his  life 
lid  he  tiieroby  secured  an  able  assistant  in  his 
oik.  She  is  a  native  of  Plaiiifield,  born  in  March, 
817,  and  a  daughter  of  P^rastus  Clark.  Iler  father 
■as  born  in  (Treenfield,  Franklin  County,  Mass.,  his 
illu'r  bearing  the  same  name,  being  also  a  native 
f  that  county,  born  in  the  town  of  Colerain.  His 
itlier,  John  Clark,  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native 
f  the  same  town  and  a  descendant  of  English  aiices- 
[•y,  who  were  early  settlers  in  that  pl.ace,  and  he  was 
iiere  engaged  as  a  manufacturer.  Mrs.  Bristol's 
randfather  learned  the  trade  of  a  woolen  manu- 
letnrer  and  established  the  first  spinning  jenn^', 
nd  carried  on  the  business  there  some  years.  He 
ubsequently  removed  to  Niagara  Falls,  established 

factory,  and  resided  there  until  183G.  when  he 
aine  to  Plaiiilield.  He  was  an  early  settler  here, 
luyiiig  a  tract  of  land  about  one  mile  south  of  the 
illage.  He  and  his  son  operated  a  lloni'  and  saw- 
11  ill  for  a  few  years  and  he  then  went  to  Kalamazoo, 
Jieh.,  and  there  died  at  the  home  of  a  daughter  at 
he  advanced  age  of  eight3--six  years.  Mrs.  liris- 
ol's  father  was  young  when  he  came  to  Plaiiifield 
vith  his  parents  and  assisted  his  father  in  operating 
he  mills,  finally  buying  the  sawmill,  which  he  op- 
iruted  for  a  time.  He  then  disposed  of  it  and 
lUrned  his  attention  to  farming,  and  resided  here 
intil  1878.  in  that  year  he  removed  to  Kansas, 
)ouglit  a  farm  in  Reno  County  and  still  makes  his 


home  there.  The  maiden  name  of  Mr.  Clark's  wife 
was  Caroline  Cotton.  She  was  born  on  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Jane  (Brett) 
Cotton,  also  natives  of  that  island,  who  were  pio- 
neers of  Plaiiifield.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bristol's  pleas- 
ant wedded  life  has  brought  to  them  two  children, 
Mabel  J.  and  Elsie  C. 

Mr.  Bristol  is  a  man  of  honoralile  character  and 
high  standing  in  this  comninnit.y,  with  whose  best 
interests  he  has  earnestly  identified  himself  more 
than  twentj^  years,  and  by  his  nianl^',  straightfor- 
ward course  in  all  his  business  dealings  and  in  his 
social  relations  he  has  gained  a  warm  place  in  the 
regard  of  liis  fellow-citizens.  He  has  a  well-balanced, 
well -cultivated  mind  and  sincere  religious  views 
which  find  expression  in  the  Lhiiversalist  faith,  he 
and  his  wife  being  valued  members  of  the  society 
of  that  denomination  in  Plaiiifield.  Politically  he 
is  a  stanch  Republican. 


ENJAMIN  OLIN.  The  legal  profession  of 
Will  County  is  worthily  reiin^sented  by  the 

))jll  su!)jectof  this  notice  who  has  been  engaged 
ill  the  practice  of  law  at  Joliet  since  June, 
of  the  year  1870.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State  and  was  born  in  Allegany  County,  August 
12,  1838.  He  emigrated  to  Illinois  with  his  pa- 
rents when  quite  young,  they  settling  first  in  La 
Salle  Count}',  from  which  they  subsequently 
removed  to  Kendall  County. 

Judge  Olin  received  his  English  education  in 
the  coiiiUKUi  and  select  schools  of  La  Salle  and  Ken- 
dall Counties  and  subsequently  entered  Beloit  Col- 
lege, Wis.  He  commenced  the  reading  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Messrs.  Gray  &  Bnshnell  at  Ottawa, 
III.,  ami  later  studied  with  John  Cruthers,  of  Os- 
wego, Kendall  Count}'. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Olin  in 
April,  18(J1,  assisted  in  raising  Company  K,  Twen- 
tieth Illinois  Infantry  and  was  elected  First  Lieu- 
tenant of  his  coiui).aiiy.  Afteit  about  one  year 
spent  in  the  service  he  was  obliged  to  send  in  his 
resignation    on    account   of    ill-health.     He    then 


290 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


went  to  Colorado  where  he  spent  several  months 
and  upon  his  return  resumed  his  law  studies  at 
Cliicago  with  the  lirm  of  Mather,  Taft  i  Bates.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1863  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Morris,  this  State. 

Subsecpieiitly  Mr.  Olin  associated  himself  in 
partnership  with  Hon.  P.  A.  Armstrong,  of  Morris, 
and  they  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  until  the 
removal  of  Mr.  Olin  to  Joliet  in  June,  187(1.  In 
the  meantime  he  had  become  prominent  in  the  lo- 
cal affairs  of  Grundy  County,  representing  his 
ward  in  the  City  Council  of  Morris  and  holding 
the  office  of  School  Inspector,  besides  filling  other 
positions  of  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was  looked 
u[)on  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  his  opinions 
were  generally  respectetl. 

After  his  removal  to  Joliet  Judge  Olin  associated 
himself  in  partnership  with  Capt.  Phelps  in  the 
practice  of  law,  which  partnership  continued  until 
1873,  when  it  was  dissolved  by  the  election  of  Mr. 
Olin  to  the  Judgeship  of  the  County  Court,  lie 
acquitted  himself  with  great  credit,  serving  his  full 
term  and  in  1877  was  re-elected  and  held  the  otBce 
tiie  full  terra  of  the  four  years,  and  one  year  over 
on  account  of  a  change  in  tlie  law  fixing  the  time 
of  holding  elections.  Then  after  nine  \ears  of 
public  service  and  when  liis  nomination  was  again 
talked  of,  he  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  re-elec- 
lion. 

lSIucc  his  removal  to  Joliet  Mr.  Olin  has  been 
identified  witli  many  of  its  leading  enterprises  and 
has  distinguished  himself  as  a  lil)eral  and  public- 
spirted  citizen.  He  is  particularly  interested  in 
educational  affairs,  having  held  the  office  of  ,SelK)ol 
Inspector  for  several  years,  and  was  also  a  member 
of  theUoard  of  Directors  of  the  Joliet  Public  Li- 
brary, which  (idice  he  has  recently  resigned.  As  an 
attorney  lie  has  been  entrusted  with  im[>ortnnt  in- 
terests, while  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  intri- 
cacies of  law  has  enabled  him  to  serve  his  clients  in 
a  just  and  satisfactory  manner.  His  strict  integrity 
and  honorable  dealings  have  gained  him  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellow. citizens  and  both  in 
social  and  business  circles  he  occupies  an  enviable 
position. 

Mr.  Olin  in  September,  1865,  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock witii  Miss  Julia  Schauber.    Blrs.  Olin  is  a  lady 


of  high  culture  and  varied  attainments  and  well 
fitted  to  be  the  partner  of  such  a  man  as  her  hus- 
band. She  was  born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y. 
The  famil}'  residence  is  pleasantly  located  at  No. 
102  Young's  Avenue.  In  1889  Judge  Olin  asso- 
ciated himself  in  partnership  with  George  J.  Cow- 
ing, a  young  gentleman  of  line  attainments,  who  is 
rapidly  rising  in  his  profession. 


RED  BOLTMANN.  The  late  Mr.  Bolt- 
mann  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germans, 
June  9,  1846.  He  was  the  son  of  Henry 
and  Sophia  (Olenkemp)  Boltmann,  natives  of 
Hanover,  where  they  were  reared  and  married, 
and  lived  for  some  years  thereafter.  They  came 
to  America  in  1853,  taking  passage  at  Bremer- 
haven  on  a  sailing-vessel  that  crossed  the  Atlantic 
at  a  rapid  rate,  making  the  quickest  time  ever  re- 
corded by  a  sailing-vessel.  The  hurricane  which 
had  speeded  it  on  its  course  at  so  rapid  a  rate 
nearly  caused  the  destruction  of  the  vessel,  and 
many  of  the  passengers  died  from  fright  or  sick- 
ness in  the  short  space  of  three  weeks  and  three 
days.  The  Boltmann  family  survived  the  ilangers 
of  the  passage,  and  coming  from  New  York  to 
Chicago,  settled  on  a  farm  in  Du  Page  County. 
There  they  made  some  improvements  ere  changing 
their  residence  to  Will  Count}'  and  settling  on 
section  35,  Washington  Township. 

The  elder  Mv.  Boltmann  secured  a  farm  of  one 
hundreil  and  sixty  acres,  niostlj'  wild  hind,  on 
which  he  at  once  began  to  make  iininovements.  It 
is  now  known  far  and  near  as  a  home  of  great 
comfort,  wliere  [(leasing  hospitality  abounds  and 
ihe  social  pleasures  of  life  are  thoronglily  enjo^yed. 
Air.  and  Mrs.  Boltmann  are  now  quite  old,  having 
been  born  in  1812,  the  former  July  19  and  the  lat- 
ter September  19.  Mr.  Boltmann  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  and  his 
wife  have  been  active  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  since  their  childhood.  The}'  are  particu- 
larly well  known  by  the  best  German  families  of 
the  county  and  are  respected  by  all. 

The    gentleLuan    with    whose    name    this   sketch 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


291 


is  introduced,  was  educated  in  tlie  publio  schools 
of  Du  Page  and  Will  Counties,  and  acquired  a 
practical  knowledge  of  agriculture  on  the  parental 
estate.  He  was  engaged  in  tilling  the  soil  until 
after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  when  he 
entered  the  I'nion  army  as  a  raenilicr  of  Company 
II.  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  (ioing  south, 
llie  regiment  was  put  under  the  general  conunand 
of  Sheridan,  and  under  that  gallant  leader  pni'tici- 
pated  in  the  battles  which  have  made  his  name 
famous.  Mr.  Boltmann  also  took  i)art  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Atlanta  and  others  of  prominence,  escaping 
injur}-,  exceiiting  a  slight  wound  on  the  knee,  in 
all  his  arduous  and  dangerous  campaigning,  lie 
remained  in  the  field  until  the  close  of  the  war, when, 
being  discharged,  June  8,  ISG.'j,  he  returned  to  his 
father's  home  justly  proud  of  his  record  as  a  loyal 
citizen  and  brave  soldier. 

Mr.  Boltmann  continued  to  occupy  himself  with 
agriculture  until  1873,  when  he  establisheil  himself 
in  business  at  Beecher,  dealing  in  wines  and  liquors 
until  his  health  failed.  He  closed  his  eyes  in  death 
August  24,  1878,  since  which  time  his  widov/  lias 
siiccessfully  carried  on  the  business,  to  the  inter- 
est of  which  lie  h.ad  given  his  entire  attention  after 
its  institution.  The  nature  of  Mr.  Boltmann  was 
a  thrifty,  kindly  and  capable  one,  and  he  was  well 
known  for  his  generositj'  toward  his  fellow-men 
and  looked  upon  as  a  good  business  man.  He  was 
a  member  of  Blue  Lodge,  No.  740,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Grant  Park,  and  had  filled  the  various  chairs.  He 
was  a  sound  Democrat  in  politics  and  his  religious 
faith  coincided  with  the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  to  which  he  belonged,  and  to  which  he 
gave  liberally. 

The  marriage  of  Fred  Boltmann  and  iliss  Soishia 
Olenkemp  was  celebrated  in  Du  Page  County,  this 
■State.  The  bride  was  boi-n  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
October  9,  1846.  She  was  reared  to  womanhood 
in  her  native  land,  receiving  an  excellent  educa- 
tion there,  and  after  she  came  to  America  acquired 
good  use  of  the  English  tongue.  In  186G  slie 
crossed  the  ocean  in  compan}^  with  an  uncle,  the 
passage  from  Brcmerhaveu  to  New  York  on  the 
sailing-vessel  "Shakespeare"  consuming  seven  weeks 
and  two  days.  She  came  at  once  to  Illinois,  and 
for  a   time    resided    in    Du   Page   County,  subse- 


quenntly  making  her  home  in  Washington  Town- 
ship, Will  Connty.  Her  parents  were  William  and 
So|)liia  (Herman)  Olenkemp,  both  natives  of  Han- 
over and  descendants  of  German  stock  of  the  bet- 
ter class.  Blr.  Olenkemp  was  a  shoemaker.  Two 
years  after  their  daughter  had  come  to  Aniericii 
he  and  his  wife  made  their  arrangements  to  follow 
her  to  the  New  World.  They  were  about  ready  to 
start  when  the  husband  and  father  sickened  and 
died  when  aliout  fifty-five  years  old.  The  widowed 
mother  subsequently  made  the  journey  with  the 
children  who  remained  with  her,  an<l  joining  her 
daughter  in  Will  County,  spent  her  last  days  there. 
She  died  .Inly  27,  1879,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Boltmann.  She  and  her  husliand  belonged  to  the 
Lutiieran  Church.  Their  family  consisted  of  four 
daughters  and  one  son,  the  latter  of  whom,  Henry 
Oleukerap,  is  now  running  a  meat  market  in  Wyo- 
mi)ig.  He  has  served  five  years  in  the  regular 
army. 

INIrs.  Boltmann  is  a  shrewd  and  capable  woman, 
who  manages  lier  business  affairs  with  great  abil- 
ity. She  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church  and 
generously  suiiports  every  good  work  wdiich  is 
done  therein.  She  is  the  mother  of  six  children, 
one  of  whom,  a  daughter,  Emma,  died  when  eight- 
een months  old.  The  living  are:  Tilda,  wife  of 
Henry  Biefeldt,  a  lumber  dealer  of  Beecher:  Henry 
and  William,  who  are  carrj'ing  on  the  farm  in 
AVashington  Township,  and  Alvina,  who  keejjs 
house  for  them ;  and  Rosa,  who  remains  at  home 
with  the  mother. 


■■^1 


•^Yi  AMES  C.  ZARLEY  is  the  owner  and  occu- 
!  pant  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  .loliet 
,  Township,  his  home  being  located  on  sec- 
/'  tion  28,  and  comprising  three  hundred  acres 
of  beautiful  land,  upon  which  complete  and  excel- 
lent improvements  have  l)een  made.  The  place  is 
devoted  to  the  dairy  business,  from  si.xty  to  eighty 
cows  being  kept,  and  Ibreo  wagons  run  to  Joliel, 
where  the  milk  is  sold.  That  (lart  of  tiie  estate 
which    is  under    tillage    is   thoroughly  cultivated, 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  on  every  hand  are  to  be  seen  evidences  of  tlie 
tlnift  and  prosperity  of  the  owner. 

Among  the  very  earliest  settlers   in  this  county 
were  the  late  Reason  Zarlcy  and  his  wife.     He  was 
born    in    Kentucky,    and    in    1814  was  married  to 
Sarah    Mustard,    a    native    of    Ohio.       In    Sciota 
County,  of  that  Stale,   they   made  tiieir  first  home, 
coming   to    Illinois    in    1828,   and  spending  about 
three  years  in   the  vicinity  of   Danville,   Vermilion 
County.     In   1831    they  removed  to  this  county, 
settling  on   the  farm   now  owned   by  our  subject. 
Here  they   took  \\\>   the   labors  of  [)ioneer  life,  un- 
flinchingly  enduring   the  arduous  toils  and  severe 
privations  to  which  they  were  subject,  and  braving 
danger  and  even  deatii    in  their  efforts  to  subdue 
nature  and  develop  the  resources  which  she  pos- 
sessed.    On  at  least  one  occasion  they  were  obliged 
to    leave    their    home    and    seek    protection    from 
savage  foes  in  a  town  where  some  preparation  was 
made  to  meet  and  repulse   the  Indians.     This  was 
daring  the   Black  Hawk   War.  when   the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  were  terrorizing    the  settlers   upon  the  fron- 
tier.    Better    times  gradually  dawned,  the  ci  untr^' 
became  more  thickly   settled,   the  comforts  of  life 
more  easy   to  obtain,  and   the  surroundings  more 
pleasant  and  quiet.   Keason  Zarley  became  a  highly- 
respected    and   influential   citizen,  and  wlien  called 
hence   in   August,  1850,  he  left  to  his  descendants 
that  best  of  all  inheritances — au  honored    name. 
He   was  one  of    the   first  Justices   of  the  Peace  in 
this    vicinit}',  having   been   elected   when   wliat  is 
now  "Will  Count3'  was  still  a  p.art  of  Cook  Count}-. 
Mrs.  Sarah  Zarley  was  a   dauglitcr  of   the  Kev. 
William    Mustard,    one    of    the  i)ioneer  Methodist 
preachers    in    Ohio.     She    joined    the    Methodist 
Church  when  eighteen   years  old.  and   was  a  mem- 
ber for  over  seventy-five  years.     Her  death  took 
place  August  4,    1887,  at  the   home  of  her  son-in- 
law,    Gabriel    Noel,    iu    Jackson    Townshi|),    tliis 
count\-.     Her    nu'mory    is    held  in  loving  remem- 
brance b}'    her    descendants,    to    whom    Grandma 
Zf.rley  w,as  a  model  of  beautiful  old  age.     She  had 
borne  her  husband    twelve   children,  of   whom  the 
subject  of  this  sketch    is  the  tenth.     Two  of  their 
deceased  children  were  for  many  3-ears  proprietors 
of    the    Joliet    Signal.     These    were    Calneh    and 
Calvin  Zarley,  the   former  of  whom  was  born  in 


Pike  County,  Ohio,  April  21,  1822.  In  M.ny, 
184G,  in  companj-  with  his  brothei'  Calvin,  whose 
death  occurred  many  years  ago,  he  began  the 
publication  of  the  Joliet  Signal,  which  he  edited 
for  forty  years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
in  compauj-  with  R.  S.  Brown,  the  publishing  firm 
being  kn„wn  as  Zarlev  &  Brown.  Calneh  Zarle^' 
died  August  20,  1886.  He  is  well  remembered  by 
the  citizens  of  Joliet,  and  by  many  outside  this 
flourishing  corporation. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  this  sketch  is 
introduced,  was  born  August  26,  1832,  in  Danville, 
to  which  place  his  parents  had  fled  for  safety  dur- 
ing the  Black  Hawk' War.  He  grew  to  manhood 
on  his  father's  homestead  iu  this  county,  where  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  spent.  In  1864  he 
went  to  Montana  and  engaged  in  mining  for  ten 
years,  meeting  with  varying  success,  but  return- 
ing to  his  native  State  somewhat  better  ofl'  finan- 
cially than  when  he  ha<1  left  it.  Since  that  time 
he  has  given  his  attention  entireh'  to  farming,  be- 
coming an  exi)ert  in  the  business,  and  particularly 
in  the  management  of  a  dairv  farm. 

Personally.  Mr.  Zarley  is  well  calculated  to  make 
friends,  being  cordial  in  manner,  intelligent  in 
mind,  and  honorable  in  his  dealings  with  his  fel- 
low-men. He  held  the  otHce  of  .Supervisor  of 
Joliet  Township  one  term,  and  has  been  .School 
Director  for  a  number  of  j'ears.  In  the  advance- 
ment (jf  the  cause  of  education  he  has  alwaj's  been 
greatly  interested,  as  well  as  in  other  matters  which 
tend  to  elevate  society  and  increase  the  prosperity 
of  the  country.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He 
attends  the  BaiUist  Cluirch.  of  which  his  wife  is  a 
member. 

In  .loliet,  October  3,  1876,  Mr.  Zarley  was 
I  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ida,  daughter  of 
I  Jacob  and  Kliza  (Boss)  Patrick.  Mrs.  Zarley  is 
the  youngest  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  and  was 
born  in  Aux  Sable,  Grundy  Count}-.  October  6, 
1845.  She  is  an  educated  and  refined  woman,  who 
looks  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  is  devoted 
to  husband  and  children,  and  full  of  kindly  deeds 
to  those  .about  her.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
New  York  and  her  mother  of  Canada,  their  first 
home  after  marriage  being  in  the  latter  countr}-. 
Thence  they   came  to  this  county  iu  au  early  day. 


■p^^t 


^ 


i\     ?-, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOCtRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


295 


settling  in  .loliut  Townslii|),  but  afterward  remov- 
ing to  Grinuly  County.  They  subsequently  re- 
turned to  this  township,  in  which  they  breathed 
Iheir  last.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  ZarleN-  are  the  parents  of 
live  children — \Villiain  H.,  Arthur  M..  G.  Noel, 
Maud    II.  :unl  Louie  V.. 


-^K" 


NDREW  J.  MILL.S,  M.  D.,  the  Coroner 
of  this  county,  is  numbered  among  its 
prominent  and  most  successful  practition- 
ers, and  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  good  busi- 
u'ss.  lie  is  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  having 
been  born  Septembei'  19,  1834,  and  is  a  native  of 
Kssex  County,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  Mills  is  the  offspring  of  substantial  stoi-k, 
being   the  .son   of  William  Mills,  likewise  a  native 
of  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  and  who  was  born  May  2, 
1K12.     The  latter  gi-ew  to  mature  years  in  his  na- 
tive county  and    was   there   married  to  Miss  Lnra 
A.  Fisk.     The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Rutland  County,  \'t..  May  21,  1811,  and  was  taken 
b\-  her  parents  to  New  York  State  when  a  child  of 
eight  years.     In  the  year  183G  the  family  took  uii 
their    line  of  march    toward    what  was  then  the  far 
\\'cst.   hjcating  in    Franklin   County,  Ohio,   where 
they  s(«journed    until  1851,  the  father  engaging   in 
terming   [Hirsuits.     That  3'ear   they  decided    u|)on 
another  change   of  residence   and   coming  to  this 
eouutv,    settled    near    Twelve    Mile    Grove.     The 
father  in  IHIH  had   entered  one  liundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  upon  this  he  took  up  his  residence 
witli  his  lamily    and    prosecuted    agriculture    until 
18(51.     Then  with  his  estimable  wife,  retiring  from 
the  active  labors  of  life,  he  left  the  farm  and  re- 
moved  to  .loliet,   where  the  father  is  still   living. 
The  mother  departed  this  life  August  8,  1887.   IJolh 
parents  had   identitied   themselves  with  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  during  their  younger  years. 
William  Mills   originally  was  a  Jacksonian  Demo- 
crat,  but  voted    for  William    Henry    Harrison    in 
1,S4(),  and   upon  the  formation   of  the  Republican 
partv  identified    himself  with  it.      He  however  has 
never  been  a  political  aspirant,  but  is  contented  to 
cast  his  vote  at  the  general  elections.     He  is  highly 


respected  and   may  be   properly  numbered  among 
the  pioneer  residents  of  this  county. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Mills,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  spent 
his  younger  years  in  his  native  State  and  upon  the 
removal  of  the  family  to  Ohio,  i)ursued  his  first 
studies  in  the  common  schools,  making  good  head- 
way and  becoming  cpiite  proficient  at  an  early  age. 
He  began  the  reading  of  medicine  alone  and  after 
entering  the  army  was  under  the  instruction  of  Dr. 
Z.  P.  Hanson,  now  a  noted  physician  of  Chicago. 
His  studies  however  were  frequently  interrupted, 
as  he  was  obliged  to  secure  the  means  for  continu- 
ing them. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  the  Doctor 
entered  the  ranks  of  the  Union  Army,  enlisting  in 
the  Forty-second  Illinois  Infantry  and  being  com- 
missioned as  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  regiment. 
He  was  at  the  front  and  in  the  field  hospitals  and 
for  four  months  was  on  the  medical  staff  of  the 
Artillery  l>riga<le.  Fourth  Army  Corps,  going 
thiough  the  Atlanta  campaign.  He  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  receiving  then  his  honorable 
discharge  and  being  mustered  out  April  16,  1865. 
Upon  leaving  the  army  Dr.  Mills  entered  the 
Miami  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  in  the  class 
of  1865  and  1866,  from  which  he  emerged  fully 
quail  lied  for  the  duties  which  awaited  him,  having 
graduated  March  1,  1866.  It  is  hardlj-  necessary 
to  state  that  politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
He  was  elected  to  his  present  office  in  the  fall  of 
1888  and  is  prominently  connected  with  the  Will 
County  Medical  Society. 

Miss  Sarah  E.  Whitcmore  was  wedded  to  our 
subject  March  29,  1855.  Mrs.  Mills  was  born 
September  26,  1835,  in  AV^ashington  County,  Pa., 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Francis  W.  and  Frances  A. 
(Webb)  Whitemore,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia 
and  Maryland,  respectively.  They  came  to  Illinois 
about  1811,  and  settled  first  at  Magnolia,  Putnam 
Count}'.  Subsequently  they  came  to  this  county, 
where  they  sojourned  for  a  few  years,  and  are  now 
deceased. 

The  children  born  to  Dr.  Mills  and  his  esti- 
mable ladj'are  recorded  as  follows:  William  F.  was 
graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College  in  the  class 
of  1  887,  and  is  now  a  practicing  physician  of  Man- 
hattan,  this   county;    he   married    Miss  Agnes   R. 


•200 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


McDonougli,  and  Ihey  have  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Elda  A.  George  W.  oflicia'.es  as  the  ]S'oith western 
Agent  for  the  tobacco  manufacturing  firm  of  Wil- 
son, McCallaj'  &  Co.,  making  his  lieadquarters  at 
Omalia.  Neb.;  he  married  Miss  Nellie  A.  Diamond, 
and  the}-  have  three  daughters:  Merle  Ada,  Ililma 
Lillian  and  Veldene  Eloise.  l.ura  Frances  is  the 
wife  of  William  iM.  Mitchell  of  Rockville.  Kanka- 
kee County,  and  they  have  one  child,  a  son,  Ken- 
neth Mills. 

Dr.  Mills  is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  Wilton 
Lodge,  No.  640,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  iu  which  he  has  held 
the  different  offices  and  represented  his  lodge  in 
the  Grand  L'xlge  of  the  State,  since  its  organiza- 
tion in  1877.  He  also  belongs  to  William  A.  Webb 
Post,  No.  657,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  the  first 
Commander.  He  lakes  pride  in  his  practice  and 
aims  to  excel.  The  medical  profession  was  one 
which  he  chose  in  his  boyhood  for  his  life  vocation 
and  one  to  which  he  gives  his  best  efforts  as  the 
result  of  his  practice  indicates.  Socially  and  per- 
sonally, he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  being  numbered 
among  the  leading  citizens  of  .Toliet. 

A  litliogi:i[(liic  portrait  of  Dr.  Mills  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

iILLIAM  CALHOUN.  This  great  Republic 
owes  a  larger  debt  than  she  can  ever  pay  to 
the  loyal  citizen-soldiers  who  rallied  to  her 
defence  in  the  darkest  hours  of  the  Rebellion,  and 
heroically  fought  and  suffered,  and  never  laid 
down  their  arms  till  the  glorious  Stars  and  Stripes 
once  more  waved  over  a  free  and  undivided  country. 
As  a  representative  of  those  heroes  it  pleases  us  to 
give  this  brief  life  record  of  William  Calhoun,  who 
with  several  of  his  luothers  did  honorable  service 
in  the  I'nion  array  during  the  late  war.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  farmer  in  Custer  Township,  owning  and 
managing  a  good  farm  on  section  20. 

Abi>er  Calhoun,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
farmer,  and  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  received  a  land  war- 
rant for  his  good  services.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  Mary  (Hoyt)  Calhoun,  a  native  of  Ohio, 


She  was  married  to  the  father  of  our  subject  in 
that  State,  and  removed  to  Michigan  at  an  early 
day  of  its  settlement.  Thej'  came  to  Illinois  in 
1853,  and  located  on  the  farm  now  belonging  to 
our  subject,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
days,  he  dying  in  1855,  and  she  April  19,1878. 
The}-  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  all  sons 
but  one,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 

The  one  of  whom  we  write  was  the  sixth  child 
in  order  of  birth,  and  was  born  in  the  month  of 
Januacy,  1836.  His  educational  advantages  were 
very  meagre,  and  consisted  of  a  short  attendance 
in  the  district  school.  He  was  early  called  upon 
to  assist  his  father  in  the  farm  work,  and  after  tlie 
latter's  death  took  tender  care  of  his  mother  as 
long  as  she  lived,  and  did  not  marry  until  after  her 
death. 

After  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  our  subject 
watched  its  course  with  patriotic  interest,  and  as 
soon  as  jjossible  offered  his  services  to  his  conntrj-. 
enlisting  August  12,  1862,  in  Company  F,  Seventj-- 
sixlh  Illinois  lufantrj',  and  served  faithfully  till 
August  12,  1865.  He  took  part  iu  manj-  battles, 
and  his  officers  always  found  him  to  be  an  efficient 
and  trustworthy  soldier.  He  was  in  the  battle  of 
Mobile,  Ala.,  and  participated  in  a  large  num- 
ber of  severe  skirmishes.  He  served  under  Gens. 
Steele,  Crocker,  Thomas,  McPherson,  Grant  and 
i  Sherman.  In  December,  1862,  Mr.  Calhoun  was 
sioli  in  the  hospital  for  a  short  time,  and  was  then 
sent  to  the  convalescent  camp  at  Memphis,  Tenn. 
From  the  hospital  there  he  was  sent  to  St.  Louis 
Hospital,  in  which  he  remained  till  after  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg.  He  then  rejoined  his  regiment,  and 
while  it  was  on  a  raid  from  Natchez  he  received  a 
sunstroke,  which  was  very  severe  in  its  effects,  and 
for  eighteen  months  he  was  almost  blind,  and  he 
lost  the  entire  use  of  his  left  car.  and  could  scarcely- 
hear  with  his  right  one.  Notwithstanding  his  ter- 
rible condition  he  never  left  his  regiment  all 
through  his  sickness,  and  was  finally  discharged 
with  it  after  the  close  of  the  war.  at  Galveston, 
Tex. 

The  Calhoun  family  was  well  represented  in  the 
army,  as  lieside  our  subject  three  of  his  brothers 
did  valu.al>le  service  in  the  defence  of  their  coun- 
try's honor — Ransford,    Henry   and    .Albert.     Th? 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


297 


last  named  sacrificed  his  life  for  tlie  old  flag.  He 
wus  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  same  company  and  regiment  as  our 
subject,  and  in  18G4  he  received  injuries  from  which 
he  died  at  his  home  soon  after  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, and  iiis  body  now  lies  in  the  cemetery  at  Cus- 
ter Park.  His  brother,  Henry  J.,  enlisted  in  the 
same  regiment  and  company  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  and  did  brave  service  on  many  a  hard-fought 
battlefield.  He  endured  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  a  soldier's  life  without  a  murmur,  and  is 
still  suffering  from  a  ivnee  which  was  injured  while 
in  tlie  array.  He  is  forty-eight  years  of  age,  and 
in  the  prime  of  life  has  acquired  a  competence  on 
his  farm  in  Plymouth  County,  Iowa.  He  is  mar- 
ried and  has  a  fine  family  of  four  children. 

After  retiring  from  the  army  Mr.  Calhoun  quietly 
resumed  farming  operations  ou  his  farm  in  Custer 
Township.  He  has  labored  assiduously  to  place 
its  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  under  the  best 
of  cultivation,  and  now  has  it  well  improved,  and 
supplied  with  neat  buildings,  and  everything  nec- 
essary for  operating  it  to  good  advantage. 

December  21,  1883,  Mr.  Calhoun  took  an  impor- 
tant step  in  life,  which  has  contributed  greatly  to 
his  comfort  and  happiness,  as  on  that  date  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellen  A.  Bray.  Her  father,  Dom- 
inick  Bray,  is  an  old  soldier,  and  is  now  suffering 
from  the  effects  of  his  faithful  service  while  in  the 
army.  He  and  his  wife  have  a  comfortable  home 
near  Jamestown,  Cloud  Count}^,  Kan.  Mrs.  Cal- 
lioun  is  a  native  of  this  State,  born  in  Kankakee 
County,  where  she  received  an  excellent  com- 
mon-school education.  The  pleasant  home  cir- 
cle of  our  subject  and  his  wife  is  completed  by 
three  children — Frank  B.,  William  Wesley  and  Jes- 
sie  L. 

Mr.  Calhoun  is  a  man  of  sterling,  self-respecting 
character,  well-balanced  mind,  and  his  whole  career 
has  shown  him  to  be  a  patriotic,  trustworthy  citi- 
zen, deserving  of  all  confidence  and  regard.  He 
concerns  himself  in  the  welfare  of  this  township, 
where  he  has  made  his  home  since  boyhood,  and 
when  he  has  been  called  to  office  has,  by  his  faith- 
ful and  efficient  attention  to  the  duties  thus 
devolving  upon  him,  materially  forwarded  its  inter- 
ests.    He  is  Director  of  this  school  district,  and  has 


held  this  position  for  the  last  fourteen  years,  and 
he  has  also  been  Pathmaster.  He  is  a  member  of 
Bowen  Post,  G.  A.  Iv.,  at  Wilmington.  He  is  a 
sturdy-  supporter  of  the  Ue[)ubljcan  party,  and 
always  votes  for  its  candidates.  He  began  life  for 
himself  einpl^-  handed,  and  has  attained  his  present 
good  circumstances  by  persistent  and  well  directed 
toil. 


'i^m- 


ICHAI:L  J.  CUNNINGHAM.  It  is  sel- 
dom that  a  young  man  reaches  a  more 
■  prominent  station  than  that  held  by  the 
above-named  gentleman,  or  exhibits  so 
many  intellectual  and  business  qualities  at  so  early 
an  age.  Mr.  Cunningham,  although  not  yet  thirty 
years  old,  is  Mayor  of  Manhattan  and  one  of  its 
most  popular  business  men,  and  added  to  this  he 
has  a  record  of  usefulness  in  pedagogical  work, 
both  as  teaclierand  institute  worker.  He  is  shrewd 
and  energetic  in  the  prosecution  of  whatever  he 
undertakes,  has  mental  ability  of  no  mean  order, 
and  is  full  of  public  spirit  and  interest  in  the  pro- 
gress of  the  coiintry. 

Even  a  brief  record  of  the  lives  of  his  parents 
will  suffice  to  show  that  Mr.  Cunningham  is  the 
inheritor  of  many  of  the  qualities  which  give  him 
prominence  in  the  community  and  that  he  would 
be  unworthy  of  his  parentage  were  he  not  enter- 
prising and  zealous.  His  father,  James  Cunning- 
ham, was  born  in  County  Longford,  Ireland,  and 
became  a  machinist.  He  emigrated  to  America  and 
for  some  time  worked  at  his  trade  in  Poughkeepsie, 
N.  Y.  In  1857,  he  located  in  this  county,  for  five 
years  operating  a  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  this 
township.  He  then  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  raw  land  in  New  Lenox  Township, 
placed  it  under  good  improvement  and  successfully 
operated  it  until  1871,  when  he  was  taken  sick. 
After  three  years  of  invalidism,  he  closed  his  e^'es 
to  earthly  scenes,  leaving  his  farm  encumbered 
somewhat  by  a  mortgage. 

With  wonderful  tact  and  good  management,  Mrs. 
Cunningham  succeeded  by  the  aid  of  her  children 
in  clearing  their  home  from  indebtedness  and  in  so 
conducting   their   affairs   as  to  be  able  to  secure 


298 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Westorii  lands  also.  Slio  now  owns  two  hundred  and 
forty  acros  near  Marysvillu,  Kan.,  and  retains  pos- 
session of  the  rarui  in  this  eonnty  which  is  now 
rented,  hut  upon  which  she  resided  until  1889.  She 
now  lives  with  our  subject  and  her  dauf^htcr,  Katie 
L.  Like  liei  hiishanil,  she  was  born  in  Ireland, 
Count}'  Kilkenny-  having  been  her  birthplace.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bridget  Ring  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Ring,  who,  although  a  farmer, 
was  a  graduate  of  the  Latin  School  of  Dublin.  She 
is  a  sister  of  the  Rev.  Patrick  Ring,  of  St.  Louis, 
prominent  in  the  Catholic  Church,  and  with  whom 
she  came  to  America,  stopping  in  the  Kmpire  State 
where  she  was  married  to  'Mv.  Cunningham.  Both 
she  and  her  husband  have  l)een  active  members  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Ciiurch  and  Mv.  Cunningham 
was  a  Democrat. 

The  family  of  wliicli  our  subject  is  the  sixth 
member  includes  also  Matthew,  foreman  for  the 
Nebraska  City  Packing  House;  Thonuis,  a  man  of 
leisure,  who  is  traveling  a  great  part  of  the  time; 
Richard,  Mayor  of  SummerSeld,  Kan.,  and  engaged 
in  tiie  agricultural  imi)lement  business;  Martin, 
deceased;  RLrry  E..  wife  of  Nelson  L^nx,  partner 
of  our  subject;  Katie  L. ;  and  Maggie  E.,  now  JNLs. 
Nugent,  of  Wilton  Township. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  James  Ciui- 
ningham,  who  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  w  ho  bore  a  very  active  part  in 
tiie  Irish  Rebellion.  Some  seven  years  before  his 
death  he  had  a  paralytic  stroke,  and  from  that  time 
he  suffered  more  or  less. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  April  11,  18G2, 
and  his  birthplace,  the  township  in  which  he  is  now 
so  popular.  He  was  reared  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship and  prior  to  his  seventeenth  year  attended  the 
district  schools.  He  then  entered  the  Normal 
School  at  Valparaiso,  Lid.,  and  after  completing 
the  scientific  course,  was  graduated  in  188L  He 
adopted  the  profession  of  teaching,  the  fiist  two 
years  of  his  professional  labor  being  given  to  the 
schools  in  Spencer.  He  then  accepted  the  Princi- 
palshi])  of  the  New  Lenox  graded  school,  retaining 
the  position  three  years  anil  during  the  time  taking 
an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  county  institutes, 
and  in  other  ways  advancing  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion.    His  services  were  requested  at   New  Lenox 


the  fourth  year,  but  he  resigned  the  position  to 
which  he  had  been  elected  in  order  to  embark  in 
mercantile  pursuits. 

Forming  a  partnersliip  with  Nelson  Lynx,  of 
Spencer,  Mr.  C'unningham  began  the  sale  of  general 
merchandise  in  a  rented  building  in  Manhattan. 
The  stock  was  new  and  well  selected,  the  proprie- 
tors pleasant  and  courteous,  and  success  attended 
their  efforts.  In  the  fall  of  IMSl)  they  put  up  a 
new  store  building.  21x72  feet  in  dimensions,  and 
increased  their  stock  which  is  now  the  largest  as- 
sortment of  general  merchandise  in  town.  iMr. 
Cunningham  also  does  a  large  business  for  the 
Home  Insurance  Company,  of  New  York,  and  at- 
tends to  the  renting  of  the  home  farm  and  his 
brother's  estate. 

During  1889  Mr.  Cunningham  was  \'illage  Clerk 
and  in  1890  he  was  elected  Mayor  without  exertion 
on  his  [lart.  Tliis  fact  is  indicative  of  his  poj)U- 
larity  and  the  reputation  which  he  has.  He  is  an 
active  Democrat  and  has  been  a  delegate  to  county 
and  State  conventions.  He  belongs  to  the  Sacred 
Heari  Catholit  Church'  of  Jollet. 


:i*^ 


(|  SALTER  B.  STEWART,  M.D.,  Ph.C, 
\/iJ//  J""'*^''  partner  of  the  firm  of  Curtis  & 
W^  Stewart,  is  one  of  the  younger  members- 
of  the  medical  profession  of  this  countj',  and  lo- 
cated in  Joliet  May  1,  1888.  He  was  born  in 
Wilmington,  this  county,  February  KJ,  18GG,  and 
is  the  son  of  J.  W.  Stewart,  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  region  and  now  a  leading  banker  of 
Wilmington.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Lettie  Whitten.  The  [larental  family  consisted 
of  four  childien. 

Dr.  Stewart  obtained  his  preliminary  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  completed 
his  studies  in  Champaign  College  in  1885,  receiv- 
ing the  degree  of  Ph.C.  Soon  afterward  he  com- 
menced the  reading  of  medicine  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Dr.  Curtis,  his  partner,  with  whom  he 
continued  until  entering  a  course  of  lectures  iit 
the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons,  Chicago, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '88. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


299 


Soon  afterward  he  was  appointed  House  Surgeon 
of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  which  position  lie  still 
liolds.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  surgery,  and  has 
already  attained  considerable  reputation  in  this 
branch  of  the  practice,  having  rare  opportunities 
for  study  and  observation  in  connection  with  his 
duties  at  the  hos|)ital.  This  institution  accommo 
dates  over  fifty  [)atier  ts,  and  aside  from  tiiis  Dr. 
Stewart  is  building  up  quite  an  extensive  private 
practice.  His  sivill  and  ability  are  acknowledged 
facts  among  the  people  who  have  souglit  his  ser- 
vices, and  it  is  predicted  that  in  the  near  future  he 
is  destined  to  make  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon  of  no  mean  acquirements. 
He  is  unmarried.     Politically',   he  is  a  Republican. 


^pf  UGUST  BOEHL,  as  a  farmer  of  large 
^ V/    t    experience,  great  capability,  sagacious  and 

If  II  far-seeing,  and  prudent  in  the  manage- 
i^*  ment  of    his  affairs,    is  considered  one  of 

the  most  successful  of  the  well-to-do  agriculturists 
wiio  are  active  in  pushing  forward  the  material 
interests  of  Will  County  in  general,  and  of  Monoe 
Township  in  particular.  Associating  himself  with 
the  pioneers  of  this  region,  he  has  tilled  the  soil  to 
some  purpose  during  the  three  or  more  decades 
that  he  has  lived  here,  as  is  shown  by  the  fine  ap- 
pearance of  his  well-appointed  and  well- stocked 
farm,  with  its  neat  buildings  and  well-tilled  fields. 
While  doing  a  general  farming  business,  ]\Ir.  Boehl 
has  paid  special  attention  to  rearing  horses  the 
last  seventeen  years,  and  for  six  years  has  been  a 
breeder  of  thorough-bred  English  Shire  horses, 
and  now  has  a  fine  herd,  among  them  being  some 
that  are  imported. 

August  Boehl  is  of  foreign  birth,  Ijorn  in  Prus- 
sia, Germany,  August  13.  1835.  His  parents. 
Christian  and  Christina  (Weigand)  ]5oehl,  were 
natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself.  They  had 
three  children — Christina,  Willielmena  and  August. 
While  our  subject  was  scarcely  more  than  a  babe, 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  good  mother,  who 
died  in  1838.  llis  father  married  again,  Freder- 
icka  Cacker   becoming   his  wife,   by  whom  he  had 


the  following  seven  children:  Louisa,  Catherine, 
Christian,  George,  AV^illiam,  Henry  and  Frederick. 
The  fatiier  was  a  manufacturer  of  cloth  in  his 
native  country,  but  abandoned  tli.at  business  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1857,  accompa- 
nied by  his  family  with  the  exception  of  the 
eldest  daughter.  Me  settled  on  forty  acres  of 
land  on  section  15,  Monee  Township,  where  liis 
earthl\-  pilgrimage  came  to  an  end  in  1863,  at  the 
age  of  fiftj'-seven  years.  Llis  wife  survivo<l  liim 
until  1885,  when  she  too  p.assed  away. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  passed 
the  earl^'  j'ears  of  his  life  in  his  native  Germany, 
and  there  received  a  substantial  education.  Ho 
worked  for  ids  father  in  the  old  country,  and 
after  coming  here  spent  his  first  si.x  months  at 
employment  for  which  he  was  paid  $12  a  month. 
He  subsequently  began  life  on  his  own  account, 
and  in  1859  purchased  eighty  acres  of  the  land 
where  he  now  lives  for  $1,000.  At  different  times 
he  has  added  to  this,  first  a  tract  of  twenty  acres, 
then  one  of  eighty  acres,  and  subsequently  one  of 
forty  acres,  paying  $5  an  acre  for  the  timber  land. 
This,  by  incessant  toil,  he  now  has  well  cultivated, 
and  has  all  the  necessary  improvements  and  ap- 
pointments to  make  it  one  of  the  best-eq'iip|)ed 
farms  in  tlie  township. 

Mr.  Boehl  has  not  been  unaided  in  his  labors, 
but  has  had  the  cheerful  co-operation  of  a  capable 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  the  month  of 
May,  1858.  Nine  children  have  been  Itorn  to 
them,  namely:  Emma,  deceased,  who  was  the  wife 
of  Henry  Dierchas;  Edward,  a  resident  of  Minne- 
sota; August,  Arthur,  Charles,  George,  Louis, 
Lilly  and  Mary. 

Our  subject  has  always  honored  industry  in 
word  and  deed,  and  hence  he  ha.s  done  well  in  hia 
life  work.  A  man  of  roundabout  common-sense, 
wise  and  careful  in  the  management  of  his  .affairs, 
his  fellow-citizens,  ap[)reciating  these  character- 
istics and  his  general  trustworthiness,  have  called 
him  to  the  responsible  office  of  Supervisor,  and 
he  represented  his  township  on  tiie  County  Board 
for  three  terms,  and  has  used  his  influence  to 
promote  the  best  interests  of  the  public.  In 
politics,  he  favors  by  voice  and  vote  the  Repub- 
lican  party,    he  having    been    a  mcndier    of  that 


:',no 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


oi'gaiiizalion  sincf  lie  cast  liis  first  ballot  for  Lin- 
coln. He  anil  his  wife  are  amonj^'  the  most  es- 
teemed niemher.s  of  the  I'liited  Presbyterian 
Churcii.  and  tiieir  ever3'-day  lives  are  guided  by 
their  religious  principles. 


m^ 


^1%  WIGHT  C.  HAYE>'.  Among  the  younger 
Jj  members  of  the  Joliel  bar,  none  are  more  de- 
serving of  honorable  mention  than  Dwigbt 
C.  Haven,  who  was  born  in  New  Lenox,  Ma^-  10, 
186.'5.  The  Havens  trace  their  history  back  to  the 
days  when  the '"IMayflowcr"  was  plowing  tlie  waters 
of  the  might}-  deep.  In  one  of  her  later  trijis  she 
brought  a  progenitor  of  the  famil}'  to  America. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Samuel  Haven, 
who  came  with  his  family  to  this  county  in  1835. 
from  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.  He  and  his  sons 
were  verj'  pronounced,  outspoken  Abolitionists,  and 
|)articularly  was  this  true  of  the  father. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Dwight  and 
Lizzie  (Craig)  Haven,  the  mother  being  a  native 
of  Dublin.  L-eland.  although  of  .Scotch  parentage. 
Of  the  five  children  born  to  them  one  is  dead.  The 
living  are:  Samuel  Rush  Haven  of  Joliet;  Edith  A., 
and  Bertha  A.,  who  are  yet  at  home,  and  he  of 
whom  we  write.  The  father  was  School  Commis- 
sioner for  Will  County,  from  1865  to  1868,  and 
the  Haven  family  w.as  one  of  prominence  among 
the  early  settlers. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  passed  in  his 
native  place,  his  boyhooil  being  marked  with  no 
eventful  incident.  Being  ambitious  for  the  acquire- 
ment of  knowledge  he  was  sent  to  the  Illinois  Uni- 
versity at  Champaign,  from  which  institution  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '83.  In  the  military 
(k'liartment  of  the  University  he  received  from  the 
Governor  of  Illinois  the  commission  of  a  Captain 
(Brevet)  of  the  Illinois  National  Guards,  for  his 
proficiency  in  military  tactics.  He  has  since  taken 
a  great  interest  in  the  National  Guards  and  is  now 
Captain  and  Adjutant  of  the  Fourth  Infantry  Regi- 
ment. He  served  through  two  strikes  in  which  the 
troops  were  called  out.  in  the  years  1885  and  1889. 

After  his  graduation   young  Haven  .adopted  the 


profession  of  teaching,  which  is  an  almost  universal 
stepping  stone  to  other  professional  work,  his  knowl- 
edge being  made  useful  as  an  instructor  at  his  own 
home.  He  began  reading  law  in  the  office  of  Hill 
it  Di bell  in  1884,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1886.  He  at  once  began  practice  in  connection 
with  the  Hon.  Charles  A.  Hill,  ^I.  C.  who  was  one 
of  his  preceptors,  the  firm  name  being  Hill  Ar  Haven. 
It  was  changed  in  .lannary,  1881,  to  that  of  Hill, 
Haven  ct  Hill,  upon  the  admission  of  Alfred  M. 
Hill,  son  of  Capt.  Hill,  as  a  |)artner. 

In  social  circles  Mr.  Haven  stands  high,  his  cour- 
teous manners,  intellectual  culture,  and  good  habits 
entitling  him  to  esteem.  He  is  a  Knight  Templar 
and  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  President 
of  the. Joliet  Lincoln  Club.  He  was  married  April 
3,  1890,  to  Miss  Marian  Robinson,  of  Minneapolis, 
Minn. 


-4- 


* 


C.  HALEY.  Tills  gentleman,  although  still 
a  young  man,  has  a  fine  reputation  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legal  profession  and  a  citizen  of 
whose  worth  no  one  is  in  doubt.  He  was 
born  in  Saranac,  Clinton  County.  N.  Y..  JIarch  17, 
1849,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  Will  County. 
III.,  in  1851.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and 
added  to  his  store  of  learning  by  a  course  of  study 
in  the  Universit_y  of  Notre  Dame,  at  South  Bend, 
Ind.  He  then  read  law  with  T.  L.  Breekeiiridge, 
of  Joliet,  and  took  a  complete  law  course  in  the 
I'niversity,  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  from  which  he 
w,as  graduated  in  1871. 

The  same  j^ear  Mr.  Haley  was  adinitteil  to  the 
bar  and  immediately  began  practice  soon  havino-  a 
large  and  lucrative  business.  He  is  a  clear  thinker, 
a  close  student  into  the  details  of  a  case,  a  logical 
pleader  and  h.as  the  keen  wit  and  comtnandiii"' 
))resence  that  go  far  to  secure  the  attention  of  coun- 
selors and  jurymen.  His  ability  attracted  attention 
and  he  was  elected  City  Attorney,  anil  he  has  also 
served  on  the  Common  Council.  Such  is  his  fitness 
f(U'  office  that  no  one  questions  his  services.  It  was 
natural  that  he  should  be  selected  as  the  standard 
bearer  for  his  party  in  political   battles  and   he  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


301 


been  the  nominee  for  Member  of  Congress  twice  in 
succession  in  the  Kigiitii  District,  neiirj}'  overcom- 
ing a  Republican  niajorit3'  of  six  thousand  and 
lacking  but  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  votes 
of  election. 

It  is  but  natural  to  conclude  that  in  choosing  a 
com|)anion  in  life  Mr.  Haley  would  seek  for  a  lad}' 
with  cultured  mind  and  manners,  and  a  character 
of  nobility.  Such  was  the  case,  and  among  the 
members  of  a  prominent  fanuly  of  this  city  he 
found  the  woman  he  desired  as  his  wife.  This  w^as 
3Iiss  Mar}'  A.  D'Arc}',  and  thej'  were  united  in 
marriage  December  1,  1875.  Mrs.  Haley  is  no  less 
[lopular  than  her  husband  and  the  home  over  which 
she  presides  is  a  frequent  gathering  place  for  the 
cultured  and  accomplished  friends  they  possess. 


/^AMPP>ELL     1$R0S.     This    firm    comprises 
[l(  James  and  Alexander  Campbell,  two  of  the 

^^^'  most  enterprising  young  citizens  of  Man- 
hattan Township,  who  oi)eratc  two  hundred  anti 
forty  acres  on  section  13,  this  being  their  mother's 
farm,  and  forty  acres  adjoining,  and  whose  spec- 
ialty is  breeding  full-blooded  Clydesdale  horses. 
The}-  have  as  much  money  invested  in  imported 
cquines  as  any  firm  in  the  township,  and  a  lover 
of  horse  flesh  would  be  much  pleased  with  the 
fine  animals  to  be  seen  on  their  place.  They  arc 
also  doing  a  successful  farm  business,  their  crops 
being  equal  to  any  in  the  neighborhood  in  quality 
and  amount  per  acre. 

A  brief  space  devoted  to  tlie  more  immediate 
ancestors  of  the  Campbell  Pros,  will  not  be  amiss, 
ris  in  tliis  way  an  insight  maj'  be  gained  into  the 
cliaractcr  which  they  inherit,  and  a  reason  found 
f(jr  their  success.  Their  paternal  grandfather,  John 
Campbell,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  wherein  be 
followed  the  trade  of  a  mason  until  his  death,  also 
serving  for  a  time  in  the  English  army.  His  son 
John  was  born  in  Rlerathel,  Scotland,  learned  the 
tr.ade  of  the  father,  and  in  1851,  while  still  u!i- 
married,  came  to  America.  After  working  at  his 
trade  in  New  York  City  for  some  time  he  went 
South,  sojourning   during  various  periods   in  Ala- 


bama, Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  other  Southern 
States.  He  finally  made  his  way  to  Joliet,  III., 
where  he  continued  his  former  pursuits,  among  the 
jobs  in  which  he  assisted  being  the  Warden's  house 
at  the  penitentiary.  He  also  worked  at  his  trade 
in  Chicago,  althougli  making  iiis  home  still  in 
Joliet. 

About  1859  this  gentleman  removed  to  the 
country,  and  some  two  years  later  left  Joliet  Town- 
ship to  take  possession  of  one  hundred  acres  of 
raw  land,  which  forms  a  part  of  the  present  Camp- 
bell farm.  Immediately  after  his  inirchasc  he  lie- 
gan  making  improvements,  liiring  help  to  run  the 
farm  while  he  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  in  the 
two  cities  ijcfore  mentioned.  He  proved  a  suc- 
cessful manager  and  overseer,  added  to  his  landed 
estate,  and  at  the  time  of  bis  death  owned  two 
hundred  acres.  He  breathed  his  last  March  18, 
1886,  when  sixty-four  years  old.  For  j-ears  he  did 
efficient  service  as  School  Director.  He  belonged 
to  the  Republican  party,  and  to  the  Prt-sbytcrian 
Church. 

The  mother  of  t'ne  Campbell  Bros,  was  l>orn  near 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Sandj- 
Kior,  who  came  to  America  in  1851.  Her  father 
was  a  mason,  who  like  the  gentleman  who  became  his 
son  in-law,  worked  at  his  trade  in  New  York  ('ity, 
and  afterward  in  Joliet  and  Chicago,  making 
his  home  in  the  former  place.  He  invested  in 
land,  and  eventuallj'  became  a  large  farmer.  (Sec 
sketch  of  James  Kier.)  His  daughter  Grace  was 
reared  in  Scotland,  and  was  a  j'oung  lady  when 
she  crossed  the  Atlantic,  not  long  ;ifter  which  she 
became  the  wife  of  John  Campbell.  She  is  now 
living  in  Hamilton  County,  Iowa,  with  her  chil- 
dren. She  has  borne  eight  sons  and  daughters,  as 
follows:  Kate,  now  Mrs.  McLaughlin,  of  Hamil- 
ton County,  Iowa;  John,  a  fanner  in  the  same 
county;  Charles,  who  died  in  Will  Count}';  James 
and  Alexander,  of  this  sketch;  Eliza,  who  lives 
with  the  two  lirothers  just  named;  Maggie  is  de- 
ceased;  and  Archie  is  attending  the  High  School  at 
Joliet. 

James  Campbell  opened  his  e\ce  to  the  light  of 
d.ay  May  4,  1863,  on  the  farm  which  is  his  present 
home.  He  was  reared  upon  it,  and  educated  in  the 
district  schools,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof 


302 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


until  the  deatli  of  his  fatlier,  in  188G.  He  then 
rented  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  aei-es  in 
Maniiattan  Township,  from  his  uncle,  James  Kier, 
and  operatjd  the  same  until  the  spring  of  1889, 
when  he  formed  a  connection  with  his  brother  and 
returned  to  liis.  former  home. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  also  born  on  this  farm 
August  3,  1865.  He  enj03'ed  the  privileges  af- 
forded in  the  common  schools,  and  remained  upon 
the  farm  with  his  mother  until  September,  1888, 
receiving  wages  for  his  services  after  he  had 
reached  his  majority.  He  then  made  a  journey  to 
Scotland,  for  the  double  purpose  of  imjiroving  his 
health,  and  buying  Clydesdale  horses  for  himself 
and  brother  James.  Going  to  New  York  City  he 
embarked  on  the  C'unard  steamer  ''Umbria,"'  Sep- 
tember 15,  and  six  and  a  half  days  later  landed  in 
Liverpool.  Going  to  Glasgow  he  made  that  city 
his  headquarters  while  traveling  somewhat,  in  the 
land  from  which  his  ancestors  came,  visiting  the 
former  homes  of  liis  parents,  etc.  He  sailed  from 
Glasgow  November  10,  on  the  steanun-  "Grecian," 
stopping  at  Halifax  twenty-four  hours,  and  arriv- 
ing in  Philadelphia  November  29,  whence  he  caiue 
directly  home. 

While  abroad  Mr.  Campbell  purchased  five  full- 
blooded  Clydesdale  horses  and  an  Iceland  pony, 
which  he  brought  with  him  to  America.  Soon 
after  his  return  he  rented  the  home  farm  and  an 
adjoining  tract,  and  with  his  brother  began  the 
operation  of  the  same.  They  have  all  the  modern 
conveniences  in  the  way  of  buildings,  use  the  lat- 
est improved  farm  machinery,  and  devote  them- 
selves with  unremitting  zeal  to  the  work  they  have 
in  hand.  About  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  arc 
planted,  principally  with  corn  and  oats,  and  the 
balance  is  used  as  pasture  and  having  ground. 
They  cmploj'  four  teams  in  their  f.irm  labors,  and 
in  addition  to  their  specialty  raise  a  good  grade  of 
cattle  and  liogs. ' 

The  Camiibell  Bros,  now  have  about  twenty-five 
head  of  graded  horses  on  their  place,  while  their 
full-blooded  equines  include  three  mares  and  two 
stallions.  Mabel  Eden  is  a  beautiful  ba}-  five  j'ears 
old :  Betsey  is  three,  and  Florence  two.  These 
were  imported  bj"  themselves,  as  was  Sir  Burt,  a 
three-year   old,    registered    as    No.    ^00.       Prince 


Revcnsworth,  also  an  imported  animal,  is  eight 
J'ears  old.  and  registered  as  Xo.  1700.  The  Camp- 
bell Bros,  imported  Red  Moss  Chief,  who  is  now 
owned  by  their  brother  in  ]<3wa. 

Neither  member  of  the  firm  is  married,  but  they 
have  an  efficient  housekeeper  in  their  sister.  James 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Joliet, 
and  both  are  held  in  excellent  repute  in  that  citj-, 
and  wherevei'  they  are  known.  James  is  a  Demo- 
crat, while  Alexander  is  iudei>endent   in    politics. 


lir^r^^HOMAS  J.  KIRK,  whose  pleasant  home  in 
in  Florence  Township,  is  a  native  of  Janes- 
ville.  Wis.  and  was  born  Julj'  18, 1854.  His 
parents,  James  and  Elizabeth  (Forsythe)  Kirk,  were 
born  in  the  Emerald  Isle  and  married  in  Ogdens- 
burgh,  N.  Y.,  whence  they  removed  to  Janesville. 
In  1860  they  changed  their  place  of  abode  to  Will 
County,  III.,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Florence  Town- 
ship, where  both  subsequently  died.  The  elder 
Kirk  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  also  a  farmer.  The 
family  consisted  of  six  children — Mary  J.  now 
wife  of  Joseph  AVhalen,  a  Dakota  farmer;  our  sub- 
ject; Elizabeth,  still  unmarried  ;  Andrew,  James  and 
William,  fanners  in  tliis  county,  two  of  them  hav- 
ing homes  in  the  same  township. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in 
this  township  from  about  his  sixth  vear.  and  liPS 
followed  farming  since  youth.  He  owns  eighty 
acres  of  fertile  land,  which  is  carefully  and  intelli- 
gently tilled  ami  bears  adequate  improvements.  At 
present  the  attention  of  Mr.  Kirk  is  divided  be- 
tween his  agricultural  work,  threshing  and  well 
drilling.  He  stands  well  in  the  estimation  of  his 
fellowmen,  being  reliable  and  energetic  in  his  bus- 
iness affairs,  kindly  in  social  and  domestic  life,  and 
useful  as  a  citizen  of  the  county  and  State. 

Mr.  Kirk  has  served  five  years  as  Collector  of 
Florence  Township  and  is  now  acting  for  the  sec- 
ond term  in  the  capacit}-  of  Assessor.  His  politi- 
cal alliliation  is  with  the  Democrat  party.  The 
order  and  attractiveness  of  his  home  are  due  to  the 
housewifely  skill  and  pleasing  qualities  of  his  wife 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Fannii"  Jackson.   She 


'^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBDM. 


305 


vas  born  in  Florence  Township,  August  4,  1855, 
o  Cliarles  and  Ellen  (Cating)  Jackson,  and  be- 
ame  tlie  wife  of  our  subject  January  7,  18.S0. 
^our  charming  daughters  have  come  to  bless  the 
nion.  Tiiey  are  named  respectively:  Laura  E., 
;tlK'l  R.,  Alice  and  Elinor. 


♦>^.A. 


-*»- 


\t;AMES  C.  WEESE.  The  building  interests 
of  Joliet  would  be  but  poorly  represented 
in  this  volume  did  not  its  pages  contain 
mention  of  J.  C.  Weese,  who  has  been  en- 
aged  as  an  architect  and  builder  for  manj'  years, 
u  this  city  he  has  designed  and  built  many  of  the 
est  residences,  among  them  being  the  dwellings 
f  II.  B.  Scutt,  M.  Calmer,  Dr.  Raynor,  and  others, 
[e  has  also  done  much  vvoik  in  Morris,  Aurora, 
orkville,  and  other  places.  He  is  a  practical  car- 
enter  and  architect,  whose  knowledge  has  not 
cen  picked  up  but  was  acquired  under  competent 
lasters  and  improved  by  practical  labor  in  both 
nes. 

The  Weese  family  is  of  tierman  extraction,  the 
r.iud father  of  our  subject  having  been  born  in 
je  Fatherland.  His  father,  John  Marcus  Weese 
ml  Laura  Ilpwell  were  born  in  Can.ada,  and  after 
leir  marriage  lived  for  many  years.  To  them 
ere  born  thirteen  children,  eleven  of  whom  are 
ow  living,  tlif  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the 
;cond.  The  others  are:  William,  a  blacksmith 
ad  carriage  builder  in  Plattville,  Kendall  County; 
[rs.  Catherine  Mordcn  and  Mrs.  Victoria  Lazier, 
^ins;  Elias  N.,  whose  home  is  at  Minooka,  Grundy 
ounty;  Lorain  C.  and  W^ellington,  deceased;  Mrs. 
aura  Hurd;  Walter;  Mrs.  Chloe  Pierce;  and 
.deline  and  John,  twins,  the  latter  of  whom  re- 
des in  Chicago;  Adeline,  the  first,  is  deceased. 
In  County  Hastings,  Province  of  Ontario,  on 
.ngust  30,  1842,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
orn.  His  father  being  a  farmer,  his  early  life 
as  spent  amid  rural  surroundings,  and  until  the 
ge  of  fifteen  j-ears  he  shared,  as  a  boy  could,  in 
arious  agricultural  labors  in  the  intervals  of  his 
3hool  life.  He  then  served  his  time  as  a  carpen- 
2r's  apprentice,  working  at  that  trade  exclusively 


for  seven  years.  He  next  devoted  himself  to  archi- 
tecture, which  he  learned  in  the  citj'  of  New  York, 
for  a  period  of  ten  years,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  designing  and  building.  In  1871  he  came  to 
Joliet,  which  has  been  his  home  during  most  of 
the  years  since  that  date.  He  now  occupies  an  at- 
tractive residence  at  No.  105,  Second  Avenue, 
whose  internal  arrangements  are  a  model  of  bouse- 
wifeh'  skill. 

On  January  22, 1872, the  rites  of  wedlock  were  cel- 
ebrated between  our  subject  and  Miss  Kittie  Farley, 
a  resident  of  Leland,  LaSalle  County,  111.  The 
bride  is  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  A.  and  Mar}' 
(Anderson)  Farley,  the  father  having  been  a  min- 
ister in  the  United  Brethren  Church.  During  the 
cholera  scourge,  which  decimated  so  man}-  neigh- 
borhoods, in  1852,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farley  were 
stricken  down  with  the  dread  disease,  dying  within 
a  week  of  each  other.  Their  daughter  was  reared 
by  an  aunt,  and  under  her  loving  care  grew  to 
womanhood,  a  noble  and  relined  j-oung  lady  fitted 
for  au}'  sphere  in  life. 

Sir.  and  Mrs.  Weese  are  childless,  but  have  an 
adopted  daughter.  Mrs.  Weese  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
Weese  is  a  true  blue  Republican,  whose  first  Presi- 
dential ballot  was  cast  for  Rutherford  B.  Ha^es,  and 
who  has  followed  that  vote  with  a  steady  adherence 
to  the  party  which  he  then  chose.  A  reliable  citi- 
zen, an  intelligent  and  upright  man,  he  is  regarded 
with  respect  by  his  fellow-citizens,  his  wife  sharing 
in  their  esteem. 


ARTIN  H.  DEMMOND.  To  pay  the  trib- 
ute of  honor  and  respect  to  those  pio- 
neers who  went  in  advance  of  civilization 
and  hewed  a  path  for  the  approach  of  man, 
is  alwaj's  a  pleasant  duty.  Their  self-denial  has 
given  us  the  comforts  of  life;  their  perseverance 
laid  the  foundations  of  our  large  cities  and  thriv- 
ing towns.  They  planted  the  seed,  knowing  that 
they  would  not  live  to  enjoy  the  ripened  fruit. 
They  worked  not  for  themselves,  but  for  poster- 
ity, trusting  in  faith  that  in  due  time  the  reward 


306 


PORTilAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  their  patient   efforts   would  be   realized.     The 

gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  biographi- 
cal review  is  numbered  among  the  wortlu'  pio- 
neers of  Will  Couut3'.  and  though  long  since 
passed  from  the  busj'  scenes  of  life,  yet,  like  the 
good  man  of  old,  "his  works  do  follow  him." 

A  native  of  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Demmond  was 
born  March  4,  1803.  but  earl^'  in  life  removed  to 
Oneida  Count}',  N.  Y.,  then  located  in  Herki- 
mer Countj',  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  spent 
the  years  of  his  youth  in  the  usual  manner,  and  bj' 
studj'  and  observation  gradually  acquired  a  busi- 
ness education,  which  he  used  successfully  in  after 
life.  After  being  tirmly  established  in  the  dry- 
goods  business,  he  set  up  his  own  household,  plac- 
ing at  its  head  an  estimable  lady  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Sophia  Murray.  Mrs.  Demmond 
was  born  Jul}'  26,  1804,  in  Petersburg,  N.  Y., 
whence  when  she  was  still  quite  young  her  father 
removed  to  Ca}"uga  and  later  to  Sharon.  After  a 
brief  residence  there,  thej-  went  to  AVhitesboro, 
Oneida  County,  and  there  she  grew  to  woman- 
hood. After  the  death  of  her  father,  John  Mur- 
raj',  she  went  to  live  in  Frankfort,  Herkimer 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  met  Mr.  Demmond  and 
with  him  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matri- 
mony April  10,  1831.  In  that  place  they  began 
their  married  life. 

In  October,  1834,  Mr.  Demmond  closed  out  his 
business  in  Frankfort  and  having  resolved  upon 
removing  to  the  promising  West,  came  to  Illinois 
and,  settling  in  Joliet,  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  With  far-seeing  prudence  he  bought 
eight}-  acres  (/f  land  lying  west  of  the  river,  and 
lilalteil  Dfmmond's  addition.  His  business  enter- 
prise soon  led  him  into  building,  and  several 
blocks  which  still  stand  were  erected  by  him.  He 
became  the  owner  of  a  number  of  fine  fa~ms  and 
in  the  later  years  of  liis  life  was  interested  in  the 
raising  of  fine  cattle.  His  busy,  useful  and  suc- 
cessful life  came  to  a  close  during  the  cholera  epi- 
demic of  1854;  he  died  July  18,  of  that  dread 
disease  after  an  illness  of  but  twelve  hours.  His 
remains  were  first  interred  at  the  old  homestea<l 
but  were  afterward  removed  to  Oak  wood  Cemetery. 
He  was  a  Democrat  until  slavery  became  a  party 
issue,   when  his  views  on  that  sui)ject  led  him  to 


join  the  Whig  party.  Mr.  Demmond  was  very 
charitable,  but  performed  his  deeds  of  kindness  in 
a  quiet  way,  not  letting  his  left  liand  know  what 
his  right  hand  did. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Demmond 
closed  out  his  business,  which  left  herjin  possession 
of  ample  means.  Her  mother  came  to  live  with  her 
and  died  at  her  home.  Her  household  now  consists 
of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Eliza  Foltz,  a  daughter  of  the 
latter,  Mrs.  Lafavour,  and  nephew,  Will  Lafavour. 
The  latter,  a  rising  young  artist,  has  made  a  trip 
through  Europe  in  pursuit  of  his  studies  and  in 
search  of  health.  They  are  numbered  among  the 
oldest  and  most  influential  families  of  the  city  and 
occupies  a  spacious  residence  ou  Broadway,  sur- 
rounded by  ease  and  luxury.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dem- 
mond were  not  blessed  by  children,  but  a  niece, 
Miss  Catherine  Murray,  was  a  member  of  their 
household  from  her  youth  until  her  marriage  to 
Col.  Bartleson,  ivho  was  killed  during  the  late 
Civil  War.  She  afterwards  became  the  wife  of 
Rush  Casselberry,  of  Chicago.  A  portrait  of  the 
late  Mr.  Demmond  is  presented  in  connection  with 
tins  sketch. 


^^EOI 


^^^EORGE  LIVERMORE  VANCE.  One  of 
the  most  elegant  business  blocks  of  Joliet 
stands  as  a  monument  to  the  industry  and 
energy  of  Mr.  Vance,  who  erected  it  in  1888,  and 
utilizes  all  of  it  for  the  sale  of  furniture  and  other 
articles  in  that  line.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city,  occupying  a  good  position, 
socially  and  financially.  He  is  of  stanch  New 
England  stock,  a  Vermonter  by  birth,  first  opening 
his  eyes  to  the  light  in  Caledonia  County.  Groton 
Township,  March  13,  1840.  His  immedi.ate  pro- 
genitors were  Aaron  and  Lucinda  (Tucker)  Vance, 
who  were  likewise  natives  of  the  Green  Mountain 
State.     They  traced  their  ancestry  to  England. 

Aaron  Vance,  in  addition  to  being  engaged  as  a 
boot  and  shoe  dealer,  also  carried  on  farming.  The 
parental  household  included  eight  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living  and  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 
notice  wils  the  eldest  born.     David   E.    is  a   |)rac- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


307 


ticing  attorne}' of  Winona,  Minu.;  William  A.  is 
the  postmaster  at  Houston,  that  State;  Albert  N. 
is  merchandising  in  Decorah,  Iowa;  Xicliolas  W. 
is  a  banker  in  Wolsey,  8.  D.;  Nancy  A.,  Mrs.  Dyeri 
is  the  wife  of  a  merchant  in  Houston,  Minn. ;  Abby. 
Mrs.  Calvin  Vance,  is  a  resident  of  Money  Creek, 
that  State,  and  Aaron  K.  lives  in  .Toliet.  The  par- 
ents celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary'  of  their 
wedding  IMay  .'!.  1888,  at  their  home  in  Money 
Creek,  Minn.  The  occasion  was  one  of  general 
rejoicing,  and  at  which  were  convened  a  large 
number  of  relatives  and  friends. 

Mr.  A'ance  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native 
State,  acquiring  a  good  education,  and  upon  ap- 
proaching manhood  engaged  in  teaching  district 
schools  four  years.  Later  he  went  to  Rutland  and 
was  occupied  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  two 
years.  We  next  find  him  in  the  United  States 
Treasury  department  at  AVashington,  D.  C,  where 
he  held  a  clerkship  from  1864  to  1870.  During 
this  time  lie  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to  the  study  of 
law.  and  was  graduated  from  the  Columbia  in  the 
law  department,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by 
the  supreme  court  of  the  District  of   Columbia. 

Deciding  now  upon  seeking  his  fortunes  in  the 
West,  Mr.  Vance  emigrated  to  Minnesota  and  was 
enoagrd  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Money  Creek 
until  January  1,  1873.  During  that  year  he  came 
to  .Toilet  and  established  himself  in  the  furniture 
trade,  which  he  has  prosecuted  successfully  and 
thereby  accumulated  a  competency.  Politically, 
he  is  a  pronounced  Republican,  and  while  in  Min- 
nesota served  as  Postmaster  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace. 

While  sojourning  at  the  national  capital  Mr. 
Vance  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  E.  K.  Fow- 
ler, and  the  mutual  attachment  which  followed 
resulted  in  their  marriage  May  30,  18G8.  Of  this 
union  there  were  born  two  children:  George  A., 
teller  of  the  Will  County  Bank,  and  Grace  Fow- 
ler, who  is  attending  the  High  School  at  Winona. 
Minn.  Mrs.  Nance  was  a  native,  of  Virginia,  and 
departed  this  life  at  her  home  in  Joliet,  November 
6,  1873.  Mr.  A'anee  on  the  19th  of  Jul}-,  1877, 
contracted  a  second  marriage  with  Miss  Jennie, 
daughter  of  AVilliam  and  Ke^.iah  Lewis.  This 
lady  was  born  March    18,    1813,  in   England,   and 


spent  her  early  years  in  a  comparatively  unevent- 
ful manner  under  the  home  roof,  acquiring  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools.  Of  her  union 
with  our  subject  there  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, one  deceased,  Beulah  A.  the  survivor.  So- 
cially. Mr.  Vance  is  identified  with  the  Masonic 
fr.aternlty, being  a  Knight  Templar, is  Prelate  therein 
and  also  belongs  to  the  Royal  Arcanum.  For  three 
years  he  was  President  of  the  Young  Men's  Christ- 
ian Association,  and  is  now  its  Vice  President.  His 
religious  views  coincide  with  the  doctrines  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  He  Is  President  of  the  Will 
County  Sund.iy-school  Association,  and  takes  an 
.active  interest  in  the  religious  training  of  the 
young.  The  various  enterprises  calculated  for  the 
good  of  the  community  receive  his  cordial  and 
uniform  support.  He  has  been  for  some  time  con- 
nected with  the  Will  Count}-  Bank,  in  which  be 
now  holds  the  office  of  Vice-President. 


LBERT  L.  GRANGER.  There  is  proba- 
bly not  within  the  limits  of  Homer  Town- 
ship a  more  thorough  or  substantial  farmer 
than  Rlr.  Granger,  who  is  successfully 
operating  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  choice 
land  on  section  32.  He  has  good  improvements, 
including  a  substantial  brick  residence,  which, 
with  Its  appurtenances  forms  a  very  attractive  and 
inviting  home.  In  addition  to  general  agriculture 
he  makes  a  specialty  of  heavy  draft  horses  and 
highly-bred  roadsters,  and  is  conducting  this  de- 
partment of  his  business  in  a  manner  which  indi- 
cates his  thorough  knowledge  of  it  and  his  pride  in 
it.  As  a  member  of  the  community  he  is  held  in 
high  esteem. 

Mr.  Granger  was  born  at  his  present  home  in 
Homer  Township,  September  20,  1843,  and  there 
spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  attending  the  dis- 
trict school;  later,  Knox  College  at  Galcsbnrg,  111., 
and  the  military  academies  at  Fulton,  111.,  and  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa.  He  was  married  at  St.  Jolmsbury, 
Vt.,  July  17,  1873,  to  Miss  Georglana,  daughter  of 
Hor.ace  B.  Jones,  of  Victory,  Vt.  Mrs.  Granger 
was  born  in  .St.   Johnsbury,  December    10,    1848. 


308 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Her  parents  were  natives  of  Vermont,  where  the}' 
still  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Granger  are  the  foster 
parents  of  three  children — Gertrude  R.,  Lottie  K. 
and  Albert  L. 

Mr.  (Granger,  politically,  is  an  active  Reimbli- 
ean.  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  public  aflfairs. 
During-  the  late  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  Feb- 
ruary. 1863,  in  Company  F,  Eighth  Illinois  Cav- 
alr\ .  and  in  October  following  was  promoted  to  a 
First  Lieutenancy  in  the  Twenty-ninth  United 
States  Colored  Troops,  serving  in  that  cajjacity 
until  November,  lSt;5.  He  went  all  through  the 
Api)on)attox  Campaign,  was  present  at  the  siege  of 
Petersburg,  and  also  had  the  satisfaction  of  wit- 
nessing the  surrender  of  Lee. 

The  father  of  our  sul)ject  was  Maj.  Alanson 
Granger,  a  native  of  Cortland  Count}-.  N.  Y..  born 
in  the  town  of  Preble.  November  18,  1802.  He  was 
there  reared  to  manhood  and  was  married  atTrnx- 
ton.  that  county,  .hine  8,  182G,  to  Miss  Mary 
Perry.  The  latter  was  born  in  Truxton,  Novem- 
ber 25,  1801),  and  after  marriage  the  young  people 
settled  in  Homer,  N.  V.,  where  they  remained  until 
1833.  That  j-ear  lie  emigrated  to  Illinois  and 
located  a  tract  of  land  on  section  32.  in  Homer 
Township,  this  county,  and  had  the  honor  of  nam- 
ing the  township  after  his  native  place.  He  was 
joined  by  his  wife  the  following  year,  and  they 
continued  to  live  on  the  same  farm  the  remainder 
of  their  lives.  Mr.  Granger  departed  hence  Octo- 
ber 7,  1874.  The  mother  survived  her  husband 
for  nearly  fifteen  years,  her  death  takijig  place  July 
7,  1889.  ]\Ir.  Granger  held  the  office  of  Township 
Supervisor  several  terms,  and  was  a  man  thoroughly 
respected  among  his  neighbors.  The  parental 
household  included  eight  children,  three  of  whom 
are  living,  named  respectivel}':  Helen  M.,  wife  of 
Wesley  D.  Jones;  Alvan  P.,  of  Denver,  Colo.;  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 


1 1) WARD  P.  &  HENRY  S.  LYON.  The 
Hedge  Lawn  Stock  Farm  is  a  noticeable 
feature  in  the  landscape  of  Washington 
Township,  and  is  well  known  to  stockmen  as  a 
place  where  Hereford  cattle  are   m.ade  a  specialtj*. 


The  estate  is  located  on  section  31,  and  consists  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  well-improved 
land,  supplied  with  excellent  buildings,  which  mi- 
clude  everything  necessary  for  the  convenience 
and  comfort  of  the  owners,  and  the  housing  of 
the  stock  and  crops  which  the}'  raise.  The  subjects 
of  this  sketch  are  !issociated  in  partnership,  and 
the  two  have  been  carrying  on  their  affairs  jointly 
for  more  than  fifteen  years.  The  farm  which  they 
operate  was  purchased  by  their  father,  Caleb  Lyon, 
in  1853.  and  was  the  family  home  until  the  death 
of  the  father  in  August,  1881. 

The  Lyons  come  of  an  old  New  Jersey  family  of 
Huguenot  stock.  In  Elizabethtown.  Caleb  Lyon 
was  born  in  1808,  but  was  still  a  child  when  his 
father,  Caleb  Lyon,  Sr.,  removed  to  Schenectady 
County,  N.  Y.  The  latter  was  a  stage-coach  and 
carriage  maker,  and  was  a  pioneer  in  his  business. 
He  lived  to  be  more  than  four-score  years  old.  He 
had  married  Martha  Lyon,  a  distant  relative,  who 
also  died  in  the  Empire  State,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years.  They  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  as  did  all  of  the  old  stock. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reai'ed  in  the  Em- 
pire State,  and  under  the  tuition  of  his  father 
learned  the  tr.ade  of  a  carriage  .and  stagecoach 
maker.  He  married  Miss  Jeanette  Mansfield,  and 
the}-  continued  to  reside  in  the  Empire  State  until 
1850,  in  the  fall  of  which  they  came  West  and  lo- 
cated in  the  city  of  Chicago.  There  the  father 
followed  his  trade  for  a  time,  finally  putting  his 
family  on  the  Will  County  farm,  but  himself  con- 
tinuing his  employment  in  Chicago  for  some  time 
longer.  He  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  he  and  his  wife  were  charter  members  of  a 
society  in  Will  Township,  this  county,  which  they 
assisted  m  organizing.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Leverett  M.,  one  of  the  members  of  the  iiarontal 
household,  gave  his  life  to  his  country,  being 
killed  by  a  rebel  gunshot  at  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga,  September  19,  1863.  He  had  served  for 
some  time  as  a  member  of  Comjiany  H,  One  Hun- 
dredth Illinois  Infantry,  and  held  the  rank  of 
Corporal  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  His  sui)erior 
ollicers  were  Capt.  Goildard  and  Col.  Bartleson. 
He  w.as  twenty-four  years   old   when    his  life  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


309 


cut  sliort  by  the  civil  contest.  The  living  mem- 
bers of  the  fainil\'  are:  William  C,  Edward  P., 
Henry  S.  and  Amelia  A.  William  married  ^Mar- 
garot  Buck,  and  lives  in  Coffey  County,  Kan., 
where  he  is  engaged  in  farming;  Henr}'  S.  mar- 
ried Miss  Margaret  Crawford,  of  New  York,  and 
has  one  child,  Robert  C;  Amelia  remains  with 
her  mother  and  her  brother,  Edward  P. 

Mrs.  Caleb  Lyon,  who  still  survives  and  is  now 
an  active  old  lady  eighty-one  years  of  age,  lives 
with  her  son,  Edward  P.  .She  was  horn  in  Seiio- 
harie  County,  N.  Y.,  June  14,  1809,  being  a 
daughter  of  Levcrett  and  Sarah  (Sanford)  Mans- 
field, who  were  natives  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  In 
the  city  of  their  birth  ^Ir.  and  ^Irs.  Mansfield 
grew  to  maturity  and  were  married,  going  at  once 
to  Schoharie  County,  N.  1^,  where  Mr.  Mansfield 
took  up  the  occupation  of  a  merchant,  hotel-keeper 
anil  farmer  in  the  village  of  Esperanee.  In  later 
life  he  and  ills  family-  removed  to  Illinois,  making 
their  home  in  Piinceville,  Peoria  County.  There 
he  and  his  wife  died  within  a  few  days  of  each 
other,  the  one  being  eighty-one  and  the  other  sev- 
enty-nine years  of  age.  They  had  been  members 
of  the  Presbj'terian  Church  from  carl}'  life. 

Edward  P.  Lyon,  of  this  brief  sketch,  was  born 
in  the  Empire  State,  July  18,  1842,  but  has  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  on  the  farm  which  he 
now  oiierates.  He  married  Miss  Lottie  Rose,  the 
wedding  ceremony  being  celebrated  at  Beecher, 
October  18,  1879.  Mrs.  Lyon  was  reared  in  this 
Stale,  and  was  graduated  from  the  institution  at 
Normal.  For  some  years  she  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Chicago.  She  was 
deeply-  interested  in  educational  and  literary  mat- 
ters and  in  all  that  was  elevating  and  refining.  A 
good  mother  and  a  loving  wife,  she  was  sincerely 
mourned  bj'  her  household  and  many  friends  when 
she  was  removed  by  death,  Ueccrnber  29,  1885,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-six  years.  She  was  the  mother  of 
ihree  children— Mary  M.,  Edward  R.  and  Lever- 
et t  S. 

Mr.  L3'on  has  been  for  some  time  associated  with 
the  Congregational  Church,  of  which  his  wife  was 
also  a  member.  He  and  all  his  brothers  vote  and 
work  for  the  cause  of  temperance.  Mr.  I^'on  is 
not  an  office-seeker,  but  is  ever  ready  to  look  after 


the  interests  of  his  party  in  local  matters  and  is  an 
able  worker  in  the  ranks.  He  is  respected  as  he 
deserves  for  his  general  intelligence,  his  zeal  in  the 
work  to  which  he  has  devoted  himself,  and  the 
ui)rightness  of  his  character. 


~^^^ 


NDRUS  A.  INGER.SOLL.  This  name  is 
LJl  prominent  among  those  of  the  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  Homer  Township,  as 
one  who  has  alwaj's  taken  an  active  part 
in  the  i)romotiou  of  its  best  interests.  Judging 
from  his  home  surroundings  he  is  more  than  or- 
dinarily intelligent,  industrious  and  enterprising, 
iiavlng  good  buildings  on  his  farm,  and  all  the 
other  appliances  for  the  successful  prosecution  of 
agriculture.  He  has  been  a  School  Director  in  his 
district  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-four  years, 
and  most  of  the  time  for  twenty-five  years  past  has 
officiated  as  Overseer  of  Highwa3S.  He  takes  an 
active  part  in  jjolitical  affairs,  giving  his  uniform 
support  to  the  Republican   party. 

Mr.  LigerooU  is  a  native  of  this  count}',  and  was 
Ijorn  in  Plainfield  Township,  November  20,  1839. 
In  the  spring  of  1840,  his  parents  removed  to  Ho- 
mer Township,  where  the  father  secured  a  farm  on 
section  9,  and  svhere  Andrus  A.  was  reared  toman's 
estate.  His  education  was  obtained  principally  in 
the  common  schools,  while  his  habit  of  reading  and 
observation  have  conspired  to  make  him  a  thor- 
oughlj'-informed  man,  with  progressive  ideas,  and 
an  acquaintance  with  most  of  the  topics  of  the  day 
under  general  discussion.  He  chose  farming  for 
his  vocation,  and  with  the  exce[)tion  of  the  time 
spent  in  the  army,  has  followed  this  his  entire  life. 

During  the  second  j'ear  of  the  Civil  War  Mr. 
Ingersoll  enlisted  in  the  Union  service,  August  G, 
18G2,  in  Company  G,  One  Hundredth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  served  until  June  30,  180."),  being  mus- 
tered out  on  that  day.  He  remained  with  the 
regiment  until  November  G,  1862,  when  he  was  de- 
tailed for  detached  service  as  an  artificer,  being 
thus  occupied  until  October  8,  18G4.  He  was  then 
transferred  b\-  General  Order  No.  108,  of  the  War 
Department,  to  the  First  United    States  Veteran 


310 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Volunteer  Engineer  Corps,  with  which  he  served 
until  receiving  his  honorable  (Hscharge.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Nashville.  Tenn.,  with  the  rank  of 
Urst  Sergeant.  Upon  one  occasion  while  gathering 
timber  in  the  swamps  to  be  used  at  Ft.  Neglc\-,  he 
was  disabled  by  a  shot  from  the  enemy  from 
which,  however,  he  soon  recovered. 

Ipon  leaving  the  armj"^  Mr.  IngersoU  returned 
to  Homer  Township  and  resumed  farming.  He 
has  one  hundred  and  sixty-three  acres  of  good  land, 
upon  which  he  has  erected  substantial  buildings, 
and  gathered  around  himself  and  his  familj-  all  the 
comforts  of  life.  He  was  married  March  28.  1866, 
in  Orland,  Cook  County,  this  State,  to  Miss  Fannj' 
M..  daughter  of  Ichabod  and  Ann  K.  (Reynolds) 
Myriek.  Mr.  Myrick  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  died  at  Morgan  I'ark,  111.,  .\ugust  17,  1872. 
The  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  at 
Morgan  Park. 

Mrs.  IngersoU  was  the  third  in  a  family-  of 
eleven  children  and  was  born  in  Orland,  111.,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1847.  ller  childhood  and  youth  passed 
quieth'  and  uneventfully  under  the  home  roof 
where  she  remained  until  her  marriage.  Of  this 
union  there  have  born  four  children,  viz.:  Anna 
A.,  Walter  .].,  Florence  and  Percy.  The  two  latter 
died  at  the  ages  of  twenty-two  mouths  and  four 
days  respectively.  Mr.  IngersoU  h.os  served  as 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  period  of  fourteen 
years,  and  was  Township  Clerk  one  year. 

Alonzo  A.  IngersoU,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  while  his  mother  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Barbara  Weaver,  and  was  a  native 
of  Syracuse.  X  Y.  The  latter  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  this  count}-  in  1833.  Her  father  was  Benja- 
min Weaver,  and  the  maiden  name  of  her  mother 
was  Phebe  Paddock.  Upon  coming  to  Illinois 
they  settled  in  Homer  Township,  where  thej-  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  daj-s.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents of  our  subject  were  Chester  and  Lucretia 
(Burdick)  IngersoU.  the  former  of  whom  was  a 
Colonel  in  the  Sauk  War.  He  came  to  this  county 
in  182H.  Subsequently-  he  was  married  in  Chicago. 
in  1834,  and  kept  the  first  hotel  in  that  city,  which 
was  familiarly  known  as  the  Green  Tree  House. 
Mr.  Ingersoll's  parents  were  married  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Homer,  but  which  was  then  called 


the  "Yankee  Settlement."  October  8,  1838.  The 
father  secured  land  on  section  9.  Homer  Township. 
and  on  the  farm  which  he  built  up  he  and  his  es- 
timable wife  spent  the  remainder  of  their  days. 
Mr,  IngersoU  met  his  death  by  being  struck  by 
lightning,  March  19.  1847,  The  mother  died  at 
the  old  homestead  C)clober  5,  18C1.  There  were 
born  to  them  three  children  only — Andrus  A., 
Anna  A.  and  Phebe  P.  The  two  sisters  of  Mr. 
IngersoU  are  deceased. 


'-^^^:^;^^^^it^ 


-«-<-v 


^^OTLIEB  .SEGGEBRUCH.  One  of  the 
■|l  ~-  largest  farms  in  Crete  Township  is  onned 
^^^A  1)3"  the  geutle'man  above  named,  comprising 
four  hundred  and  ten  acres,  and  occupying  a  portion 
of  sections  30  and  31,  A  portion  of  it  is  now  op- 
erated by  the  sons  of  our  subject,  who,  after  manv 
3'ears  of  thrifty  and  laborious  life  is  content  to 
allow  his  offspring  to  relieve  him  of  some  of  the 
burdens  which  he  has  borne.  He  is  the  onl}-  repre- 
sentative in  America  of  the  parental  family  which 
comprised  eight  children,  and  is  a  worthy  descend- 
ant of  (iermau  parents  who  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age 
and  died  heartilj^  respected  by  those  who  knew 
them.  They  were  farmers  in  the  Kingdom  of  Lippe 
Schambourg.  where  the  eyes  of  their  sou,  Gotlieb, 
opened  to  tlie  light  April  19,  1815.  He  was  reared 
to  farm  life  and  became  a  farm  laborer  in  his  ovvu 
land,  where  he  remained  until  some  years  after  he 
had  set  up  his  own  household. 

The  wife  whom  Mr.  Seggebruch  chose  in  his 
early  manhood  was  Louisa  Siegmann,  a  u.ative  of 
Hesse-Cassel,  who  w.as  reared  to  womanhood  in  her 
native  State  After  the  birth  of  live  children  the 
farail}',  in  the  fall  of  1854.  left  Bremerhaven  for 
America,  landing  in  New  York  after  a  vojage  of 
six  weeks.  Thence  the\-  journeyed  to  Detroit. 
Mich.,  on  a  boat,  and  thence  to  Chicago,  two  d.ays 
later  coming  to  Will  County  and  purchasing  eighth- 
acres  of  land.  Here  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Seggebruch 
have  grown  old  upon  t.ie  land  where  they  flrst  set- 
tled. The  acreage  h.as  been  increased  and  the 
w-liole  placed  in  a  fine  condition  of  improvement 
and  tillage,  and  well  stocked  with  domestic  animals 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


311 


md  adequate  machinery,  while  the  dwelling  has 
3een  supplied  with  conveniences  and  the  household 
iflfairs  conducted  in  tlie  thrifty-  manner  which  is 
3arly  taught  to  the  daugliters  of  Germany. 

The  happ3'  union  of  our  suhject  and  his  com- 
panion has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  sons 
md  four  daughters.  One  son,  Henrj-.  died  when 
seven  years  old;  Caroline  is  the  wife  of  Henrj- 
Jldreg,  a  farmer  in  Pottawatomie  County,  Kan. : 
William  married  Eliza  Brymeier.  and  operates  a 
farm  iu  Ashgrovc  Township,  Iroquois  Count}'; 
A.ugust  C,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Monee  Township, 
:his  county,  married  Sophie  Miller,  who  died  leav- 
ing three  children,  after  which  he  married  Anna 
Ivaurtz;  Amelia  is  the  wife  of  ilenry  Arkenberg, 
1  farmer  in  Crete;  John  .assists  his  father  iu  work- 
ing the  homestead  and  resides  with  his  parents ; 
?ophia  is  the  wife  of  Cliarles  Waggoner,  who  has  a 
jrocer}'  store  on  .South  Butierfield  .Street,  Chicago; 
Louisa  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Miller,  a  farmer  in  Pot- 
:a\vatomie  County,  Kan.;  Fred  W.  is  still  at  home 
md  assisting  in  carrying  on  the  estate.  Mr.  Segge- 
bruch  and  his  sons  all  belong  to  the  Republican 
[)arty.  The  sturdy  qualities  of  industrious,  upright 
iuanhood  and  womanhood  lielong  to  our  subject 
xn<l  his  good  wife,  and  they  are  not  only  honored 
iiy  their  progeny  but  respected  by  neighbors  and 
icquaintaiices. 


ENRY  LAXGREDER.  This  gentleman 
ranks  among  the  enterprising  farmers  of 
Washington  Township,  owning  a  pleasant 
and  well-improved  farm  of  one  luindre<l 
lud  twenty  acres  on  section  '.M.  It  has  been  thirty 
j'ears  since  he  olitained  a  tract  of  unbroken  prairie 
from  the  railroad  company,  and  during  this  intei'im 
lie  has  made  of  it  a  fruitful  expanse  where  fields  of 
waving  grain  take  the  place  of  the  wild  grasses 
which  formerly  covered  it.  The  buildings  are  well 
constructed  and  suHicientl}'  numerous  and  commo- 
dious to  answer  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
designed,  and  everything  about  the  estate  bears  tlie 
appearance  of  order  whicli  those  acquainted^  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langreder  would  expect. 


The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Detrick  and 
Grace  (Avers)  Langreder,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Hanover,  German}',  and  the  latter  of  whom  died 
there.  In  October,  1848,  the  father,  accompanied 
by  his  three  children,  set  out  for  the  United  States, 
leaving  Bremen  on  a  sailing  vessel  which  made  a 
lauding  at  New  Orleans,  La.,  after  a  tedious  voyage 
of  nine  weeks  and  five  days.  The  father  and  son 
worked  about  four  months  in  the  Southern  metrop- 
olis to  earn  money  with  which  to  continue  their 
journey,  and  finally  the  family  reached  Chicago,  111. 
Two  days  after  their  arrival  the  father  died,  when 
somewhat  past  his  three-score  years  of  age.  He  and 
his  wife  belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church  and  man- 
ifested in  their  daily  walk  and  conversation  tlie 
virtues  which  belong  to  the  Clirislian  religion. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
w.as  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  July  24,  1828,  and 
is  the  youngest  member  of  the  parental  family.  He 
was  eleven  years  old  when  he  lost  his  mother  and 
about  twenty  when  he  bade  good-by  to  his  native 
laud.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  Fatlier- 
land  under  the  excellent. school  laws  which  provide 
all  German  children  with  a  fair  share  of  school 
privileges.  Besides  himself,  the  only  survivor  of 
the  parental  household  is  a  sister  who  is  married 
and  living  in  Minnesota. 

After  the  death  of  his  father  the  young  man 
went  to  California,  where  he  spent  some  years  in 
the  mining  regions  with  the  varying  success  which 
usually  attends  such  experiences.  On  returning  to 
the  States  he  resided  in  Cook  County,  111.,  three 
years  and  then,  in  1860,  became  a  resident  of  Will 
County.  He  was  first  married  in  Cook  Count}-  to 
Miss  Louisa  Riesperkart,  who  w.as  born  in  Germany 
and  came  to  the  United  Stales  when  eighteen  years 
old.  She  died  at  her  home  in  Will  County  when 
yet  in  middle  life  leaving  a  large  family  to  whom 
she  had  been  a  devoted  mother.  All  her  oflfsiiring 
are  yet  living  and  all  are  now  married  but  two 
sons:  William;  Henry,  married  and  lives  in  Beecher; 
Fred,  married  and  lives  in  Beecher;  Edward. 
Adolph,  Louisa  and  Emma. 

Mr.  Langreder  contracted  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance,  celebrating  his  marriage  to  iMrs.  Louisa 
Swarica  in  Washington  Township.  This  worthy 
l.ady  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  came  to 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


America  alone,  foUowinsj  her  parents  to  this  coun- 
try. She  is  the  mother  of  six  childrtii  by  her 
present  union  anil  two  by  a  former  marriage,  viz.: 
Bertie,  Mary,  Lillie,  Anna,  Carrie  and  Detrick. 


^1  OHN  C.  BROADIE,  a  son  of  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  Kew  Lenox  Township,  wa* 
born  at  the  homestead  which  he  now  owns 
/  and  occupies,  September  12,  18(i8.  He  is 
a  young  man  of  fine  talents  and  stands  well  in  the 
community,  being  possessed  of  the  traits  of  char- 
acter which  seldom  fail  to  enable  a  man  to  become 
prosjiorous  in  business  and  possessed  of  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizei  s. 

Tlie  fatlier  of  our  subject  was  the  well-known 
Robert  J.  Broadie,  a  native  of  Franklin  Countj-, 
Ohio,  anil  born  near  Columbus,  February  5,  IS'iil. 
The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Cooper, 
and  she  was  born  in  Brown  Count}-,  Ohio, 
February  28,  1832.  The  latter  was  brought  by 
her  parents  to  New  Lenox  Township  when  a  child 
three  years  of  age.  After  their  mariiage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Broadie  settled  ou  section  28,  New  Lenox 
Township,  where  the  fatlier  |)rosecuted  farming 
successfully,  and  died  December  21,  1873.  The 
mother  survived  her  husband  for  nearly  twelve 
j'ears,  also  dj-ing  at  the  old  homestead.  June  7, 
1885.  Their  family  consisted  of  five  children,  the 
eldest  of  whom,  a  daughter,  L3(lia  .J.,  died  young; 
Anna  li.  also  died  in  early  childhood;  Esther  Ann 
became  the  wife  of  Dr.  G.  E.  Brinkerhoflf,  and 
died  in  New  Lenox  Township,  November  11, 
1885;  John  C.  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  the 
next  in  order  of  birtli;  Sarah  A,  became  the  sec- 
ond wife  of  Dr.  Brinkerlioff,  and  they  are  living 
in  Oakland,  Cal. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  spent  his  entire 
life  .at  the  homestead  which  he  now  owns  and  oc- 
cupies, and  whii-li  embraces  three  hundred  and 
lift}'  .acres  of  as  fine  fanning  land  as  is  to  be  found 
in  Will  County.  Upon  it  is  a  set  of  neat  and  sub- 
stantial frame  buildings,  with  cpiantities  of  fruit 
and  shade  trees,  while  the  fiehls  are  enclosed  and 
divided  with  good  fencing,  and  in  fact  Mr.  Broadie 


has  all  the  facilities  for  carrying  on  agriculture 
after  the  most  approved  methods.  He  brought  a 
bride  to  the  old  roof-tree  in  1889,  lieing  married 
Sei)teraber  18,  that  3'ear,  to  Miss  ]Mary,  daughter 
of  Addison  and  Pamelia  (Lynk)  Collins. 

Mrs.  Broadie  was  the  fifth  child  of  her  parents, 
and  was  born  in  Homer  Township,  tills  count}', 
September  18,  1869.  Her  father,  Addison  Collins, 
was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  the  mother  was 
born  in  the  .same  State,  near  the  city  of  Syracuse. 
They  were  reared  and  married  in  this  State,  whence 
they  came  to  Illinois  at  an  earl}'  day,  each  with 
their  parents,  and  have  since  been  residents  of 
New  Lenox  Township.  Their  family  consisted  of 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  five 
of  whom  are  living. 

Mr.  Broadie  was  reared  by  his  excellent  mother 
ill  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  he  is  now  a  faitliful  and  consist- 
ent member,  and  gives  to  his  church  s.  liberal  sup- 
port. He  is  a  young  tnau  of  excellent  education, 
having  completed  his  studies  in  Bryant  it  .Strat- 
ton's  Business  College,  at  Chicago,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  March  1,  1888.  Ho  and  his  j'oung 
wife  have  begun  the  journey  of  life  together  un- 
der tiie  most  favorable  auspices  and  with  the  kind- 
est wishes  of  hosts  of  friends.  A  handsome  litlio- 
graphic  view  of  Mr.  Bro.'idie's  residence  is  shown 
on  another  page  of  this  w'ork. 

BRENTICE  G.  STORHS,  who  is  actively 
;  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing, pajing  much  attention  to  breeding 
I  \  horses,  stands  among  t  lie  most  clear  sighted, 
practical  and  business-like  men  of  his  calling  in 
Will  County.  His  farm  in  Troy,  lying  along  the 
DuPage  River,  which  flows  through  the  eastern  part 
of  it,  thus  affording  a  never-failing  supply  of 
water  for  his  stock,  shows  every  evidence  of  careful 
cultivation  and  coristaut  improvement. 

A  native  of  New  York,  our  subject  was  born 
near  Plattsburg,  Clinton  County,  November  22, 
IS.'il.  He  remained  a  resident  of  the  place  of  his 
birth  till  18G0,  when  he  started   out  anew  in  life, 


S^^gairiiSK^fl^wtP 


Res.  AND  Farm  Property  OF  John  C.Broadie:,Sec.28.New  Lenox  Tp.  Will  Co.  111. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


315 


coming  to  this  State  to  carry  on  his  calling  on  this 
fertile  soil.  He  livetl  for  several  years  on  a  farm 
ill  (iiiiiuly  County,  and  then  bought  a  farm  in 
Manhatlai).  on  which  he  resided  until  his  wife's 
death,  when  he  returned  to  the  East  for  a  wiiile. 
He  subsequently  sold  his  place  in  Manhattan  and 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  1882.  Here  ho  has 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  all 
under  good  cultivation,  and  finely  situated  five 
miles  west  of  Joliet.  He  is  managing  his  affairs 
with  excellent  suecess,  doing  a  general  farming 
business  and  paying  considerable  attention  to  breed- 
ing horses,  of  which  he  has  about  thirty  of  good 
grade  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Storrs  has  been  twice  married.  He  was  first 
wedded  to  Mrs.  Caroline  Ingram,  daughter  of  Wash- 
burn .Storrs,  and  widow  of  Mr.  Ingram,  of  Platts- 
burg.  Their  married  life  was  not  of  very  long 
duration,  her  death  occuning  in  1857.  Slie  left 
two  children,  Franklin  an<l  Harriet.  The  former 
resides  at  home  with  his  father,  and  the  latter  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Willis,  a  milkman  of  Chicago.  The 
m:dden  name  of  fhe  [jresent  wife  of  onr  sul)ject  was 
Clara  Comstock,  to  whom  he  was  united  in  Platts- 
burg,  N.  Y.,  she  being  a  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Com- 
stock, of  Beekmantown,  near  Plattsburg.  Tvvo 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  Kayniond, 
and  a  child  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Storrs  is  a  fair  dealing,  straightforward  man, 
possessing  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  about 
him,  and  his  energy,  persistence  and  shrevvdness 
have  placed  him  in  the  possession  of  a  comfortable 
propert}^  In  his  politics  he  sides  with  the  Re[)ub- 
lican  party.  Mrs.  Storrs  is  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


/^*\  HAUJ^h^5  h.  bli,A\  EK,  successor 
[|[  _  of  Monroe  &  Seaver,  wholesale 
"^^y    flour,  fruits,  produce,  cigars  an( 


HARLES  S.  SEAX'ER,  successor  to  the  firm 

e  dealers  in 
produce,  cigars  and  tobacco, 
occupies  a  prominent  business  place  on  La  Fayette 
Street,  where  he  has  been  established  since  October 
4,  1884.  At  that  date  the  firm  was  organized  being 
a  continuation  of  the  business  of  G.  Monroe  &  Son, 
wholesale   grocers.      Mr.    Seaver    then    purchased 


with  George  H.  Monroe,  an  interest  in  the  business 
with  which  he  remained  connected  until  September, 
1888,  and  then  became  sf)le  proiirietor.  The  build- 
ing is  a  fine  brick  and  stone  structure,  comprising 
an  office  and  warerooms,  a  large  store  and  basement. 
It  is  located  opposite  the  Rock  Island  depot,  which 
was  built  in  1887,  and  they  do  a  business  approach- 
ing ^500,000  annually.  In  addition  to  his  city 
emitloyes,  three  salesmen  represent  his  interests  on 
the  road.  Mr.  Seaver  is  an  enterprising,  go-ahea<l 
man  and  forms  no  unimportant  f.actor  among  the 
business  interests  of  .Joliet. 

A  native  of  Orleans  County,  \'t.,  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born  August  17,  IS.O'i,  and  is  the 
son  of  Samuel  Stillman  Seaver,  likewise  a  native  of 
the  tireen  Mountain  State.  The  latter  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  county  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Martha  Wright.  He  was  born  in  1808,  fol- 
lowed farming  and  merchandising,  and  spent  his 
entire  life  ui)on  his  native  soil,  dying  in  September, 
1870,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  j'ears.  The  circum- 
stances of  his  death  were  very  distressing  he  having 
been  run  over  by  a  train  of  cars,  death  ensuing  in 
a  short  time.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  members 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  the  State  and  under 
their  solemn  ceremonials  his  remains  were  consigned 
to  their  last  rest.  The  mother  being  ill  at  the  time, 
survived  the  shock  only  four  weeks.  In  addition 
to  farming,  Mr.  Seaver  dealt  (juite  extensively  in 
live  stock,  mostly  cflttle  and  horses. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  five  children,  viz.:  Clarendon  S.,  and 
Charles  S.,  residents  of  Joliet;  Henry  Q.,  in  Geneva, 
Neb.;  William  W., Walnut  Grove,  Minn.;  and  Mat- 
tie  E.,  in  IMilwankee,  Wis. 

Charles  S.,  our  subject,  acquired  a  good  practical 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county  and 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  until  coming  to 
Joliet  in  1881.  In  this  city  he  first  purchased  the 
retail  grocery  business  of  G.  Monroe  &  Son,  which 
was  located  in  the  Opera  House  Building  and  con- 
ducting this  until  purchasing  that  which  be  now 
owns. 

Mr.  Seaver  was  married  in  September,  1872,  to 
Miss  Ella  A.  Parker,  of  Orleans  County,  Vt.,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Maude  E.     Mrs.  Seaver  was  born  November  27, 


516 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


1851,  in  Vermont,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  C. 
Parker,  an  old  resident  of  Vermont.  Clarendon  S. 
came  to  .loliet  in  ISSl,  and  lias  made  this  city  his 
headquarters  since  that  time. 


^^UGUSTUS  C.  VAN  IIORNE.  The  me- 
@kjII  chanical  and  commercial  interests  of  Joliet 
would  be  poorly  represented  in  this  vol- 
ume, were  no  mention  made  of  the  railroad 
business  and  tlie  men  who  liave  it  in  their  control. 
Aside  from  this  reason  for  publishing  the  biog- 
raphj'  of  the  gentleman  above-named,  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  record  the  success  of  the  worth}-  sou  of  a 
learned  and  honored  father. 

The  late  Cornelius  C.  Van  Home  was  a  pioneer 
of  Will  County,  to  which  he  came  in  1833,  and  in 
which  his  name  is  perjjetuated  by  Van  Home's 
Point.  He  gained  an  extended  reputation  as  a 
teacher,being  probably  the  first  in  the  county ;  he  was 
an  early  Postmaster  and  when,  in  1852,  he  moved 
into  Joliet  he  was  at  once  chosen  Mayor,  being  the 
first  to  occupy  tliat  position.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  mental  attainments,  a  lawyer  and  counselor  of 
ability,  and  his  character  won  him  the  regard  of 
his  associates.  In  1840  lie  married  Miss  Mary  M. 
Richards,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  One  of  these,  William  C, 
is  now  President  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad, 
with  headquarters  at  Montreal,  Canada. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  this 
county,  in  September,  1844,  his  birthplace  being 
the  town  of  Frankfort.  He  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  being  an  apt  pupil,  advanced  rapidly 
in  his  studies  and  soon  acquired  a  good  education. 
In  the  year  18C1  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad,  remaining  in  that  ser- 
vice until  September?,  I8G4,when  he  became  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  road.  Two  years 
later  he  changed  to  the  Kansas  City  and  Northern, 
after  which  for  a  brief  time  he  worked  for  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  .St.  Paul.  Again  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  road,  and  has 
labored  for  it  continuously  since.     From  1871   to 


1 882  he  was  an  engineer,  but  at  that  date  he  was 
put  in  charge  of  the  roundhouse,  and  has  erticiently 
su|)erintended  it  since. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Van  Home 
was  taken  in  1875,  when  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage witli  Miss  Emma  A.  Hull,  of  New  Lenox, 
the  dauglitcr  of  an  old  family  in  Plainticld.  She 
is  u  lady  jjossessing  many  estimable  qualities  and 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Ricliards  Street  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  She  presides  ably  over 
the  elegant  home  that  was  erected  by  Mr.  ^'an 
llorne  in  1885.  Mr.  Van  Home  belongs  to  the 
Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Coinraandery  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  stands  well  in  the  opinion 
of  his  fellow-men,  both  employers,  employed  and 
general  acquaintances. 


oal4^_ 


^7B«c- 


-^ 


^N  H.  p.  WARTHEN.  A  favorably  located 
I  jj)  and  well-tilled  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
^^f'  thirty- eight  acres  in  Lockport  Township,  is 
owned  and  occupied  by  this  gentleman,  who  finds 
enjoyment  in  his  chosen  calling  and  the  pleasant 
surroundings  of  his  home.  Every  detail  of  the 
farm  work  is  under  efficient  oversight,  and  tilling 
the  soil  has  proved  a  remunerative  vocation. 

In  Licking  County,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1828,  a 
child  was  born,  whose  simple  record  is  contained 
in  these  brief  paragraphs.  His  early  j'ears  were 
spent  in  attendance  at  the  common  schools,  and  in 
such  home  duties  as  generally  fall  to  the  lot  of 
growing  lads  in  town.  He  is  of  Revolutionary 
parentage,  being  a  son  of  Alvin  Warthen,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  who  died  in  1830.  The  widowed 
mother  survived  until  1888,  reaching  the  advanced 
age  of  niuet3'-two  years.  She  was  a  hotel  keeper 
for  sixty-seven  years. 

Our  subject  came  to  Illinois  in  1853  and  |)ur- 
chased  a  farm  near  Plainfield,  which  he  afterward 
sold,  buying  his  present  estate  November  6.  In 
1851  he  became  the  husband  of  Miss  Charlotte 
Kendall,  who,  like  himself,  is  a  native  of  the  Buck- 
eye State,  and  who  possesses  many  of  the  qualities 
belonging  to  honored  womanhood.  To  the  happy 
couple    have   been    born   eleven  children,   nine   of 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


317 


whom  are  living;  and  six  yet  under  the  parental 
roof.  Mr.  WarUien  is  a  Peinocrat  of  tlie  old 
school.  He  is  a  reliable  citizen  and  an  upright 
man,  especially  charitable,  and  the  doer  of  man}' 
kindly  deeds  known  only  to  their  object. 


-»  *> .t>fo.-^JA><A|^.  .0*0.. -tf— 

^  l»ILLIAM  STEDT-.  The  sterling  traits  that 
\rJ\i  make  the  better  class  of  the  Germans  de- 
W^J  sirable  citizens  are  exhibited  in  the  life 
and  laljors  of  this  gentleman.  He  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  26, 
Washington  Township,  where  he  owns  eigiitj'  acres 
of  fertile  land.  Tiie  estate  is  well-improved  and 
l)ears  good  buildings,  all  erected  by  the  owner  and 
including  every  needful  and  convenient  structure. 
Snccess  is  crowning  his  efforts  and  a  competence 
waits  upon  his  labors. 

In  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Mecklenburg,  Germany, 
Ihe  eyes  of  our  subject  first  opened  to  the  light 
in  the  year  1840.  His  parents.  Joseph  and  Reirca 
(Sass)  Stedt,  had  licen  born  in  the  same  duchy, 
and  therein  grew  to  maturity  and  united  their 
fortunes.  The  husband  and  fatiier  was  a  sheep- 
herder.  In  1856  the  parents,  with  live  children, 
sailed  fiom  Hamlnirg,  believing  that  in  the  New 
World  they  could  liud  larger  opportunities  than  in 
their  native  land,  for  themselves  and  offspring. 
After  an  ocean  voyage  of  six  weeks  they  arrived 
in  New  York,  whence  they  came  direct  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Du  Page  County.  They  began  their 
life  in  the  new  home  on  rented  land,  determined 
to  succeed  in  their  intention  to  become  land- 
(jvvner.s  and  people  of  comfortable  flnances.  The 
father  died  in  tliat  county  when  sixty-six  years  of 
age;  the  widowed  mother  is  yet  living,  her  pres- 
ent home  being  near  West  l^nion,  Iowa.  Slie  is 
now  seventy -seven  years  old.  She  has  been  all  her 
life  a  member  of  the  Ij.itheran  Church,  as  was  her 
respected  husband.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  all  but  one  of  whom,  a  daugh- 
ter, lived  to  come  to  America. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  about  sixteen 
years  old  when  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States.      His    education    was    therefore    obtained 


principally  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  became  of 
age  in  Du  Page  County,  and  was  there  married  to 
Miss  Anna  R.  Bold,  to  whose  housewifely  skill  and 
domestic  virtues  he  owes  the  joys  and  comforts  of 
his  home.  Three  years  after  their  marriage  the 
young  couple  came  to  Will  County  and  began 
their  life  here  on  an  almost  raw  prairie,  which 
now  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  enterin'iso  that 
has  made  it  into  a  fine  farm. 

Mrs.  Stedt  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany, 
November  IS,  l,S4;i.  and  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  when  thirteen  years  old.  The  family  first 
settled  in  Du  Page  County,  afterward  removing  to 
Will  County,  where  the  father,  H.  Bold,  died  in 
1885,  when  seventy-six  years  old.  lie  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  which  his  good 
wife  also  belonged.  She  survived  until  the  spring 
of  1889,  breathing  her  last  when  eighty- two  years 
old.     Her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Burling. 

The  union  of  jMr.  and  Mrs.  Stedt  has  been 
blessed  hy  the  birth  of  five  children,  named  re- 
si)ectively:  William,  Henry,  Charles,  Herman  and 
Mary.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  i\lr.  Stedt  is  a  thorough  Republican. 
Their  upright  and  industrious  lives,  their  kindli- 
.ness  toward  their  neighbors  and  all  in  need,  and 
their  desire  to  aid  in  the  true  develo|)ment  of  the 
country,  gain  for  them  the  hearty  respect  of  all  to 
whom  the}-  are  known. 


^- 


:^=v=r> 


J'~  OHN  THEILER.  A  stroll  through  the  princi- 
pal business  streets  of  Joliet  will  reveal  the 
fact  that  that  city  contains  many  men  whose 
enterprise  and  ability  is  manifest  at  a  glancei 
and  who,  one  is  not  sur|)rised  to  learn,  have  a  high 
standing  in  business  circles.  One  of  the  establish- 
ments which  gives  such  indications  is  that  of 
John  Theiler  &  Son,  dealers  iu  groceries,  |)rovisions, 
dour  and  feed,  liquors,  wines,  etc.,  and  occupying 
Nos.  108,  110  and  112  South  Bluff  Street.  The 
senior  member  of  the  firm  is  also  the  owner  of 
Theiler's  Hall,  which  occupies  the  upper  floor  of 
the  building  in  which  his  business  is  carried  on. 
The    birth    of    the  subject  of  this   sketch  took 


318 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


place  in  Switzeilsiiul,  December  >j,  1829.  He  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  the  United  States  in 
1847,  their  first  home  liciiig  in  Chicago,  whence 
tliey  came  to  Joiiet  in  1850.  Our  subject  first  em- 
barked in  life  as  a  farmer,  hut  in  1858  came 
into  the  cit}'  to  begin  the  business  in  which  he  is 
•yet  engaged.  He  opened  upon  a  small  scale,  en- 
larging the  establishment  as  trade  increased,  and 
in  1873  building  the  edifice  he  now  occupies, 
afterward  adding  to  both  hall  and  store.  He  is 
agent  for  the  celebrated  bottled  beer  of  the  An- 
heuser  Busch  Brewing  Association,  at  St.  Louis. 

In  Miss  Elizabeth  Fender,  of  .Toliet,  Mr.  Theiler 
found  the  qualities  which  he  considered  desirable 
in  a  companion,  and  after  a  successful  wooing  she 
became  his  wife  May  9,  1853.  She  presides  judici- 
0USI3'  and  pleasingl}'  over  tiie  home,  and  has  care- 
fully reared  the  children  whom  she  has  borne.  Five 
sons  and  daughters  comprise  the  household  band. 
The  first-born,  Mary,  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Scheit,  of  this  city;  John  is  the  junior  member  of 
tlie  firni;  the  other  members  of  the  circle  are 
Lizzie,  Louisa  and  Joseph. 

]SIr.  Theiler  in  former  \ears  served  t^vo  terms 
as  Alderman,  and  is  highly  spoken  of  in  the  Fifth 
Ward.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  St.  Joliu's, 
Catholic  Church.  His  honesty  and  square  dealing 
in  all  transactions  with  his  fellow-men,  his  kindli- 
ness in  domestic  life,  and  his  social  characteristics, 
gain  for  him  the  respect  of  his  acquaintances  and 
an  excellent  reputation  in  business  circles. 


OYAL  E.  BARBER.  Among  the  veteran 
lawyers  of  Joiiet  Mr.  Barber  stands  a  promi- 
nent figure,  and  has  made  for  himself  a  fine 
\^  record  during  an  uninterrupted  practice  of 
nearlj-  fortj'-five  'years.  He  possesses  in  a  marked 
degree  the  talents  and  application  requisite  to  suc- 
cess, and  numbers  among  his  clientage  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  solid  residents  of  this  county.  During 
his  long  career  in  the  profession  he  has  disposed  of 
a  large  number  of  intricate  cases,  and  there  are  few 
points  in  common  law  which  he  is  not  able  to  han- 
dle in   an  adroit   and   skillful   manner.     He  is  of 


stanch  New  England  anuesLry,a  native  Vermonter, 
and  was  born  in  Benson,  that  State,  August  3, 
1822. 

John  and  Emma  (Perry)  Barber,  the  immediate 
progenitors  of  the  subject  of  this  notice,  were  na- 
tives of  Connecticut,  and  descended  from  Puritan 
stock,  their  ancestors  being  among  the  earlj-  Col- 
onists. The  mother  was  a  cousin  of  Commodore 
Perry,  who  dnstinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of 
Lake  Erie.  John  Barber  was  a  life-long  farmer, 
and  the  parental  household  included  seven  children, 
who  reached  mature  years,  and  three  who  died  in 
infancy  or  earl}-  childhood. 

Roj-al,  our  subject,  was  the  second  liorn.  In 
1831,  when  he  was  a  lad  of  nine  \ears.  a  party  of 
John  Barber's  neighbors  came  to  the  West  on  a 
prospecting  tour,  and  sent  back  such  glowing  ac- 
counts of  this  section  of  country  thai  Mr.  Barber 
was  led  to  join  them  the  following  year.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  the  jiarty  chartered  a  canal 
boat  at  Whitehall.  N.  Y..  and  u  week  later  reached 
]5ufifalo,  where  they  took  jiassage  on  the  steamer 
'■llenrv  Clay"  for  Detroit.  There  they  boarded 
the  schooner  '-Austcrlitz,"  which  in  one  week 
reached  Chicago  or  near  there,  anchoring,  however, 
outside  of  the  bar  about  three  miles  from  shore. 
The  party  and  the  schooner's  cargo  were  thence  all 
transported  to  the  shore  in  the  yawl  boats.  The 
steamer  which  convei^ed  Gen.  Scott's  troops  to 
Chicago,  in  1832,  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
craft  of  its  kind  which  had  struck  that  port. 

Landing  near  Ft.  Dearborn  the  party  encount- 
ered various  thrilling  incidents.  When  attempting 
to  cross  tbe  sand  bar  the  yawl  grounded,  and  the 
sailors  jumping  out  got  it  off  quickly'  and  then 
jumjied  in  again  in  readiness  for  the  next  wave. 
The  •' Austerlitz"  was  bound  for  St.  .Iose|)h.  La- 
ter the  yawl  boat  was  stranded  upon  the  bar  at  the 
mouth  of  that  stream,  overturned  and  the  Captain 
and  most  of  his  crew  were  drowned. 

At  the  time  John  Barber  landed  in  Chicago,  the 
only  buildings  were  a  few  log  houses  and  Ft. 
Dearborn  was  enclosed  with  a  log  stockade.  There 
was  one  frame  building  which  had  been  erected 
that  summer  by  J.  H.  Kinzie,  with  lumber  which 
he  had  hauled  from  a  sawmill  at  Plainfield.  this 
county.     The  original  plat  of   the  village  of   Chi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGKAl'IIICAL  ALBUM. 


319 


cago,  lying  between  what  is  now  State  and  Canal 
Streets,  Madison  and  Kinzic,  wns  laid  out  tliat  sum- 
mer. The  agent  besought  John  Barber  to  buy  a 
town  lot,  and  took  him  out  to  what  lie  said  vv.is 
Lake  Street,  and  showed  him  a  lot  eightj'  feet 
front,  nnd  two  hundred  feet  deep,  vvhicli  he  offered 
for  |.jO.  Mr.  Barber  stepped  on  to  a  bog,  shook 
himself,  and  the  earth  trembled  all  around  him. 
lie  therefore  replied  that  he  was  "not  going  to  sink 
an}'  ¥.50  in  that  mud  hole." 

.John  Barber  now  hired  a  team  of  horses  and  a 
double  wagon,  and  gathering  together  his  family 
and  some  goods,  forded  the  south  branch  of  the 
Chicago  River,  and  struck  off  across  the  prairie  for 
Xaiierville,  where  some  of  his  acquaintances  had 
settled,  lie  made  his  selection  of  a  farm  at  what 
later  was  named  Barber's  Corners,  tliis  county, 
and  in  February,  18;?3,  moved  his  family  into  a  log 
house,  where  the  children  were  reared,  and  where 
he  and  his  wife  both  died.  Mrs  Barber  departed 
this  life  ^'ay  1,  1874.  Mr.  Barber  passed  awa}-  in 
the  winter  of  1877.  Soon  after  coming  to  this 
county  he  contracted  rheumatism,  which  rendered 
him  an  invalid  many  years.  This  was  the  result  of 
ex|)osnre  during  the  cold  winters,  when  engaged  in 
getting  out  rails  for  his  fences. 

T!ie  subject  of  this  notice  remained  on  the  farm 
until  he  found  that  the  labor  of  harvesting,  which 
was  then  all  done  by  hand,  made  him  ill  every 
year.  So,  deciding  to  abandon  farm  life,  in  1845, 
he  came  to  Joliet,  and  became  the  Deput}'  Clerk  of 
several  courts,  discharging  the  duties  of  these  in 
connection  with  the  study  of  law,  until  his  election 
in  1852,  as  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  ex-ofli- 
cio  Recorder.  At  tlie  completion  of  his  term  he 
compiled  the  first  set  of  abstracts  of  records,  and 
then  entered  upon  the  regular  practice  of  law, 
which  he  has  since  pursued.  With  the  assistance 
of  clerks  he  managed  the  abstract  department  until 
selling  out  to  his  son,  January  1,  1889.  In  1876- 
77  he  was  Mayor  of  Joliet,  and  as  School  Inspector 
he  performed  much  labor  in  behalf  of  education, 
holding  this  olfice  nine  years.  In  1887-88  he 
erected  the  Barber  Building,  one  of  the  most  ele- 
gant structures  in  the  city  of  Joliet. 

Mr.  Barber  was  first  married,  April  24,  1849,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Ellen  Crowlej-.     This  lady  died  of 


cholera  in  1 850.  Mr.  Barber  contracted  a  second 
marriage,  Noveml)er  7,  1854,  with  Miss  Frances 
Cornelia  House.  Of  this  union  there  were  born 
five  children,  on';  of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years.  There  are  now  living  two  sons  and  two 
daughters.  The  eldest  daughter.  Miss  Alice  Still- 
man  BarbiT,  is  engaged  in  a  mission  seminary  at 
Beirut,  Syria,  whither  she  went  in  the  fall  of  1885, 
Before  she  had  acquired  command  of  the  Arabic 
tongue  she  was  loft  in  charge  of  the  institution  for 
two  years.  Ed  ward  M.,  the  eldest  son,  is  now  in  the 
State  of  New  York;  AVilliam  C.  is  engaged  in  the 
abstract  business  in  Joliet;  the  younger  daughter, 
Emma  F.,  is  the  only  child  remaining  under  the  pa- 
rental roof. 


11 


'ilJACOB  J.  HARTONG  is  carrying  on  .agri- 
culture very  advantageously  in  Plainfield 
Townshii),  where  he  owns  a  farm,  which  for 
fertility  and  productiveness  is  classed  among 
the  best  in  this  locality.  His  skill  and  experience 
in  practical  farming  have  proved  of  inestimable 
value  to  him  since  coming  to  this  count}-,  and  he  has 
done  exceptionally  well  since  purchasing  his  pres- 
ent farm,  and  is  one  of  our  substantial  moneyed 
men. 

Our  subject  was  Ijorn  in  (Jreen  Township,  Stark 
County,  Ohio,  August  25,  1830,  his  father  being 
an  early  pioneer  of  that  section  of  the  country. 
Jacob  Hartong  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his 
father,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  also  having  been 
born  in  that  State,  of  German  parentage.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  spent  his  entire  life  there.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  left  an  orphan  when 
quite  young,  and  was  reared  by  his  elder  brother, 
Philip.  He  was  bred  to  farming  pursuits,  and  also 
learned  the  tr.ade  of  a  weaver.  He  was  married  in 
the  Keystone  Slate  to  Elizabeth  Drich,  a  native  of 
that  State.  After  the  birth  of  five  of  their  children 
they  removed  to  the  wilds  of  Ohio  to  build  up  a 
new  home  in  that  part  of  Stark  County,  now  in- 
cluded in  Summit  County.  Jlr.  Ilartong  bought  a 
tract  of  land  in  the  primeval  forests  of  that  region, 
and  built  a  log  cabin  which  afterward  became  the 
birthplace    of   our   subject.     There  were  but  few 


320 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


settlenieiils  in  that  part  of  the  State.  Indians  still 
lingered  around  tliini-  old  haunts,  and  tlie  wolf  and 
tlie  deer,  besides  othei'  kinds  of  wild  game,  often 
ran  hv  tlio  door  of  their  pioneer  home.  They  lived 
in  the  most  primitive  manner,  the  mother  eooking 
their  food  beftire  the  fire  in  the  rude  fireplace,  and 
ninkina'  tlie  eloth  for  their  clothes,  spinning  the 
flax  and  wool  with  her  own  hands.  In  the  years 
that  followed  hard  labor  was  Mr.  Hartong's  lot, 
liiit  he  thereby  improved  a  desirable  farm, 
which  ho  made  his  home  until  he  closed  liis  eyes 
in  death.  His  wife  too  passed  away  to  the  life 
beyond  from  the  old  homestead.  They- reared  a 
lar<''e  family  of  children,  seven  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, to  good  and  useful  lives. 

The  subject  of  w^hom  we  write  was  the  eighth 
child  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  town.  He  resided  with  his  par- 
ents until  his  twenty-first  year,  and  then  married 
and  cstal)lished  a  home  of  his  own,  and  for  four 
years  managed  his  father's  property.  During  that 
time  he  bought  a  farm  in  Jackson  Township,  Stark 
County,  and  operated  it  for  two  years,  when  he 
sold  it  and  then  lived  on  his  fatlu  r's  farm  until 
1861.  He  then  left  Ohio,  to  take  up  his  abode  in 
this  State,  as  he  was  much  impressed  with  the  many 
advantages  offered  to  young  men  of  enterprise  and 
abilitv,  to  pursue  farming  with  financial  success  in 
llie  rich  farming  country  of  Will  County.  After 
coming  here  he  bought  a  f.arm  on  section  1,5, 
Plainfleld  Township,  where  he  resided  until  1868. 
ScUinc  that  place,  his  next  jnirchase  was  in  Man- 
hattan Township,  where  he  dwelt  the  succeeding 
thirteen  years.  Disposing;  of  that  place  at  a  good 
protit,  lie  bought  the  farm  he  now  owns  and  occu: 
|)ies,  which  comprises  one  hundred  and  forty-four  ^ 
acres  of  land  under  excellent  tillage,  and  supplied 
with  a  substantial  set  of  buildings  and  all  needed 
j,i,|iiovements.  In  1890  he  bought  a  desirable 
residence  in  the  village,  to  which  he  intends  to 
remove  in  the  spring  of  1891. 

Im  18.50,  Jacob  Hartong  and  Jlary  Beard  were 
united  in  matrimony.  She  was  a  native  of  Summit 
County.  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Eliza- 
beth Beard,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  early  settlers 
of  Summit  County.  After  a  pleasant  wedded  life 
of  ten  years,   death  deprived  him  of  her  compan- 


ionshijj,  and  their  four  children — Mary  E.,  Martha 
A.  and  two  since  deceased — of  a  good  mother.  Mr. 
Hartong  was  married  to  his  present  estimable  wife 
in  1861.  and  by  their  marriage  they  have  four 
children  now  living — William  H.,  Elias  G.,  Charles 
V.  and  Martin  F.  Mrs.  Hartong's  maiden  name 
w.as  Magdalina  Gardner,  and  she  was  born  in  Wit- 
tenburg,  Germany,  daughter  of  JIartin  and  Hen- 
rietta Dewey  Gardner,  also  natives  of  Germany. 
Mrs.  Hartong  came  to  America  with  her  parents 
when  she  was  five  years  old.  They  located  in 
Cleveland,  and  later  came  to  Illinois,  in  April, 
1862,  and  settled  in  Lockport  Township,  where 
Mr.  Gardner  bought  a  farm.  They  resided  there 
some  years,  and  then  removed  to  Joliet,  where  the 
father  died,  the  mother  dying  in  Lockport  Town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Hartong's  life  has  been  guided  by 'principles 
of  honor  and  integrity,  and  he  is  a  man  of  un- 
spotted character.  He  is  well  dowered  with  firm- 
ness and  stability,  which  attributes,  together  with 
forethought  and  persistent  labor,  have  been  in- 
strumental in  bringing  about  his  present  prosper- 
ous circumstances.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Assocation.  They  are  not  of 
those  who  "hide  their  light  under  a  bushel,"  and 
in  the  selfish  striving  for  gain  forget  their  duty  to 
others,  but  they  are  ever  kind  and  thoughtful  in 
their  relations  with  all  about  them,  and  no  one  is 
readier  to  extend  sympathy  or  help  to  those  in 
distress  than  they,  Mr.  Hartong  interests  himself 
in  the  political  situation  of  the  day,  .and  sides  with 
the  Republican  party. 


^  WILLIAM  A.  STRONG.  One  would  not 
XjitJff  ''^"^  '"  Joliet  long,  without  becoming  nc- 
.  W^  quainted  with  the  part  that  has  been  played 
by  Mr.  Strong  in  the  progiess  of  this  thriving 
municipality.  As  an  able  member  of  a  prominent 
business  firm,  as  the  improver  of  city  real  estate,  as- 
a  ineinber  of  coriwrations  and  as  a  public  ollicial  he 
has  deserved  and  won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men 
for  his  uprightnrss.  ability  and  success.  Xo  greater 
proof  could  be  given  of  the  confidtnce  reposed   in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


321 


him  than  is  shown  in  the  number  of  estates  that 
have  been  left  in  his  hands  for  settlement.  Among 
these  were  the  Bissell,  the  Moore,  the  Curry  and 
the  Steel,  while  others  are  still  held  in  trust  by 
him. 

The  p.arents  of  our  subject  were  .1.  C.  Strong,  a 
native  of  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  A.  C.  Wood- 
worth,  a  native  of  New  York  State.  In  the  latter 
State  he  w,as  born  in  1828,  his  birthplace  being  the 
town  of  Waterloo.  He  attended  the  public  schools, 
obtaining  a  good  education,  and  learned  in  his 
uncle,  W.  A.  Strong's  store,  the  habits  and  methods 
of  successful  business  men.  In  the  hardware  trade, 
to  which  he  had  grown  up,  he  was  engaged  in  his 
native  place  from  1845  to  1850,  when  his  uncle 
sold  out  and  came  to  Illinois.  He  became  a  part- 
ner with  his  uncle,  W.  A.  Strong,  in  Joliet,  the 
firm  name  being  W.  A.  Strong  &  Co.  until  1855, 
when  a  new  co-partnership  was  formed  with  Messrs. 
Brooks  and  Barrett,  and  the  style  became  Strong 
&  Co.  The  business  was  continued  under  different 
firm  names,  but  always  as  ii  prosperous  institution 
until  18G5. 

Mr.  Strong,  of  this  notice,  then  retired  to  become 
President  of  the  Joliet  Gas  Company,  in  which 
position  he  still  continues,  and  through  his  good 
judgment  the  success  of  the  corporation  was  as- 
sured. 

Mr.  Strong  had  faith  in  the  growth  of  the  city 
to  which  he  had  come,  and  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  which  he  laid  out  as 
a  subdivision.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parts 
of  the  cit}',  and  a  residence  in  Glenwood  is  con- 
sidered verj-  desirable.  The  executive  and  busi- 
ness qualities  of  Mr.  Strong  were  called  into  requi- 
sition by  his  fellow-citizens,  who  elected  him  to 
tiie  M.ajoralty  and  to  the  City  Council,  in  botii  of 
ivhich  positions  he  made  a  good  record.  He  is 
now  a  Director  in  the  National  Bank,  and  he  was 
for  a  few  years  engaged  in  the  quarry  business. 

In  1855,  at  the  bride's  Lome  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
Mr.  Strong  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Char- 
"lotte  A.,  daughter  of  Judge  I'.uell,  one  of  the  build- 
ers of  the  Erie  Canal.  Mrs.  Strong  is  universally 
praised  by  those  who  knew  her.  She  was  strong 
in  her  convictions  and  steadfast  in  lier  purposes, 
j'et  possessed  rare  modesty  and  sweetness  of  dispo- 


sition, was  charitable  without  displa}%  and  withal, 
a  devoted  Christian.  This  peerless  woman  died  in 
Thoraasville,  Ga.,  March  20,  1889.  She  had  borne 
her  husband  four  children. 

One  daughter,  Mrs.  Budlong,  died  in  January, 
1885,  leaving  a  child,  Alice,  whose  home  is  with 
Gr.andpa  Strong.  Two  sons  are  in  business  and 
one  daughter  at  home.  The  Episcopal  Church 
contains  a  si)lcndid  memorial  to  the  deceased  daugh- 
ter. To  that  ehurcb  Mr.  Strong  belongs,  and  of  it 
his  wife  was  a  member.  In  a  handsome  and  spa- 
cious dwelling  overlooking  the  cit}',  he  of  whom  we 
write  is  spending  his  time  in  deserved  ease,  atllu- 
ence  and  honor. 


wJ « 


■^wjOHN  M.  SWIGGART.  A  large  portion  of 
the  business  interests  of  Joliet  is  in  the 
bands  of  its  young  and  enterprising  men, 
among  whom  Mr.  Swiggart  occupies  a  posi- 
tion in  the  front  rank.  He  commenced  compara- 
tively without  means,  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources,  and  about  1884  embarked  in  the  grocery 
trade,  locating  at  the  northeastern  corner  of  Easton 
Avenue  and  Cass  Street.  He  has  been  in  business 
at  this  point  about  six  j-ears  and  occupies  a  fine 
large  double  store  in  the  Union  Block,  with  two 
street  fronts,  and  in  which  he  has  a  fine  and  well- 
selected  stock  of  staple  and  fancy  goods.  He  owns 
a  one-third  interest  in  this  block.  He  gives  his 
close  attention  to  his  business  and  has  a  fair  out- 
look for  the  future. 

A  native  of  Scottsville,  Mo.,  our  subject  was 
born  January  22,  1850,  and  is  the  son  of  John  J. 
and  Mary  (Fulk)  Swiggart,  who  were  natives  of 
Iowa  and  are  now  deceased.  He  spent  his  boyhood 
and  j'outh  in  Hamburg.  Iowa,  acquiring  a  practical 
education  in  tiie  common  schools.  He  came  to 
Joliet  in  1875,  and  for  eight  years  thereafter  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  Joliet  Steel  Company.  In  the 
meantime  he  was  recognized  as  a  valued  addition 
to  the  community,  and  after  tilling  various  other 
positions  of  trust  and  resi)onsil>ility  was,  in  1884, 
elected  Town  and  City  Collector  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket. 


Z-2i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


At  the  close  of  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Swiggart 
establislied  himself  in  the  groeeiy  trade  on  the 
sontlnvcst  corner  of  Cass  Street  anil  Easton  Ave- 
nue, and  by  a  course  of  fair  dealing  and  courteous 
treatment  of  his  customers,  his  business  increased 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  obliged  to  move  into 
more  commodious  quarters.  Then,  in  partnership 
with  George  Monroe  and  AA^illiam  McDermont,  he 
purchased  t!ie  ground  occupied  by  the  Union  Block, 
upon  which  they  built,  and  of  which  the}'  still  re- 
tain ownership.  He  now  has  the  largest  grocery 
in  the  citj-,  building  it  up  from  first  principles  by 
his  own  exertions.  He  is  a  favorite  both  in  social 
and  business  circles,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, having  attained  to  the  Chapter  degree,  be- 
longs to  the  Independent*  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Royal  Arcanum.  In  the  latter  he  occu- 
pies the  |)osition  of  Treasurer. 

Mr.  Swiggart  was  for  a  time  A'ice  President  of 
the  Amalgamated  Association  of  Iron  and  Steel 
Workers  of  the  Fourth  District,  and  President  of 
the  Trade  and  Labor  Council,  but  thought  best  to 
resign  these  positions  upon  going  into  business. 
Mr.  Swiggart.  on  the  •23d  of  September,  1875,  w.as 
wedded  to  Miss  Isaphine  Crouch,  who  at  that 
time  was  a  resident  of  Thurman,  Iowa.  Mrs.  Swig- 
gart was  born  .January  21,  1851,  and  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Hiram  Crouch  and  wife,  who  are  now 
deceased.  The  young  couple  immediately  after 
their  wedding  came  to  Joliet,  of  which  they  have 
since  been  residents. 

John  .1.  Swiggart,  the  father  of  our  subject,  w-jis 
born  in  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  to  man's  estate 
and  married.  Thence  he  removed  to  INIissouri,  and 
from  there  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Hamburi;.  where 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  days. 


^^  EORGE  NAPOLEON  POMERO Y.  A  stroll 
l|[  (=-  through  the  prominent  streets  of  Joliet 
'''^^  reveals  the  fact  that  it  contains  many  busi- 
ness houses  of  fine  appearance,  well  stocked  with 
the  best  goods  and  evidently  the  centers  of  a  flour- 
ishinu;  trade.     Such  is   the  furniture  store  of  the 


firm  of  Rocky  &  Pomeroy,  which  was  established 
in  1887,  and  which  is  now  doing  a  business  of 
|i9.000  per  year.  The  careei-  of  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  h.as  been  marked  with  a  determina- 
tion and  persistence  that  could  scarcely  fail  to  win 
success.  While  working  for  others  he  was  faithful 
to  the  interests  of  his  employers,  and  in  serving 
others  he  learned  how  to  be  a  master.  His  busi- 
ness is  conducted  according  to  honorable  i)rinci- 
ples  of  square  dealing,  which,  combined  with  the 
courteous  treatment  received  by  the  patrons  of  the 
establishment,  redounds  to  his  credit  throughout 
the  community,  and  brings  custom. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  November  .5, 
1855,  and  his  birthplace  Bay  Citj',  Mich.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Charlotte  (.Sherman) 
Pomero}%  and  the  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade. 
He  was  originally  from  the  Green  .Mountain  .State. 
In  the  family  were  seven  children,  all  still  living 
but  William,  who  was  drowned  in  the  Saginaw 
River.  The  others  are :  Mrs.  Dr.  Nash;  C.  H..  of 
Bay  City,  Mich;  Mrs.  John  Jenkins,  of  Detroit; 
David  and  Daniel,  (twins),  the  one  living  in  De- 
troit and  the  other  farming  in  Shiawassee  Couirty, 
Mich.;  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  passed  his 
boyhood  upon  a  farm  near  Howell.  Mich.,  his 
fiither  being  at  that  time  the  keeper  of  a  tavern  at 
what  was  known  as  the  Three  Corners.  Pomeroy's 
Hotel  became  a  popular  and  well-known  place  of 
rendezvous  for  those  eng.aged  in  the  lumber  trade. 
The  family  removed  from  the  farm  to  Ann  Arlior, 
where  our  subject  attended  school  four  or  five 
3'ears.  When  the  father  died.  February  22.  1874, 
the  family  became  scattered  and  George  went  to 
Lansing,  doing  whatever  offered  in  the  w.ay  of 
work.  Subsequentl}-,  after  spending  a  short  time 
in  Grand  Rapids,  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  a 
time,  then  realizing  the  highest  ambition  of  his 
boyhood  by  entering  a  shop  as  a  clerk. 

After  eleven  months  of  this  work  Mr.  Pomeroy 
became  foreman  of  a  bakery  and  confectioneiy 
shop  in  Biiy  City,  which  he  left  to  take  a  position 
in  a  cracker  factor}-  that  had  been  purchased  by 
his  brother  C.  H.,  and  C.  C.  Whitney.  AVith  them 
he  remainc<l  three  years,  attending  to  the  shipping, 
buying,  and   similar  details  of   the    business.     In 


^"Sit, 


J^-C*-T'^<J2^<^>'yi- 


-2n^Q^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


325 


1884  he  was  called  to  .Toliet  by  a  telegram  announc- 
ing the  expected  death  of  his  mother.  His  first 
lahor  in  this  city  was  in  a  conservatory,  his  em- 
ployer lieiii,4'  A.  E.  Sparr.  He  next  entered  the 
emploj'  of  George  IMonroe  it  Son,  first  working  on 
a  building  they  were  erecting,  and  then  becoming 
assistant  shipping  clerk  for  the  firm.  He  next 
learned  the  upholstering  trade  of  E.  F.  Etmyre, 
for  whom  he  worked  nearly  a  3'ear,  leaving  him  to 
establish  a  business  of  his  own  in  Kankakee.  There 
he  remained  but  eighteen  months  ere  returning  to 
.loliet  to  continue  the  upholstering  business  here. 

In  Jliss  Jennie  Rocky.  Mr.  Pomeroy  found 
united  the  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  the  pleasing 
nitinners,  and  useful  accomplishments  which  won 
his  deep  regard  and  aroused  in  his  breast  the  desire 
tu  make  her  his  wife.  His  wooing  proved  success- 
ful, and  on  September  26,  1885,  the  young  couple 
ncre  united  in  marriage.  Mr.  Pomeroy  is  a  mem- 
bv'r  of  the  society  know  as  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  having  full  fellowship  in  that 
religious  organization. 


^-i^ 


!<- 


record  of  the  life  of  this  gentleman,  whose 
Ji  \v    portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page,  affords 

a  striking  illustration  of  the  results  of  force 
and  decision  of  purpose  in  a  man,  as  well  as  of  the 
power  which  an  energetic  and  honorable  character 
exercises  upon  the  lives  of  others.  From  boyhood 
he  has  unceasingly  applied  himself  to  the  gaining 
of  knowledge  and,  as  a  consequence,  is  highly  cul- 
tured and  wields  a  large  influence  both  from  the 
inilpit  and  with  the  pen.  Although  he  has  been  a 
resident  of  Loekport  only  about  ten  3'ears,  he  is 
nevertheless  inseparably  associated  with  the  most 
imiiortant  religious  enterprises  of  AVill  County  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Chicago  was  the  native  place  of  Father  McGovern 
and  there  he  was  born  March  25,  18.39.  He  spent 
his  boyhood  in  his  native  city,  being  among  the 
first  [Hipils  attending  the  Dearborn  public  school, 
on  M.adison  Street,  and  afterward  studying  classics 


in  the  University  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Lake.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  sent  to  Rome,  Italy, 
where  he  entered  the  Propaganda  College,  remain- 
ing there  ten  years,  graduating  with  high  honors 
and  earning  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  On 
his  return  to  Chicago  he  was  appointed  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  University  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Lake, 
and  Rector  of  the  Theological  Sen»inary  connected 
with  that  institution.  When  the  university  ceased 
to  exist  he  went  to  Fulton,  III.,  where  he  began  the 
career  of  upbuilding  for  which  he  has  since  become 
noted.  His  efforts  secured  the  erection  of  a  beauti- 
ful church  and  residence,  but  the  energetic  priest 
did  not  long  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labor  in  that 
city. 

The  next  location  of  Father  McGovern  was 
Bloomington,  111.,  where  the  large  church  building 
which  had  been  in  course  of  construction  was  de- 
molished by  a  cyclone  April  24,  1868.  He  took 
hold  of  affairs  with  the  characteristic  energy  which 
had  led  to  his  being  sent  to  this  field  of  labor,  and 
not  only  rebuilt  the  church  edifice,  but  also  erected 
a  residence  and  started  a  boys'  parochial  school 
which  has  since  become  an  educational  power  in 
that  cit3'.  When  the  new  See  of  Peoria  was  formed 
he  returned  to  his  native  diocese  and  took  charge 
of  the  church  in  Rock  Island,  111.,  filling  the  place 
of  the  Rev.  Joseph  P.  Roles,  who  went  on  a  trip 
to  the  Holy  Land.  While  occup^Mng  the  tempor- 
arj'  vacancy  he  was  instrumental  in  the  erection' of 
churches  at  Edgington  and  Preemption,  Mercer 
County. 

In  1875,  Father  McGovern  was  sent  to  Lake 
Forest,  Lake  County,  where  he  built  a  church  and 
parsonage  and  reorganized  the  parish,  so  that  on 
his  departure  to  another  field  of  labor  he  had  one 
of  the  most  flourishing  churches  in  the  diocese. 
Loekport  became  his  home  in  1880,  and  here  he 
has  again  founded  a  school  which  is  rapidly  gaining 
in  numerical  strength  and  reputation.  He  has  the 
second  largest  church  in  Will  County,  a  fine  parish 
residence  that  he  bought  for  the  church,  a  devoted 
people,  and  his  influence  is  unbounded. 

Rev.  Dr.  McGovern  is  a  man  of  deep  theological 
knowledge,  classical  information  and  literary  taste, 
and  has  pleasant  ways  which  gain  good  will  and 
prepossess   strangers   in    his   favor.     As  an  author 


326 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


he  has  gained  wide  repute,  the  chief  work  which  he 
has  written  being  the  life  of  Bishop  McMullen,  of 
Davenport.  Iowa,  which  ranks  high  among  bio- 
graphical writings,  tie  has  always  been  a  liberal 
contributor  to  the  public  and  Catliolic  press,  and 
many  to  whom  his  voice  is  unfamiliar  know  him 
well  through  his  writings. 


'>'Oog:-» 


i|i^)RANKLIN  P.  FREY.  Among  the  younger 
jLiii^'  business  men  of  Joliet,  honorable  mention 
ill)  shouhl  be  given  to  the    above-named   gen- 

tleman, who  has  been  identified  with  the  coal  busi- 
ness for  a  number  of  3-ears  and  who  has  been 
prospered  in  his  worldly  affairs  b}'  reason  of  his 
square  dealing,  excellent  judgment,  and  wise  man- 
agement. He  does  a  business  of  from  *8,000  to 
§10,000  a  year. 

The  Fre}'  family  is  traced  back  to  Switzerland 
whence  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  He  was  a 
tanner  by  trade.  To  him,  at  his  home  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  born  a  son,  J.  H.,  who  after  becoming 
a  man  turned  his  attention  to  mercantile  pursuits. 
J.  H.  Frey  married  Margaret  Hartong,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  in  an  early 
day  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Ohio.  In  1856, 
they  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  PlainOeld,  this 
county,  whence  they  removed  to  Joliet  in  1858. 
Mr.  Frey  had  kept  the  toll  gate  on  the  old  plank 
road,  prior  to  his  removal  to  this  cit}'.  To  this 
couple  nine  children  were  born,  their  record  being 
as  follows:  Mrs.  Fiannah  Peddicord  lives  in  West- 
ern Kansas;  Daniel  R.,  in  Dakota;  Samuel  M.  died 
in  Iowa  in  June,  1876;  Ouriasdied  at  Camp  Doug- 
las, 111.,  in  1863,  being  a  member  of  the  Sixty- 
fourth  Illinois  Infantry;  B3'ron  S.  lives  at  Lock- 
port;  Adam  died  in  infancy;  F.  P.  is  the  next  in 
order  of  birth;  Mrs.  Ilattie  M.  Mapps,  lives  in 
York,  Neb.;  Anna  still  remains  at  home. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
tills  sketch  was  born  in  Manchester,  Ohio.  Septem- 
l)er  29,  1852,  but  passed  his  boyhood  in  Joliet, 
h.iving  been  brought  thither  at    the   age  of  four 


years.  In  the  common  schools  he  received  a  good 
education  and  from  his  worthy  parents  the  moral 
teaching  and  habits  of  industry  which  have  been 
practiced  in  his  business  and  social  career.  He 
started  out  in  the  coal  trade  by  entering  the  em- 
ploj-  of  J.  Q.  A.  King,  for  whom  he  worked  by  the 
month  until  1874,  when  he  opened  an  office  for 
himself.  Since  that  date  he  has  continued  a 
scarcely  interrupted  business. 

The  first  Presidential  ballot  of  Mr.  Frey  was 
cast  for  U.  S.  Grant,  and  his  political  .allegiance  has 
ever  been  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  was 
nominated  for  Assistant  Supervisor  in  1890, 
ag.iinst  his  protest,  as  he  had  no  desire  to  enter 
public  life.  His  talents  are  made  available  in  so- 
cial and  religious  matters,  and  he  is  Financial  Sec- 
retary of  the  Patriotic  Order  of  Sons  of  America, 
and  Treasurer  of  Erwin  Council,  No.  1 10,  of  the  Na- 
tional Union.  He  is  also  Secretary  of  the  Presbj'- 
terian  Sunday-school,  a  position  he  has  held  eight 
years,  and  is  numbered  among  the  active  members 
of  the  church. 

The  ladj^  whom  Mr.  Fre^'  wooed  and  won  for  his 
wife,  was  in  her  girlhood  Miss  Minnie  M.  Hicks. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  S.  J.  Hicks  who  now  resides 
in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  is  an  estimable  lady  with 
cultured  mind,  useful  knowledge  and  i)leasing  man- 
ners. The  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebr.ated  JUI3'  31, 
1881,  and  four  bright  children  have  come  to  bless 
the  union.  They  are  named  respectfully — Qhester 
C,  Edna  M.,  Lulu  M.  and  Ella  Rue. 

iHOMAS  AY.  BROWN.  As  a  sagacious, 
practical,  industrious  farmer,  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  review  has  played  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  development  of  the  rich  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Plainfield  Township,  and  his 
well-ordered  farm,  with  itsneat  buildings  and  well- 
tilled  fields,  compare  favorablj-  with  the  finest  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  Brown,  though 
looking  after  his  agricultural  affairs  himself,  does 
not  occupy  his  farm  but  makes  his  home  in  the 
village,  where  a  few  j-ears  ago  he  purchased  a  fine 
residence,  which  is  built  in  a  modern  and    pretty 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


327 


stylo  of  areliitectiire,  and   is    well    and    taslcfully 
furnished. 

Our  stihject  was  born  in  Fifesliire,  Scotland, 
April  14,  1839.  His  father,  John  Brown,  is  thought 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Duinfrieshire,  his  fa- 
ther of  the  same  name,  being  also  a  native  of  Scot- 
l.ind,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  was  a  weaver  and 
followed  that  trade  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  agricultu- 
ral [(ursuits,  but  for  a  number  of  years  after  mar- 
riage, operated  a  stationary  engine  in  a  spinning 
fat  tory.  He  continued  to  reside  in  the  land  of  his 
birtli  until  1853,  when  with  his  wife  and  thirteen 
children  he  cnibarkec)  for  America  in  the  month  of 
August.  Landing  at  New  York  he  came  directly 
to  Chicago  and  after  a  short  .stay  there,  came  to 
Will  County,  and  settled  in  Wheatland  Township, 
where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  a  few  acres  of 
which  were  broken  and  some  small  buildings  were 
on  the  place.  lie  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
management  of  that  farm  until  hjs  life  was  brought 
lo  a  close  in  1885,  and  thus  passed  aw.ay  one  of  the 
wmthv  pioneers  of  the  county.  The  maiden  name 
of  ihc  mother  of  our  subject  was  Lumsdale.  She 
never  came  to  America  but  died  in  her  native 
Scotland,  in  1849.  The  father  married  a  second 
time.  His  wife  survives  him  and  still  resides  on 
the  ht>mestead  in  Wheatland  Township.  Mr.  Brown 
was  the  father  of  eight  children  b}'  his  first  mar- 
riage and  five  b}"  the  latter. 

The  son,  of  whom  we  write,  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  his  native  shire.  He  was 
fourteen  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  pa- 
rents to  America,  and  he  commenced  life  here  .as  a 
farm  lal)orer,  working  liy  the  month.  After  a  few 
years  he  returned  home  to  assist  his  father  in  the 
management  of  his  farm  and  remained  with  him 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  rented  land  in  Kendall 
Count}'.  So  well  was  he  prospered  that  in  1870.  he 
was  enabled  to  become  a  land-owner  himself,  pur- 
chasing in  that  j'car  sixty-two  acres  of  land  iu 
Plainfield  Township  and  a  few  years  later,  buying 
the  .seventy  acres  adjoining,  and  subsequently  be- 
coming the  possessor  of  fifty  acres  more,  so  that 
his  farm  now  contains  one  hundred  and  eighty- two 
acres  of  unsurpassing  fertility  whose  improvements 
are  of  the  best.     He  did  not,  however,  settle  on  his 


farm  but  lived  in  Kendall  County  until  1888,  when 
he  removed  to  I'laintield  to  his  present  fine  resi- 
dence. 

INIr.  Brown  has  been  twice  married.  In  1859, 
he  was  wedded  to  Marian  Vondervort,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Vandervort. 
The  following  four  children  were  born  of  that 
marriage:  Marian  Elizabeth,  Silas  A.,  Florence  E. 
and  Dilroy  M.  Our  subject's  second  marriage  oc- 
curred in  1879,  when  he  was  united  to  Miss  Han- 
nah M.  Smith,  a  native  of  Kickapoo,  111.  Her  fa- 
ther, Daniel  Smith,  was  born  in  Kent,  England, 
and  came  to  America  with  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren. He  resided  in  New  York  for  a  time  and 
then,  coming  to  Illinois,  was  a  pioneer  of  Peoria 
County.  About  1842,  he  came  to  Will  County 
and  bought  a  farm  in  Plainfield  Township,  on 
which  he  resided  until  his  mortal  career  was 
brought  to  a  close  in  18G3.  The  maiden  name  of 
his  wife  was  Mary  Bachelor.  She  was  born  in  Eng- 
land and  died  in  Plainfield. 

iSIr.  Brown  is  a  self-made  man  in  the  truest  sense 
of  the  word  ;  with  sound  understanding  developed 
bj'  intelligent  reading  and  careful  observation, 
a  stable  character  and  industrious  haliits,  he  is 
an  influence  for  good  in  this  community  with 
whose  social,  religious,  and  material  interest  he  is 
as.soeiated.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  by  their  conduct 
in  the  ever}'  day  affairs  of  life  show  themselves  to 
be  sincere  Christians.  A  citizen  of  public  spirit 
and  always  evincing  a  general  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  township  and  county,  our  subject  inter- 
ests himself  in  politics  and  is  a  devoted  follower  of 
the  Republican  party. 


'f  /  OHN  H.  OHLENDORF,  Ju.  The  late  John 
Ohlendorf  was  a  leading  farmer  of  Crete 
Township  and  quite  an  old  settler  therein. 
He  was  a  native  of  Hesse,  Germany,  born 
September  IG,  1827,  and  died  at  his  home  in  this 
township.  May  25,  1888.  He  was  the  oldest  of 
five  .sons  and  two  daughters  born  to  his  parents, 
and  yrew  to  man's  estate  in    his  native  land.     He 


328 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


received  a  goofl  practical  educaliou  in  the  Fallior- 
land,  whence,  in  1852,  he  canio  to  America  witli 
the  other  members  of  tlio  parental  family.  Sail- 
ing from  Bremerliaven  in  June,  they  spent  seven 
weeks  on  the  briny  deep,  finally  landing  in  New 
York  Cit}',  and,  as  a  united  family,  coming  west 
to  Chicago,  Til.  Soon  afterward  they  all  came  to 
to  this  countj'. 

John  Henry  Ohlendorf,  Sr.,  was  reared  to  farm 
pursuits  in  Ids  native  llesse,  and  was  also  a  local 
officer  there  for  some  3'ears.  He  married  a  Hessian 
lady,  Miss  Sophia  Senne.  When  they  ari'ived  in 
this  county,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  on  sections  34  and  35,  Crete  Town- 
ship, paying  ?*1,100  for  the  same.  It  was  mostly 
wild  land  at  the  time  of  purchase.  There  the 
parents  of  our  subject  lived  for  some  years,  when 
they  purchased  another  farm  and  gave  their  orig- 
inal estate  to  their  eldest  son.  They  subsequently 
gave  their  second  farm  to  their  second  son,  and  con- 
tinued this  process  until  all  their  sons  were  estab- 
lished in  good  homes,  when  they  made  their  home 
with  their  youngest  son,  August.  There  the 
father  died  July  9,  1882,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  His  widow  is  yet  living,  still 
making  her  home  with  her  son,  August.  She  is 
now  nearly  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  her  hus- 
band was  also  a  member,  and  like  his,  her  life  has 
been  characterized  by  industr3'  and  piet3^ 

Realizing  that  it  is  not  good  for  man  to  live 
alone,  he  of  whom  we  write  led  to  the  hymeneal 
altar  Miss  AVilhelmina  Arkenberg,  the  marriage 
rites  being  performed  at  the  home  of  the  bride  in 
this  township.  She  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of 
Hanover,  Germanj',  November  16,  1835,  and  is  the 
oldest  child  of  William  and  Dora  (Gisika)  Arken- 
berg. Her  father  was  a  shepherd  in  German}',  that 
having  been  the  avocation  of  the  family  for  several 
generations.  After  the  birth  of  their  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arkenberg  emigrated 
to  America,  sailing  from  Breraerhaven  to  New 
York.  They  came  at  once  to  Chicago  and  later  to 
this  county,  this  being  in  1853.  Mr.  Arkenberg 
purchased  a  farm  near  Goodenow,  Crete  Town- 
ship, making  of  it  an  estate  of  considerable  value. 
There  he  breathed  his   hist  in    1880,  at  the  age  of 


sevonty-two  years.  His  widow  dei)arted  this  life 
four  years  later  when  seventy-one  years  of  age. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  having  been  seventeen 
years  of  age  when  she  accomjianied  her  parents  to 
Ameri(^T,  received  the  greater  j)art  of  her  educa- 
tion in  her  native  clime.  With  the  devotion  of  a 
true  wife,  she  labored  hard  with  her  husband  to 
make  a  home  for  their  famil}',  proving  her  efficiency 
in  household  duties,  and  as  a  counselor  and  S}'m- 
pathizing  helpmate  wherever  woman's  work  is 
needed.  After  the  death  of  her  husband,  she  took 
up  her  residence  in  Crete,  where  she  is  still  living, 
with  her  youngest  child.  She  is  the  mother  of 
three  children — Henry  W.,  whose  biography  occu- 
pies a  page  in  this  volume;  Amelia,  wife  of  Henrj' 
Triebold,  their  home  being  on  a  farm  in  Crete 
Township;  and  Regina,  who  is  her  mother's  com- 
panion. She  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
to  which  her  children  also  belong,  and  with  which 
her  deceased  husband  was  identified.  The  life  of 
Mr.  Ohlendorf  was  one  of  persevering  industry, 
neighborl}'  kindness,  and  unassuming  devotion  to 
the  principles  in  which  he  believed,  and  his  death 
removed  from  the  township  a  citizen  whose  worth 
was  unquestioned.  Besides  leaving  a  good  home 
to  his  heirs,  he  left  to  them  that  best  of  all  inheri- 
tances, a  name  and  memory  which  can  be  thought 
upon  with  loving  reverence. 


..«v;f.>..#;*. 


^^EORGE  E.  SHAW,  one  of  the  most  pros- 
III  (— ,  perous  farmers  of  Plainfield,  has  been  a 
^^^  resident  of  this  township  for  more  than 
thirt}'  years,  and  has  been  closely  associated  with 
its  agricultural  development,  helping  to  make  AVill 
County  one  of  the  finest  farming  regions  in  the 
State,  and  during  this  time  he  has  acquired  a 
goodly  amount  of  property  and  has  placed  him- 
self among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Mr.  Shaw  is  a  native  of  EJizabethtown,  N.  J., 
born  February  2.  1815,  a  son  of  Elijah  Shaw, 
who   is  thouirht  to  have  been  born  in  New   York 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  aLSUM. 


329 


State.  The  latter  learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper 
and  followed  that  falling  in  Columbia  and  ])iit('liess 
Counties.  At  his  death,  in  1822,  in  the  town  of 
Milan,  a  useful  and  honorable  life  was  brought 
to  a  close.  The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of 
our  subject  was  Catherine  Althouse.  .She  is  thought 
to  have  been  born  in  Dutchess  County  and  spent 
her  last  years  with  a  daughter  in  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.  There  were  seven  children  born 
to  the  parents  of  our  subject  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing six  were  reared:  Mary,  Jane,  George  E., 
Elijah,  l'h(i'l>e  and  Helen.  The  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  married  a  second  time, 
becoming  the  wife  of  George  Shaffer  and  they 
reared  one  daughter,  Louisa. 

Our  subject  was  but  seven  years  old  when  he 
IkkI  tiie  misfortune  to  lose  his  father  and  one  year 
later  he  went  to  live  with  a  farmer,  Philip  I. 
Zinlc.  He  was  bred  to  agricultural  pursuits,  re- 
ceiving in  return  for  his  services  his  board  and 
clothes.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  started  out 
for  himself,  witii  empty  pockets  and  in  debt  for  the 
cloth  to  make  the  suit  of  clothes  that  he  wore.  A 
young  mail  of  his  willingness  and  capability  to 
work  found  but  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  situ- 
ation, and  he  was  soon  engaged  on  a  farm  in 
Dutchess  County,  his  wages  being  $12  per  month 
for  eight  months  in  tiie  j'car,  and  during  the  win- 
ter season  he  was  obliged  t(j  work  for  $8  per 
moutli.  He  labored  ver}-  hard  and  prudently 
saved  his  earnings,  and  the  following  spring  in- 
vested a  part  of  them  in  a  tract  of  three  hundred 
acrc^s  of  wild  timber  land  in  Cochecton,  Sulli- 
van Count3',  in  part  payment  for  it  giving  eight 
months  more  work.  He  did  not  locate  on  his  pur- 
chase at  that  time  but  continued  working  for  a 
few  years,  until  he  was  enabled  to  buy  two  hun- 
dred acres  adjoining  it,  and  after  marriage  he 
bought  a  house  and  three  acres  of  land  in  Stan- 
ford, Dutchess  County.  The  following  year  (1847) 
ho  sold  that  place  and  went  to  Sullivan  County 
intending  to  settle  on  his  land  there,  but  before 
l)uilding,  he  embraced  a  fine  opporlunitj-  to  sell  a 
part  of  his  land  for  an  improved  farm  in  the 
town  of  Bethel,  the  same  county,  and  two  years 
after  that  he  bought  the  remainder  of  the  first 
tract  he  had  previously  purchased.     Hearing  much 


of  the  wonderful  fertilitjr  of  the  soil  of  the  Prai- 
rie State  and  the  various  other  advantages  offered 
to  the  practical,  wide-awake  farmer,  he  determined 
to  try  life  hero,  and  selling  his  farm  in  New  York, 
he  came  to  this  .State  and  two  years  later  pur- 
chased the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  Eighty 
acres  of  this  is  located  on  a  part  of  section  35, 
and  he  has  besides  another  eighty-acre  tract  on 
the  same  section,  and  eleven  and  one-half  acres 
of  valuable  timber  land  on  section  27.  In  the 
years  of  hard  labor  that  followed  his  settlement 
here  Mr.  Shaw  devoted  himself  assiduously  to 
the  work  of  his  farm,  and  has  brought  about  a 
great  change  in  everj'  respect,  erecting  roomy, 
convenient  buildings,  suitable  for  ever^^  purpose, 
cultivating  the  land  after  the  best  methods  and 
providing  himself  with  the  best  machinery,  so 
that  his  place  may  be  regarded  as  a  model  in  its 
way. 

Mr.  Shaw  has  been  married  three  times.  His 
first  wife,  to  whom  he  was  united  in  1844,  was 
Catherine  E.  Schoonover.  She  was  a  native  of 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,and  a  daughter  of  Richard 
and  Ann  Schoonover.  Her  death,  October  31, 
18o0,  deprived  him  of  a  good  wife.  He  was  next 
married,  September  11,  1851,  to  Mary  A.  C'olsen, 
a  native  of  Ireland  and  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Ann  Colsen.  After  a  pleasant  wedded  life  of 
nearly  thirteen  years  he  was  deprived  of  lier  assist- 
ance by  death  July  10,  1864.  To  them  had  been 
born  three  children,  namely':  William  E.,  George 
H.  and  Lewis.  William  married  Martha, KQonelly, 
and  has  three  children — Ella,  Margaret  and  Lester; 
George  H.  married  Estella  O'Strander  and  has  one 
child,  Ethel. 

The  marriage  of  our  sultjcct  to  his  |)rcscnt  wife 
was  solemnized  May  10,1809,  her  maiden  name  was 
Anna  Coon,  and  she  was  born  in  Milan,  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.  Her  father,  Philip  A.  Coon,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  born  in  Columbia  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  his  father,  John  Coon,  was  a  farmer 
and  died  in  Johnstown,  Montgomery  County,  N.Y. 
Mrs.  Shaw's  father  was  also  a  farmer  and  at  one 
time  owned  a  farm  in  Milan.  He  came  to  Illinois 
with  Mrs.  Shaw  and  died  at  her  homo  in  1871. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Hannah  Link, 
and  she  was  a  native  of  Milan.     Her  father,  John 


330 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Link,  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  there,  and  to 
have  been  a  descendant  of  German  ancestry.  lie 
carried  on  farmin;^  in  tliat  town  until  liis  death. 
Mrs.  .Shaw's  niotlicr  died   in  Milan  about  1858. 

Mr.  Shaw  is  a  sturdy  representative  of  our  self- 
made  men,  as,  beginning  life  in  povert}',  he  lias 
Worked  his  waj-  up  to  a  position  of  comparative 
wealth  all  through  his  own  efforts,  he  having  been 
well  equipped  for  the  struggle  with  energy,  deter- 
mination, and  a  good  capacity  for  skillful  labor, 
besides  being  a  man  of  steady  habits,  thorough 
conscientiousness  and  unswerving  integrity.  He 
and  his  wife  are  sincere  religious  i)eople,  and  the 
Congregational  C'hurch  finds  in  them  two  of  its 
most  faithful  members.  He  was  a  Whig  in  former 
days,  but  since  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
l)arty  has  been  one  of  its  most  consistent  suj)- 
porters. 


ETER    P.    ADLER.     This    gentleman    is 
numbered    among   the  prominent  citizens 

Tof  .loliet,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
business  for  a  number  of  years,  manifest- 
ing a  degree  of  abilit}'  and  enterprise  that  has 
given  him  a  high  standing  in  business  circles  and 
wins  for  liim  a  flourishing  trade.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Adler  Brothers,  stock  dealers  and 
shippers,  and  wholesale  and  retail  de.ilers  in  meats. 
Their  market  is  situated  at  No.  1 1 2  Exchange 
Street,  in  the  National  Block;  and  their  business 
of  shipping  stock  to  the  East  necessitates  the  buy- 
ing by  wholesale  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  various 
other  points  in  the  West. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  owns  considerable 
land  in  the  township  and  has  charge  of  the  estate, 
whereon  horses,  mules,  cattle,  and  hogs  are  raised 
in  considerable  numbers.  He  iS  known  as  a  gen- 
eral farmer  in  a  large  waj',  while  he  has  also  at- 
tended to  the  shipping  of  the  stock  of  the  firm, 
simply  overseeing  the  business. 

Mr.  Adler  was  born  in  Joliet  Township,  this 
county,  ()ctol>er  8,  1842,  being  a  son  of  Michael 
Adler,  whose  history  will  be  found  in  the  sketch 
of  .Incob  Adler  on  another  page  of  this  Albdm. 
He  grew  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years  on  the  farm. 


after  which  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  in 
the  cit3'  of  Joliet-.  After  mastering  his  trade,  he 
eng.aged  in  the  clothing  business,  continuing  in  it 
several  years,  but  in  18G8  beginning  the  meat  busi- 
ness. He  bought  with  his  brother  Jacob,  having 
charge  of  the  market,  and  since  they  extended 
their  business  to  include  the  buying  and  shipiiing 
of  stock,  he  has  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  or  in  various  parts  of  the  State  of  Kan- 
sas, interested  with  his  brother-in-law,  F.  G.  Kap- 
ple.  He  has  an  interest  in  the  building  in  which 
the  market  is  carried  on. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Adler  took  place  at  the 
bride's  home,  in  Joliet,  in  1865.  She  was  born  in 
Ohio,  in  1844,  to  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Flick  and 
was  christened  INIary  A.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  Alsace,  when  it  was  a  dej^artment  of  France, 
and  her  mother  was  born  in  I'ennsylvania,  her 
maiden  name  having  been  Seuter.  The  family 
came  to  this  county  in  1833,  and  Mr.  Flick  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business  in  the  same  house  the 
family  now  occupies.  He  died  in  1873,  leaving  a 
widow  and  four  daughters,  three  of  whom  now 
survive,  two  being  at  home. 

To  Mr.  Adler  and  his  estimable  wife  six  children 
have  been  born,  three  of  whom  are  living.  They 
are  named  respectively:  Angeline,  Lizzie  and  Peter 
M.  J.  The  parents  belong  to  St.  John's  Catholic 
Church  and  stand  well  in  the  esteem  of  their  ac- 
quaintances, their  characters  and  intelligence  ren- 
dering them  useful  and  agreeable  members  of 
society. 


eHARLES  C.  MoCLAUGHRY,  A.  B.  This 
young  gentleman,  who  is  now  filling  the 
position  of  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Illinois 
State  Penitentiary',  at  Joliet,  is  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  ability  and  strength  and  nobility  of 
character.  He  was  the  recipient  of  excellent  ad- 
vantages during  his  boyhood  and  youth,  made  a 
good  use  of  them,  and  possesses  a  mind  well 
stored  with  useful  knowledge  and  capable  of  grasp- 
ing with  firmness  and  with  acute  perception,  sub- 
jects brought  before  him  for  consideration.    With 


PORTRAIT  AND  HIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


331 


this,  lie  has  firm  principles  and  agreeable,  courte- 
ous manners. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  biographical  notice 
was  born  at  Carthage,  Hancock  Countj',  April  7, 
1863,  while  his  father  was  in  the  army.  When 
eleven  years  old  he  came  to  Joliet  with  his  parents, 
finishing  his  education  at  Knox  College  and  being 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in 
the  class  of  '85.  Pie  then  entered  the  machine 
shops  of  the  Illinois  Steel  Company  in  order 
to  acquire  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  which  he 
completed  in  that  establishment.  He  was  after- 
ward connected  with  the  firm  of  E.  R.  Brainard 
&  Co.,  in  their  machine  department  in  the  peniten- 
ti-jr^',  leaving  their  employ  November  1,  1889,  at 
which  time  he  was  appointed  chief  engineer  of  the 
prison.  He  is  a  meml)er  of  the  Lincoln  Club,  an 
organization  of  j'oung  Republicans,  and  belongs  to 
the  Central  Presbyterian  Church. 

At  the  residence  of  W.  C.  Deramond,  of  this 
city,  June  28,  1888,  the  marriage  ceremony  was 
performed  which  united  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  Miss  Helen  A.,  daughter  of  the  host.  The 
bride  was  born  in  this  city,  which  has  ever  been  her 
home,  and  where  she  has  made  many  friends  by  her 
genial  manners,  intelligence  and  estimable  charac- 
ter. To  her  and  her  husband  one  child  has  been 
born,  who  bears  the  name  of  Helen  B. 

Maj.  Robert  W.  McClaiighiy,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  Warden  of  tlic  penitentiary  in  Joliet 
for  fifteen  years.  He  w.-is  born  in  Fountain  Green, 
Hancock  County,  July  22,  1839,  and  remained  at 
liqine  on  a  farm  until  ISfiG.  He  then  entered  Mon- 
mouth College,  being  graduated  in  1860,  and  re- 
maining in  the  institution  one  year  as  Professor  of 
Latin.  Returning  to  Hancock  County  in  1861, 
he  settled  at  Carthage  and  became  editor  of  the 
Carthage  Republican.  In  response  to  President 
Lincoln's  call  for  three  hundred  tliousand  men,  he 
enlisted,  in  August,  1862,  as  a  private  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was 
chosen  Captain  of  Company  B,  and  in  November 
following  was  elected  Major  of  the  regiment.  He 
participated  in  all  the  campaigns  in  the  Gulf  de- 
partment, which  resulted  in  the  caiiture  of  Vicks- 
burg,  and  in  all  those  in  Western  Louisiana  until 
June,  1864,  when    he  was  transferred   to  the   pay 


department  as  Paymaster  and  assigned  to  duty  at 
Springfield,  111.  He  remained  there  until  October, 
1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service. 

Having  been  elected  Clerk  of  Hancock  County, 
Maj.  McClanghry  at  once  assumed  the  duties  of 
that  office,  which  he  held  until  1869.  During  the 
next  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  stone  quarry 
business  in  Sonora  and  furnished  stone  for  the  rail- 
road bridge  over  the  Mississii)pi  at  Keokuk,and  also 
for  tlie  Government  canal  at  the  same  place,  and 
for  the  foundations  of  the  new  State  Cajjitol  at 
Springfield.  In  1871  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to 
take  charge  of  the  St.  Genevieve  quarries,  but  the 
following  year,  his  health  failing,  he  returned  to 
Monmouth,  111.,  and  entered  the  office  of  Judge 
Glenn,  to  attend  to  a  portion  of  his  business.  There 
he  remained  until  August  1,  1874,  when  he  was 
api)ointed  Warden  of  the  penitentiar3'  of  this 
place.  He  was  married,  in  1862,  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Madden,  of  Monmouth,  and  has  five  children 
living. 

— ^^m — - 

ICHOLS  D.  DYER.  The  flourishing  city 
of  Joliet  contains  manj'  business  houses  in 
whose  management  great  tact  is  displayed, 
and  in  which  a  trade  is  carried  on  that  gives  circu- 
lation to  thousands  of  dollars  per  annum.  One  of 
these  flourishing  establishments  is  that  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  dealer  in  dry-goods. 

Fifteen  years  after  the  Pilgrims  of  the  "May- 
flower" had  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock,  the  first 
record  of  William  and  Mary  Dyer,  who  were  first 
cousins,  is  found  in  Boston.  Like  many  others  in 
that  da}'  they  had  left  the  refinements  of  an  Eng- 
lish home,  to  brave  the  discomforts  of  the  Western 
wilderness  in  order  to  enjoy  the  blessing  of  relig- 
ious liberty.  William  Dyer  was  led  by  the  elo- 
quence of  Roger  Williams  to  espouse  the  cause  of 
the  Baptists,  whereupon  he  was  disfr.anchised  and 
like  many  others  compelled  to  leave  the  colony. 
His  wife  walked  out  of  a  meeting  of  Puritans  in 
company  with  Mrs.  Hutchinson.  The  banished 
Dyers  bouglit  the  little  isle — Rhode — Island — then 
called  Aquidunk  or  Isle  of  Peace.  Of  the  new 
colony  who  settled  "Little  Rhody,"  William  Dyer 


332 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  selected  as  Clerk,  subsequently  becoming  Re- 
corder, Clerk  of  the  Assembly  and  Attoney-Gen- 
eral.  His  wife  still  adhered  to  the  C^uaker  belief 
aUliough  ojiposed  to  the  spirit  of  intolerance 
characterising  that  body,  and  especially,  the  un- 
just law  of  banishment.  Restless  under  it  and 
firmly  believing  she  had  a  mission  to  perform,  she 
returned  to  Massachusetts  to  secure  a  reformation. 
In  this  she  failed,  and  was  therefore  a  martyr  to 
her  religious  belief,  and  was  brought  to  the  gallows 
for  execution  as  one  sowing  the  seeds  of  sedition, 
by  direction  of  Gov.  Endicott.  Through  the  inter- 
vention of  a  son  she  was  spared,  only  to  again  re- 
turn to  the  same  mission  and  become  a  martyr  to 
her  faith.  Quite  a  number  of  the  progeny-  of  these 
Puritans  have  become  noted  in  American  history-. 
>«.  1).  Dyer,  of  whom  we  write,  is  one  of  the  lineal 
descendants. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  born 
in  Lexington.  Ohio,  January  14.  1841.  He  is  the 
eighth  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and  four  d.iughlers, 
born  to  Daniel  II.  and  Phila  (Beaverstock )  Dyer, 
natives  of  Vermont.  nni1  is  the  only  survi\  or  ex- 
cept his  sister.  Mrs.  Pldhi  .M.  Watson,  of  Iowa  City, 
Iowa.  Until  tliirieen  years  of  age  he  was  with  his 
])arcnts  in  his  native  village,  after  which  he  accom- 
panied them  to  Callaway  County.  Mo.,  where  his 
father  followed  farming.  The  lad  was  educated  in 
llie  common  schools  and,  his  father  having  lost  his 
Mi.'^souri  property,  in  his  youth  began  working  by 
the  month  in  Iowa.  He  continued  his  labors  on  a 
f.arm  there  until  the  winter  of  1860,  when  he  taught 
school  near  Plainfleld.  111.  In  1862,  he  entered  the 
Commissary  Department  of  the  army  at  Pilot 
Knob,  Mo.,  under  his  uncle,  Col.  George  Dyer. 

Six  months  later  young  Dyer  went  to  Farming- 
ton,  Mo.,  and  raised  a  company  of  Union  refugees, 
whom  he  accompanied  to  St.  Louis,  joining  Frank 
P.  Blair's  brigade  as  a  Second  Lieutenant.  They 
were  sent  to  join  .Sherman,  and  toi)k  i^art  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  where  the  Union 
forces  were  sadly  defeated.  The\'  then  went  to 
Arkansas  Post,  where  the  tide  turned  and  thej- 
captured  all  the  artillery.  After  wintering  at  Mil- 
liken's  Bend,  where  a  [lortion  of  their  time  was 
spent  in  digging  the  canal  in  the  vain  endeavor  to 
make  the  Mississippi  run  up  hill,  tliev  were  sent  to 


Vicksburg  and  bore  an  active  part  in  the  siege  of 
that  city.  There  Mr.  Dyer  acted  as  Captain.  Prior 
to  this  he  h.ad  been  made  an  aide  on  Gen.  Carr's 
staff,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant,  but  had  declinerl 
the  appointment  because  the  boys  had  insisted  that 
as  he  had  started  out  with  them  he  should  remain 
in  their  company.  The  next  prominent  point  at 
which  the  young  soldier  w.as  found  was  Jackson, 
Miss.,  after  the  capture  of  which  he  took  part  in 
other  conflicts,  among  them  being  the  noted  engage- 
ment at  Lookout  Mountain,  where  many  of  our 
brave  boys  fought  above  the  clouds.  Following 
this  came  the  battles  at  Ringgold.  Dallas,  Peach 
Tree  Creek  and  Big  Shanty.  Breaking  down  in 
health  while  en  route  to  Atlanta,  Captain  Dyer  was 
discharged  September  4,  18{)4,  on  a  surgeon's  cer- 
tificate of  disability. 

The  succeeding  two  years  were  spent  by  Mr. 
Dyer  in  recovering  his  health,  and  he  then  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  in  Chicago,  continuing  it 
a  year.  He  then  went  to  Iowa,  where  in  the  town 
of  Atalissa,  .September  12.  1867,  lie  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  M..  daughter  of 
Tliomas  Lewis.  The  same  year  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  received  tlie  aiipoinlment  of 
Deputj'  City  Collector,  the  place  being  secured  for 
liira  by  Gov.  Fletcher,  and  held  a  little  over  a 
year.  On  account  of  his  wife's  health  they  re- 
turned to  Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  until  1875,  at  which  time  he 
removed  to  Joliet.  His  wife  was  removed  bv  death 
June  29.  1870-.  leaving  one  child,  George  L.,  who 
is  now  with  hisfatlier.  Since  coming  to  Joliet  Mr. 
I)\er  has  followed  the  dry-goods  business. 

On  May  6,  1873.  Mr.  Dyer  contracted  a  second 
matrimonial  alliance,  taking  for  his  companion 
Miss  Juliette  Hardy,  with  whom  he  lived  happily 
until  December  27,  1876,  when  she  breathed  her 
last.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Otis  Hardy,  of  Joliet. 
The  union  was  blessed  by  tlie  birth  of  one  child, 
Florence  J.  On  April  10.  1878,  Mr.  Dver  was 
again  married,  his  bride  being  Miss  Amelia  A. 
Hard}-,  who  has  borne  him  two  cliildren,  now  liv- 
ing— Emma  Phila  and  Marion  A. 

The  first  Presidential  ballot  of  Mr.  Dyer  was 
cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  his  allegiance  has 
has  always  been  given  to  the  Republican  party.   In 


t4^-2^T/^//^lj(L^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BJOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


335 


the  infancy  of  that  political  organization  his  father 
and  brotliers  desired  to  vote  for  Gen.  Fremont, 
but  dare  not  do  so  in  the  section  of  jNIissouri  in 
which  they  lived.  Mr.  Dyer  belongs  to  the  Grand 
Ami}'  of  the  Kepuhlic. 


-m= 


ATRICK  W.DUNNE,Pastorof  St.  Patrick's 
Church  in  Joliet,  although  comparatively' 
young  holds  a  liigh  position  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Catholic  [iriesthood  as  one  who  is  do- 
ing i!;uch  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  cliurch  in 
various  ways.  To  liim  are  due  the  great  improve- 
ments around  the  edifice  in  which  his  charge 
meets.  Personally  he  is  a  genial,  whole-souled 
man,  very  comiianionable,  and  not  only  dearly 
loved  by  his  people  but  highly  respected  by  the 
community  in  general  for  his  good  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart.  His  intellect  has  been  thoroughly 
cultured  and  his  mind  is  stored  with  learning.  In 
charitable  work  he  is  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping 
hiind  and  the  members  of  his  own  charge  are 
lroale<l  with  the  greatest  consideration  regarding 
their  physical  needs,  as  well  as  the  wants  of  their 
souls. 

Father  Dunne  is  of  mixed  ancestry,  his  father, 
Fdwanl  Dunne,  having  been  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  his  mother,  Mary  Finn,  of  Prince  Edward  Is 
laud.  Edward  Dunne  came  to  Prince  Edward  Is- 
land in  18iy,  and  1851  went  to  Watertown,  Wis., 
where  "he  built  the  first  church  and  first  Ijridge  in 
that  place,  the  latter  being  over  the  Rock  Rivei'. 
lie  bad  been  reared  to  carpentering,  his  six  broth- 
ers following  the  same  trade  or  combining  it  with 
ship-carpentering.  The  seven  Dunne  brothers 
came  to  America,  and  two — WiUiam  and  Patrick — 
are  now  living  in  Chicago.  The  youngest  brother, 
Dennis,  was  a  man  of  wide  reputation  and  high 
character,  who  became  Vicar  General  of  the  Chi- 
cago Diocese.  He  departed  his  life  in  18G8.  The 
father  of  our  subject  died  in  Joliet,  July  2,  1888. 
His  last  work  was  remodeling  St.  Patrick's  Church, 
for  which  he  had  drawn  all  the  plans  and  specifica- 
tions and  which  he  personally  superintended.  His 
widow  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  Chicago, 


where  a  numljer  of  her  children  reside.  To  Edward 
and  Mary  Dunne  nine  d-uighters  and  six  sons  were 
born,  ten  of  the  number  being  yet  alive.  These 
all  live  in  Chicago  except  Patrick  and  his  sister 
Catherine  who  is  with  him  in  Joliet. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Water- 
town,  Wis.,  March  4,  1852.  His  education  was 
begun  in  the  College  of  the  Christian  Brothers  in 
Chicago.  In  the  spring  of  18G8,  he  entered  St. 
Charles  College,  at  Ellicott  City,  Md.,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  1874.  Owing  to 
sickness  his  studies  were  abandoned  for  a  jear,  af- 
ter which  he  renewed  them  in  St.  Mary's  Seminary 
at  Baltimore.  In  that  institution  he  remained  four 
and  a  half  years,  completing  the  line  of  studies 
which  fitted  him  to  enter  the  priestliood.  On  De- 
cember 22,  187'.),  he  was  ordained  and  sent  to  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  Chicago,  where  he  arriveil  two 
days  later,  celebrating  his  first  mass  at  midnight  of 
that  same  day.  Father  Dunne  became  the  Assis- 
tant Pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church  in  .Joliet,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1880,  retaining  that  position  until 
January  29,  1886,  when  he  was  aijpointed  to  that 
which  he  now  fills.  Here  he  became  the  successor 
of  Father  Walter  Power,  who  died  Januar}'  27, 
and  whose  pastorate  had  extended  through  seven- 
teen j'ears. 

In  1889,  the  Golden  Jubilee  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church  was  celebrated,  the  event  being  the  grand- 
est that  Joliet  had  ever  seen  in  connection  with 
Catholic  church  work.  The  occasion  was  one  that 
will  long  be  remembered,  not  only  by  those  who 
adlierc  to  the  Catholic  faith  Init  b}-  all  who  wit- 
nessed it.  The  Pontifical  High  Mass  was  celebrated 
by  Bishop  Burke,  of  Cheyenne,  and  Arch-bishop 
Riordan,  of  San  Francisco,  the  latter  a  cousin  of 
Father  Dunne,  delivered  the  sermon. 

A  lithographic  portrait  of  Father  Dunne  appears 
in  connection  with  his  biographical  sketch. 

'^ypS^'REDERICK  HASEMAN.  Among  the  young 

IMffv.  farmers  of  the  county  a  high  place  is  meri- 

/l^,  ted    by   the  gentleman  above  named,  who 

successfully  operates  a  tract  of  land  in  Washington 


336 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Township.  This  estate  ccmprises  two  hundred 
acres  of  excellent  land  under  careful  and  intelli- 
gent tillage,  and  has  been  the  home  of  our  subject 
from  his  infancy.  For  six  years  he  lias  been  the 
owner  of  the  farm  that  was  purchased  b^'  his  father 
in  a  raw  state,  and  by  him  and  his  sons  brought  to 
a  fine  condition  of  improvement  and  cultivation. 
The  work  begun  by  the  parent  is  ably  continued 
by  the  son,  who  is  intelligent,  industrious  and 
thrifty.  He  was  born  near  Eagle  Lake,  in  this 
township,  August  12,  1862,  and  is  the  youngest 
child  of  his  parents  and  the  only  one  born  in  Amer- 
ica, lie  was  but  a  year  old  when  he  came  to  his 
present  home,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  was 
educated  and  began  his  own  career. 

The  father  of  our  subject  is  John  Ilaseman,  who 
was  born  in  Shambourg,  Leipsic,  Germany,  Janu- 
ary 25,  1814.  lie  married  the  daughter  of  a  neigh- 
boring family — Miss  Mary  Pauls — who  like  him- 
self had  been  reared  under  the  care  of  excellent 
parents.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Haseman  lived  on  a  farm  in  the  Fatherland  until 
after  the  birth  of  seven  children.  They  then  set 
sail  for  America,  leaving  Bremerhaven,  ]\Iay  1, 
1860,  and  landing  in  New  York  City  twenty-three 
days  later.  'I'he  family  came  to  Chicago,  III.,  and 
thence  to  Eagle  Lake,  tliis  county,  where  they 
rented  a  farm,  upon  which  the}'  lived  for  three 
years,  and  where  our  subject  first  saw  the  light  of 
day. 

In  1863  the  father  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  on  section  8,  Washington  Township, 
the  next  year  adding  an  eighty-acre  tract  adjoin, 
ing.  Upon  tliis  he  put  up  good  buildings,  reclaim- 
ing the  land  from  its  primitive  state  and  making  a 
comfortable  home  in  which  to  spend  his  declining 
years.  He  is  still  living,  making  his  home  with 
our  subject,  and  Is  smart  and  active  for  one  of  his 
years.  He  lost  his  companion  in  March,  1881,  she 
being  then  sixty  years  old.  She  was  a  lifelong 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  conscien- 
tiously endeavored  to  fulfil  the  duties  which  de- 
volved upon  her  as  wife,  mother  and  member  of 
society.  Her  husband  belongs  to  the  same  church, 
and  he  too  has  endeavored  to  act  well  his  part  in 
life. 

Of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs,  John  Hase 


man  we  note  the  following:  Anna  married  Henry 
Walker,  and  died  at  the  birth  of  her  first  child; 
Henry  married  Sophia  Meyer,  and  died  leaving 
four  children;  Carolina  became  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Meyer,  and  died  leaving  four  children;  John, 
Jr.,  who  is  now  living  on  a  farm  in  Will  Township, 
this  county,  married  Louisa  Winsenburg;  Engel  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Lange,  a  farmer  iu  Washington 
Township;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  William  Voltner, 
and  the}'  occupy  a  farm  in  Lake  County,  Ind.; 
Sophia  married  George  Apking,  who  is  a  farmer 
in  Crete  Township  this  county;  Fred  is  the  young- 
est sou  and  child. 

The  latter  married  Mary  Tluiriier,  who  was  born 
in  Eagle  Lake  Village,  December  18,  1862.  She 
received  a  good  education,  and  acquired  an  excel- 
lent knowledge  of  the  domestic  arts  and  the  kindly 
offices  in  which  womanhood  excels.  Siie  is  tiie 
mother  of  four  childien,  namelj':  Lena,  Alvina, 
Alljcrt  and  Authy.  She  and  her  husband  belong 
to  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Haseman,  of  this 
notice,  is  a  sound  Republican,  as  are  his  father  and 
brothers. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
John  O.  and  Eugel  (Nieders)  Haseman,  who  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  Germany.  They  were  consis- 
tent members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  The  hus- 
band was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  followed  that 
occupation  from  his  youth  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  about  sixty-three  years  of 
age. 


^ ^-^-^- 


/OHN  FAHRNER,  M.D.,  a  rising  young 
ph^'sician  and  surgeon  of  Joliet,  obtained 
his  medical  education  in  Chicago,  111.,  in 
the  Bennett  Medical  College,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1882.  Immediately  afterward 
he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Joliet,  where  he  is  rapidly  building  up  an  extensive 
business.  He  obtained  likewise -an  excellent  liter- 
ary and  classical  education,  with  the  Benedictines 
of  Chicago.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Eclec- 
tic Medical  Society.  Close  application  to  his 
studies  while  he  had  the  opportunity,  made  him 
thoroughly  acijuainled  with  tiie  duties  of  his  chosen 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


337 


calling,  while  he  keeps  himself  posted  upon  the 
inetlioils  which  are  constantly  being  brought  to  the 
iitteiition  of  the  profession. 

])r.  Fahrner  was  born  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  ill  the  town  of  Marienbad,  Austria,  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1854,  and  is  the  son  of  Dr.  A'alentine  and 
Mary  Ann  (Tauber)  Fahrner,  who  were  of  German 
birth  and  ancestry.  Valentine  Fahrner,  also  a 
[iracticiiig  physician  of  good  repute,  followed  his 
profession  in  his  native  land  several  years,  then 
came  to  America,  in  18.54,  locating  first  in  Chicago. 
He  followed  his  profession  there  until  18G8,  then 
returned  to  his  native  land.  Finally  he  came  back 
to  America  and  located  at  Mokena,  111.,  where  he 
sojourned  two  years.  In  1871  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Joliet,  and  followed  bis  practice  in  this 
city  until  his  death,  July  7,  1879.  The  wife  and 
mother  had  preceded  her  husband  to  the  silent 
land,  her  death  occurring  May  28,  1873.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children  only — our  sub- 
ject and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Lehuer,  of  this  county; 
Anna  died  aged  twelve  years. 

Dr.  Fahrner  was  married  December  28,  187.5,  in 
.loliet,  to  Miss  JMagdalena  Kachelhoffer.  Mrs. 
Fahrner  was  born  in  Joliet,  and  by  her  union  with 
our  subject  there  have  been  born  seven  children, 
viz.:  John,  Pius,  Angela,  Walter,  Alphonse,  Char- 
lotte and  Frederick.  Their  home  is  at  No.  609  North 
Nicholson  Street.  Dr.  Fahrner  has  his  otlice  at 
No.  200  North  Center  Street. 

Politically,  the  Doctor  is  a  sterling  Democrat, 
and  h"fe  and  his  family  are  members  of  St.  John's 
Catholic  Church. 


^  UDGE  SOLOMON  SIMMONS.  No  citizen 
of  Plainfleld  has  read  more  extensively, 
thought  more  deeply,  or  is  better  posted 
than  the  gentleman  above  named.  His  judg- 
ment is  keen,  and  after  ouce  arriving  at  a  conclu- 
sion he  is  very  positive,  and  only  serious  thought 
and  study  of  pros  and  cons  will  change  his  ideas. 
Frank  and  open-hearted,  all  know  the  meaning  of 
his  words  and  actions  and  respect  him  accordingly. 
He  is  liberal  in  his  religious  belief,  has  never  even 


touched  tobacco  with  his  fingers  and  has  always 
been  an  ardent  advocate  of  temperance  and  a  be- 
liever in  prohibition,  although  not  a  third  party 
man. 

Judge  Simmons  was  born  in  Claverick.  Colum- 
bia County,  N.  Y.,  March  18,  1812,  and  is  a  son  of 
Solomon  and  Rebecca  (Murray)  Simmons.  The 
father  was  born  in  Germany,  January  31,  1762, 
and  was  one  of  nine  sons  and  daughters  born  to 
William  Simmons  and  his  wife.  The  grandparents 
of  our  subject  came  to  America  about  the  time  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  the  grandfather  died 
in  Khinebeck,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  at  the  great 
age  of  one  hundred  and  five  years.  He  owned  a 
Tract  of  land  there  on  vvhich  he  had  been  engaged 
in  fanning  and  to  the  same  pursuit  his  son  Solo- 
mon was  reared. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  in  his  teens  when 
he  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  in  the 
Empiie  State  when  forty  years  of  age  he  was  mar- 
ried. Ilis  first  purchase  of  real  estate  was  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  at  Rhiuebeck  and 
upon  this  estate  he  settled  after  his  marriage.  He 
purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  in  Colum- 
bia Count3-  but  lost  it  bj' a  defective  title.  He 
continued  to  reside  in  Dutchess  County  until  1826, 
when  he  removed  to  Penfield,  Monroe  County, 
making  that  his  place  of  abode  until  he  was  re- 
moved from  the  toils  and  cares  of  earth  in  Sep- 
tember, 1831. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solomon  Simmons 
comprised  five  children,  viz:  Daniel  and  Jacob 
(twins),  Elizabeth,  Rebecca,  and  Solomon,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  The  mother  married  the  second 
time  and  spent  the  latter  years  of  her  life  in  Pen- 
field,  breathing  her  last  there  in  January,  1833. 
Her  father,  John  Murraj^,  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary AYar  and  died  in  the  service;  he  is  believed 
to  have  been  born  in  Ireland. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  fourteen 
years  old  when  his  father  removed  to  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  he  began  working  on  a 
farm  at  $5  per  month.  When  sixteen  years  old 
he  became  a  driver  on  the  Erie  Canal,  following 
the  tow  path  six  months.  For  five  years  he  con- 
tinued in  the  employ  of  the  canal  company,  soon 
being  placed  in  charge  of  a  boat.     lu  1833  he  went 


338 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  Ohio  and  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  in 
Geauga  County,  near  liainbridge.  There  he  Iniilt 
a  log  house;  lie  began  cutting  down  the  trees,  grub- 
bing out  tiie  stumps  and  otherwise  preparing  the 
soil  for  cultivation.  During  the  year  he  cleared 
quite  a  tract,  after  whi'.'h  he  sold  the  place  and 
bought  another  whicli  ah'eadj'  had  quite  a  large 
cbaring  upon  it. 

In  1836  Mr.  Simmons  began  boating  on  the  Ohio 
Canal,  but  after  following  that  occupation  two 
seasons  again  turned  his  attention  to  the  improve- 
ment of  a  farm,  lu  1839  he  explored  the  north- 
ern part  of  IlliuoiSi  purchased  eighty  acres  in 
Kane  County  and  a  claim  to  eigiit}-  more  of  Gov- 
crnnieut  land.  It  was  his  intention  to  remove 
hither  that  fall,  but  mone}'  due  him  could  not  be 
collected,  and  other  misfortunes  happening,  he  sold 
the  land  and  remained  in  Oliio  until  1845.  Then, 
with  his  wife  and  children,  he  started  westward, 
making  an  overland  journey  to  Illinois,  arriving  at 
Plainfield  September  I'J.  ile  purchased  a  tract  of 
wild  land  in  Dul'age  Township  and  two  years  later 
eighty  acres  of  improved  land  near  Wheatland. 
To  this  estate  he  added  until  it  amounted  to  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  This  he  operated  until 
1863,  when  he  sold  it,  puichasing  another  farm 
which  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-two 
acres  and  cost  *.50  per  acre.  This  valuable  piece 
of  property  was  his  home  until  1880,  w^hen  he  sold 
it  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Plainfield. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  persevering  efforts 
of  Judge  Simmons  resulted  in  the  accumulation  of 
a  comfortable  fortune  and  the  ease  to  which  he  is 
entitled  is  made  possible  by  his  finances.  For  a 
lime  he  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and 
voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  on  removing  to 
Illinois  he  joined  the  anti-slavery  forces  and  has 
been  a  Republican  since  the  formation  of  the  part3'. 
He  has  filled  various  offices  of  trust,  and  in  every 
position  has  acted  wisely  and  well.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  County  Judge,  in  which  capacit3'  he  served 
one  term.  For  six  j'ears  he  represented  Wheatland 
Township  on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors.  In 
1862  Gov.  Yates  appointed  him  enrolling  officer 
for  Will  County,  and  President  Lincoln  subse- 
quently appointed  him  to  a  similar  position  for  the 
Sixth    Congressional   District    where    he   superin- 


tended the  draft.  In  looking  back  over  a  long 
life.  Judge  Simmons  would  no  doubt  see  where  he 
has  made  mistakes,  .  s  who  can  not,  but  he  would 
have  the  pleasure  of  realizing  that  his  aim  has  ever 
been  toward  that  which  is  noble  and  that  the  ex- 
ample of  his  life  is  one  worthy  to  be  followed. 

On  January  6,  1833,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  Judge  Simmons  and  Miss  JMary, 
daughter  of  Tifnay  and  Mary  (Griswold)  Nettle- 
ton.  Mrs.  Simmons  was  born  in  Penfield  Township, 
Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  possessed  many  virtues  and 
made  a  happy  home  for  her  husband  and  children 
until  called  from  them  to  the  land  beyond.  She 
breathed  her  last  April  28,  1886.  deeply  regretted 
by  a  host  of  friends.  She  had  borne  her  husliand 
ten  children,  whose  record  is  as  follows:  Oliver  is 
now  living  in  Petrolia.  Canada;  Andrew,  in  Plain- 
field  Township,  this  county;  IIenr3^  E.  was  born 
January  20,  1850,  and  died  in  Kansas  City  in  1883, 
Solomon  W.  is  living  in  Joliet;  Olive,  the  second 
child,  died  in  18-40  when  but  two  years  old; 
Maliala  died  in  1858;  Mary  married  George  Pickel 
(see  sketch);  Rosetta  is  the  wife  of  C.  II.  Carson, 
M.  D.,  of  Kansas  City;  Louisa,  wife  of  C.  W. 
Cropsey,  Kansas  City;  Laura  was  the  wife  of  Willis 
Brainard,  of  Fairbur^',  Neb.     She  is  deceased. 

g^  AMUEL  FEWTRELL.  Many  of  the  mas- 
ter mechanics  who  give  tone  and  soliditj- 
to  the  manufacturing  industries  of  our 
countr3'  were  born,  reared,  and  educated 
in  their  special  pursuits,  in  bus}'  England.  Among 
the  number  of  such,  Samuel  Fewtrell,  Superintend- 
ent of  the  rail  department  of  the  Illinois  Steel 
Works  is  a  notable  example.  Beginning  at  the 
early  age  of  nine  3'ears  in  a  rolling  mill  in  his  na- 
tive land,  and  continuing  for  forty  years,  step  by- 
step  advancing  in  his  chosen  vocation,  he  has 
passed  through  varied  experiences.  His  busy 
life  is  well  worth  recording  and  should  inspire 
others  to  more  persistent  effort.  To  have  a  pur- 
pose in  life  and  to  work  for  its  attainment  is  half 
the  battle.  . 

Samuel  Fewtrell  was  born   A|)ril  20,    1837,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


339 


is  a  son  of  Joseph  Fewtrell,  a  miner  who  was  en- 
gaged at  different  times  in  iron,  stone  and'  coal 
mines.  On  the  15th  of  November,  in  the  year  of 
1858,  in  a  large  chapel  in  Wolverhampton,  Eng- 
land, he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ann  Biddle, 
who  has  siiared  his  joys  and  reverses,  his  home  and 
its  cheer.  To  them  liavel)een  born  eight  children, 
sis'bf 'wfiom  are  living.  The  eldest,  who  was 
christened  Tom,  is  engaged  in  the  steel  worivS  with 
his  father.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  Hewlett,  Mrs.  El- 
len J.  IMcCormick,  Jessie  Editli,  Ada  Florence  and 
William  Henry,  nre  the  other  surviving  members  of 
the  family  circle. 

Tn  the  year  1871,  attracted  as  thousands  of  others 
have  been,  by  the  wonderful  stories  of  America's 
resources,  possibilities  and  rich  promises  to  the  in- 
dustrious, Mr.  Fewtrell  came  hither,  locating  first 
at  Elmira,  N.  Y.  Vividly  does  he  remember  his 
landing  in  New  York  among  strangers,  with  but 
twenty-five  cents  in  his  pocket  and  seeking  a  new 
home  witli  strange  associations.  He  expended  the 
small  sum  which  he  possessed  for  stamps  and  |)aper 
to  acquaint  those  left  behind  with  the  fact  of  his 
safe  arrival,  and  making  his  way  to  Elmira,  he  at 
once  l)egan  the  course  of  perseverance  that  has 
ever  marked  his  life.  A  few  months  thereafter  we 
find  him  in  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  and  March,  1873,  in 
Joliet,  111. 

When  he  arrived  in  this  city  Mr.  Fewtrell  had 
$7  inshis  pocket  and  a  freight  bill  of  117  confront- 
ing him.  He  resolutely  went  to  work  as  helping 
lieater  in  the  old  iron  mill.  When  the  mill  shut 
down  in  IS74,  lie  went  to  California,  where  he  re- 
mained about  a  year,  and  thence  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  he  worked  a  few  months  in  the  Tudor  mills. 
He  next  returned  to  Joliet,  but  in  1877  went  to 
Colorado,  where  he  assisted  in  starting  a  mill  at 
Pueblo,  known  .as  Fox's  mill.  He  spent  a  few 
months  in  the  mining  district,  where  he  was  in- 
troduced to  many  new  phases  of  life  and  learned 
a  different  vocabulary  from  that  to  which  he  had 
been  accustomed.  Paradoxical  as  is  the  thought,  he 
can  now  refer  with  pleasure  to  man}'  unpleasant 
experiences  through  wliich  he  passed. 

While  in  England  Mr.  Fewtrell  was  never  far- 
ther than  fort}'  miles  from  his  home,  but  once 
breathing  the  free  air  of  America,   he   imbibed  its 


spirit  of  restlessness  to  the  full  and  in  his  travels 
we  can  trace  him  south  as  far  New  Orleans,  north  to 
North  Dakota,  and  west  to  the  Pacific,  and  once  on  a 
visit  back  to  sunny  England.  His  wife  partaking 
the  same  spirit  has  three  times  crossed  the  briny 
deep,  each  time  taking  with  her  four  children.  Al- 
though in  his  native  land  Mr.  Fewtrell  h.ad  received 
wages  of  $4  per  day  and  in  New  York  he  received 
but  $2.25.  yet  lie  preferred  the  new  home  and  has 
never  regretted  becoming  an  American  citizen. 

Mr.  P'ewtrell  i.s  a  Republican  in  politics  and  so- 
cially a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  He  is  an 
earnest,  energetic  citizen,  whose  life  affords  a 
bright  example  of  what  may  be  won  by  persistent, 
patient  effort. 


<i^i-,ICHOLAS  YONKER.  One  of  the  finest 
I  jjj  farms  in  Florence  Township  is  that  owned 
lASc^  and  occupied  by  the  gentleman  above 
named  who  has  high  standing  as  a  man  of  per- 
sonal worth  and  abundant  means.  The  estate  is 
thoroughly  improved,  the  buildings  being  unex- 
celled in  the  township,and  the  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  made  productive  by  the  best  means 
known  to  modern  husbandmen.  It  affords  pleas- 
ure to  note  these  facts  as  the  i-esult  of  persistent 
zeal  and  unflagging  industry  on  the  part  of  Mr.Yon- 
ker,  who  was  a  poor  boy,  getting  his  start  in  life 
by  working  on  a  farm  by  the  montii.  When  he 
landed  in  this  State  in  1854,  he  had  but  $9;  now 
he  is  numbered  among  the  wealthy  agriculturists 
of  the  county. 

The  stock  from  which  Mr.  Yonker  traces  his  de- 
scent was  German  and  the  famil}'  had  resided  in 
Switzerland  for  generations.  In  that  famed  coun- 
try he  was  born  February  2,  1833,  his  parents  be- 
ing Nicholas  and  Mary  (Marte)  Yonker,  who  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  that,  their  native  land.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children  named  respect- 
ively: Nicholas,  Benedict,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Anna 
Mary  and   Anna. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  reared  in  liis  na- 
tive land,  which  he  left  on  becoming  of  age.  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  United  States.     Coming  to  Illi- 


340 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


nois  he  spent  two  and  a  half  years  in  Mokeiia,  this 
county,  after  which  lie  returned  to  tlie  land  of  his 
birth.  Ten  months  later  he  came  again  to  America 
and  spent  the  following  year  in  Wilmington,  this 
county.  His  next  place  of  residence  was  Milton 
Township,  where  he  labored  five  3'ears,  going 
thence  to  Peotonc  Township  for  a  sojourn  of  two 
3  ears.  In  186G  he  made  settlement  on  section  14, 
Florence  Township,  where  he  still  lives  surrounded 
b}'  the  comforts  to  which  his  industry  entitles  him. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Yonker  and  Miss  Anna  E. 
Weyland  was  celebrated  January  7,  1859,  at  the 
bride's  home  near  Wilmington.  She  was  born  in 
Switzerland  and  is  the  daughter  of  Benedict  ^^'ey- 
land.  Her  character  and  attainments  gain  the  re- 
spect of  those  to  whom  she  is  known  and  man}' 
friends  testify  to  her  worth.  The  happy  union 
lias  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  we  note  tiie  following.  Albert  mar- 
ried Miss  Isabella  Gates  and  is  the  father  of  two 
children — Alpha  and  Elmer;  he  resides  with  his 
father  and  is  eugage<l  in  farming.  George  and 
Frederick  are  deceased.  Mary  became  the  wife  of 
William  Grainmeyer,  a  farmer  of  Jackson  Town- 
shii),  and  they  have  one  daughter — Louisa.  Frank 
is  dead.  Sarah,  Anna  and  OIlie  are  still  lingering 
by  the  parental  fireside. 

Mr.  Yonker  is  a  Uepnblioan  of  the  strongest 
type.  He  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Evangelical 
Church  and  endeavor  to  consistently  carry  their 
Christian  belief  into  tiieir  daily  practice,  winning 
thereby,  the  respect  even  of  those  who  disbelieve 
the  grand  truths  of  the  Gospel. 


ORATIO  N.  MARSH.  This  hale  and  vig- 
|1  orous  old  man  has  spent  a  long  business  life 
in  Joliet,  b}-  whose  citizens  he  is  highly 
honored  and  respected.  He  came  to  this 
city  in  December,  1835,  Mr.  Woodruff  having  been 
here  a  little  longer  time,  but  no  other  resident  of  so 
early  a  date  now  living  here.  Although  nearly 
four-score  years  old  he  carries  on  a  business  in  real 
estate  and  loans,  his  office  being  in  Jefferson 
Street,  opposite  the  Court  House.     He  is  a  descend- 


ant from  the  Marsh  family  that  settled  on  the  Con- 
necticut River  in  1635,  gradually  working  up  the 
stream  until  in  1710  his  immediate  ancestors  lo- 
cated in  Montague  Township,  opjwsite  Deerfield. 

On  a  farm  there  Quarius  Marsh,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  and  there  the  son  also  opened 
his  C3'cs  to  the  light  on  the  same  farm.  After 
reaching  man's  estate,  Quartus  Marsh  married  Miss 
Sarah  Holt  and  reared  a  family  of  six  children.  He 
was  emploj'ed  as  a  farmer,  first  in  his  native  State, 
and  from  1828  to  1835  in  Monroe  County,  N.  Y. 
The  family  then  came  to  Illinois,  making  the  jour- 
ney in  the  customary  way,  by  canal  and  lake  to  De- 
troit, Mich.,  and  driving  the  rest  of  the  way.  This 
•  county  was  not  then  organized,  but  the  father  set- 
tled in  what  is  now  Crete  Township,  where  he  lived 
until  called  from  time  to  eternity  in  1850.  The 
mother  survived  her  companion  about  three  years. 
Of  the  .^ons  and  daughters  of  this  worthy  couple, 
IMary  Ann  and  .Jonathan  died  in  this  count}';  Ed- 
win, Henry  and  Francis  now  live  in  Kansas. 

AVhen  the  Marsh  family  came  to  this  county 
Joliet  w.as  a  village  of  one  hundred  inhabitants. 
Here  the  subject  of  this  notice  engaged  in  the  cab- 
inet business,  having  learned  that  trade  in  the  Em- 
pire State.  He  had  been  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Mass.,  November  15,  18;  2,  and  was  therefore  but 
little  p.ast  his  majority'  when  he  began  his  career  in 
tiic  city  that  has  known  him  so  long  and  well. 

When  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  was  built  in  1852, 
Mr.  Marsh  took  the  position  of  Ticket  and  Freight 
Agent,  which  he  held  for  thirty-two  years,  or  until 
1884,  when  he  considered  himself  too  old  for  far- 
ther service  in  that  capacity.  For  a  time  he  had 
also  transacted  the  express  business.  F'rom  April, 
1863  until  1866,  he  had  been  Postmaster,  going  out 
under  Johnson's  administration.  When  he  resigned 
tiie  position  that  he  had  held  for  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  ccntur}',  he  embarked  in  the  business  he 
now  carries  on,  being  too  active  in  mind  and  bod}^ 
to  wish  to  abandon  the  ranks  of  workers  in  some 
cap.acity. 

In  M(<uroe  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Marsh  was  united 
in  marri.age  with  Miss  Mary  Kile  of  that  county, 
who  died  in  1840,  leaving  one  son,  AViiliam  H.  The 
young  man  gave  his  life  to  his  country's  cause, 
dying  a  soldier's  death,  with  his  face  to  tiie  foe,  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOCIRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


341 


front  of  Vicksburg,  and  leaving  to  his  sorrowing 
father  tlic  consolation  that  comes  from  a  knowledge 
of  duty  done  even  at  the  cost  of  life. 

The  second  wife  of  our  subject  was  in  her  girl- 
liood  Miss  Mary  L.  Pond,  she  also  being  of  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.  The  union  lias  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  a  son,  Frank  E.,  who  is  representing  the 
Fourth  Ward  in  the  City  Council.  He  married 
Miss  Jennie  H.  FV)stcr,  a  native  of  New  York,  but 
whose  home  was  in  Delavan,Wis.,at  the  time  of  their 
marriage.  Young  Marsh  is  a  well-known  grain 
dealer  of  this  city. 

A  man  so  liighly  respected  as  Horatio  N.  Marsh, 
could  not  be  without  opportunities  to  611  a  public 
office  and  he  lias  served  as  tlie  representative  of  the 
Fourth  AVard  for  five  years.  His  legitimate  affairs 
liave  been  sufficient  to  occupy  his  time  full^'  and 
politics  have  had  but  little  place  in  liis  career.  He 
belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  his  probity 
and  life-long  iionesty  are  recognized  by  all,  and  his 
genial  nature  makes  him  popular  wherever  he  is 
known. 


^E 


El^Nf- 


?^,  ANIEL  BAILEY  and  his  good  wife  are 
ji)  among  the  oldest  pioneers  now  living  In 
Will  County.  Coining  here  more  than 
forty  years  ago,  they  have  witnessed  the 
great  change  wrought  by  the  hand  of  man  in 
bringing  it  from  a  state  of  nature  to  its  present 
condition  as  one  of  the  richest  and  most  highly 
developeil  counties  in  Northern  Illinois,  and  they 
may  well  take  pride  in  what  they  have  done  to 
aid  in  producing  this  wonderful  result.  Mr.  Bailey 
is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous of  that  class  of  people  who  have  had  the 
upbuilding  of  Channahon,  where  he  has  had  a 
home  since  he  came  to  this  county,  and  where  he 
has  a  large  farm  from  whose  broad,  fertile  acres 
he  derives  a  handsome  income. 

Mr.  Bailey  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  from 
which  State  iiis  parents  took  him  to  a  new  home 
in  the  wilds  of  Ohio,  near  Cincinnati.  He  was 
the  fifth  child  in  a  family  of  nine,  and  when  still 
a    boy  he  came    to    Illinois    with   his    father   and 


mother,  who  located  twenty-one  miles  west  of  Dan- 
ville, in  1848.  In  1850,  our  subject  came  to  his 
present  place,  which  then  comprised  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  wild  prairie,  which  he  had 
purchased  of  Jasper  Wilson.  He  put  that  into  a  fine 
state  of  cultivation  by  hard  and  persistent  labor, 
and  in  time  bought  more  land, purchasing  some  canal 
land  and  now  has  five  hundred  acres,the  most  of 
which  was  bought  in  the  raw  state,  and  is  now  under 
excellent  improvement.  Mr.  Bailey  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial, moneyed  men  of  Channahon,  he  having  at- 
tained this  position  by  his  extraordinary  industry, 
quick  judgment,  and  in  the  judicious  management 
of  his  interests.  He  and  his  family  are  well  known 
and  greatl}'  respected  in  this  community,  which 
has  been  their  abiding  place  for  so  many  years, 
and  their  kindness,  thoughtfulness  and  genial  hos- 
pitality, have  won  them  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of 
the  manj'  who  know  them.  Mr.  Bailey  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics,  but  votes  for  the  man  In  the  lo- 
cal elections. 

Mr.  Bailey  has  beeu  twice  married.  He  was 
first  wedded  to  Rebecca  Boardraan.  Her  parents 
were  from  the  East,  and  Dr.  A.  Comstock  was  her 
stepfather.  Mrs.  Bailey  died,  leaving  one  son, 
Alexander.  He  is  now  living  in  Missouri  and  is 
married,  and  has  three  clilldron,  two  sons  and 
one  daughter. 

Mr.  Bailey  was  married  to  Mrs.  John  Brown,  his 
present  estimable  wife,  forty-two  j'ears  ago.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Ransom  and  Sarah  Zarle}\ 
natives,  respectively,  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  Thej' 
were  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  county, 
coming  from  Pike  County,  Ohio,  where  Mrs. 
Bailey  was  born.  She  was  married  when  very 
young  to  Mr.  John  Brown,  of  Onondaga  Couuty, 
Y.  Y.  Her  husband  came  to  this  State  with 
Maj.  Bourland,  who  had  married  a  Miss  Brown. 
This  was  in  the  year  of  the_  land  sale  and  he 
bought  land  for  other  members  of  the  famil3',  pur- 
chasing nine  and  one-foiirtii  sections  in  Jaclfjon 
Township.  Her  husband  died  in  that  place,  leav- 
ing her  a  widow  with  thi'ee  children,  Sarah, 
Mary  and  William,  who  are  all  living  in  Jackson. 
Sarah  is  the  widow  of  Frank  Dooley.  She  lives 
near  her  mother  and  has  eiglit  children,  five  girls 
and  three  boys.     Mary  is  the  wife  of  Seth  Gibbon 


342 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


riiirl  they  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.  Willi.ini  is  married  and  has  five  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  one  daughter;  he  owns  and 
manages  the  old  John  Brown  homestead,  which 
his  fallier  bought  at  the  Government  land  sale  so 
many  j'ears  ago.  Mrs.  Bailey's  marriage  has  been 
blessed  to  her  and  our  subject  by  the  birth  of  two 
children ;  the  eldest  of  whom  is  Calney,  and  Ella, 
wife  of  Henry  Kipp,  of  whom  see  sketch.  Calney 
Bailey  resides  on  the  homestead  and  assists  his 
fallier  in  the  management  of  his  f.irm  land.  He  is 
an  enterprising,  progressive,  young  man  and  is 
well  educated.  He  first  attended  the  district 
schools,  and  then  i)ursued  a  fine  commercial  course 
at  Jennings  Seminary.  He  was  married  in  Sep- 
tember. 1886,  to  Miss  Hattie  Barnes,  daughter  of 
Malhew  and  Maiy  J.  (Purdy)  Barnes,  natives  of 
New  York;  tliey  were  married  there  and  came 
here  in  the  winter  of  1857,  and  still  make  their 
home  in  Jackson  Township. 

Mrs.  Bailey's  parents  located  on  a  farm  about 
two  miles  southwest  of  Joliet,  and  the  place  is 
still  in  the  hands  of  the  family.  Mrs.  Bailey  can 
well  remember  the  incidents  of  the  Sauk  War  when 
the  Indians  came  through  this  region  and  chased 
them  from  their  homes.  This  was  in  the  spring  of 
the  year  when  the  settlers  were  putting  in  their 
crops  with  their  clumsv  tools  and  ox-teams.  While 
thus  working  they  received  word  that  the  Indians 
were  on  the  .war  path,  ami  dropping  their  imple- 
ments on  the  field  they  immediately  st.irted  with 
their  families  and  in  ox-teams  for  Danville,  all 
the  people  in  the  county  leaving  excepting  three 
families  who  were  foolhardy  enough  to  stay  be- 
hind and  were  all  killed  by  the  savages,  excepting 
tvvo  young  girls  who  were  taken  captives  but  were 
afterwards  recovered  from  the  Indians. 

Among  tlie  families  thus  leaving  their  home  were 
the  Scotts,  Moores  and  Crutclierfields.  Mr.  /arley 
and  his  family  went  as  far  as  Iroquois,  where  they 
met  the  soldiers  going  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians 
anri  they  returned  with  them  as  far  .as  where  Jol- 
iet now  stands,  and  the  soldiers  putting  up  a  block 
iiouse  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  they  remained 
with  tlieiii  there  for  awhile.  When  the  soldiers 
were  ordered  to  join  Scott,  the  Zarleys  returned 
to  Danville,  and  stayed  there  until   the   following 


September,  when  all  the  families  went  back  to  their 
homes,  the  men  folks  having  gone  there  previously 
to  see  that  everything  was  all  right.  During  their 
stay  in  the  block  house  in  Joliet,  they  bad  consid- 
erable fun  over  a  false  alarm  which  was  sent  in  to 
try  the  soldiers,  and  it  found  them  in  a  poor  con- 
dition to  receive  the  enemy.  At  the  time  INIr.  and 
Mrs.  Zarley  put  their  children  under  the  feather 
bed  in  the  wagons  and  told  them  to  lie  still,  and 
the  old  gentleman  took  his  gun  and  awaited  the 
coming  of  the  Indians.  Mrs.  Bailey  and  her  sis- 
ters are  the  only  survivors  of  the  scare  who  took 
refuge  in  the  block  house  where  Joliet  now  stands, 
she  being  about  ten  3'ears  old  at  the  time  and  her 
sister  but  a  baby. 

That  winter  the  pioneers  of  the  county  suffered 
with  hunger  as  they  neglected  to  lay  in  sufficient 
supplies.  Mr.  Zarley  went  to  Danville  and  got  his 
supplies  for  the  winter,  and  his  neighbors,  the 
Scotts,  Moores,  Bilsous,  and  others  borrowed  of  him 
with  the  expectation  of  paying  back  when  they  went 
for  their  load,  but  an  early  snow  came  and  pre- 
vented them  from  going,  and  more  severe  snow 
storms  occurring,  no  one  was  able  to  get  to  Dan- 
ville, so  that  provisions  were  very  scarce.  Mrs. 
Bailey-  says  she  can  well  remember  the  look  of  sor- 
row u|)on  her  mother's  face  as  she  heard  her  chil- 
dren crying  for  broad,  almost  starving.  The3'  had 
a  little  corn  which  they  pounded  up  and  each  one 
was  given  a  small  allowance.  The^-  also  had  a  f^w 
potatoes  that  were  baked  in  the  ashes  and  distrib- 
uted amongst  the  almost  starving  children,  the 
older  ones,  Mrs.  Bailey  and  her  elder  brother,  gen- 
erously allowing  the  younger  ones  to  have  their 
share.  After  that  winter  the  i)ioneers  got  along 
very  well,  as  there  were  plent}'  of  deer,  prairie 
chickens  and  other  game,  besides  fish  of  a  super- 
ior quality  in  the  rivers,  the  settlers  catching  them 
with  a  spear  in  the  old  days.  The  Poltawatomies 
living  in  the  country  then  were  friendly  and  John 
Zarley  and  his  elder  brother  used  to  go  hunting 
and  fishing  with  them.  AVhile  the  war  was  being 
waged  with  the  Sauks,  they  kept  track  of  the  set- 
tlers' cattle  and  helped  to  get  them  together  on 
their  return,  as  they  were  nearly  as  afraid  of  the 
Sauks  as  the  whites  were  themselves. 

The  Zarleys    were    great    Methodists   going    to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


S45 


meeting  as  often  as  opportunity  oSerefl,  often 
going  a  long  distance.  Thej'  made  a  square  box 
and  put  it  on  the  two  front  wheels  of  an  ox  wagon, 
in  this  they  put  two  split  bottom  chairs  and  drove 
to  meeting  behind  a  pair  of  oxen.  One  of  llie 
young  ladies  wlio  often  accompanied  them  to  the 
religious  services,  was  a  Miss  Joliet  Brown,  for 
whom  tiie  city  of  Joliet  was  named. 


►  +«+) 


yjH  UGUST  EHRUARDT.     Tiie  leading  mer- 
Tt-lll    cantile  establishment  of  Beecher   is  tiiat 


]|l!)    of  Auc 
m  full   lin 


igust  Ehrhardt.  who  carries  a  very 
line  of  goods,  well  selected  for  the 
needs  of  country'  trade.  The  business  was  begiin 
in  1880,  prior  t(>  which  time  Mr.  Ehrhardt  had 
been  engaged  as  clerk  for  August  Sehiffer.of  Monee, 
in  whose  employ  he  had  gained  a  thorough  knowl- 
eclge  of  the  business.  Mr.  Ehrhardt  is  also  Post- 
master, having  received  his  appointment  under 
ilio  present  administration.  He  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known  as  a  man  of  upright  character,  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  an  abundance  of 
eiu'rgy  in  whatever  he  undertakes.  He  is  active 
iu  local  politics,  voting  the  Republican  ticket  at  all 
times,  and  his  fellow-citizens  have  called  for  his 
services  in  various  local  offices.  He  and  his  good 
wife  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

Mr.  Ehrhardt  comes  of  good  old  German  fam- 
ilies, the  home  of  both  ancestral  lines  being  in 
Saxony.  His  father,  Christoph  Ehrhardt,  was 
reared  as  a  farmer  and  after  his  marriage  took  uji 
for  himself  that  occupation.  His  wife  was  Miss 
Sophia  Werner,  who  was  reared  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood as  himself.  To  thera  were  born  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  wath  whom  the\'  set  sail  from 
Bremerhaven  in  -Tulj-,  1854,  on  the  sailing  vessel 
'•Susannah."  After  a  tedious  vo3'age  of  eight  weeks 
landing  was  made  at  Baltimore,  whence  the  family 
came  to  Chicago.  The  father  chose  a  location  in 
Monee  Township.  Cook  County,  and  there  the  fara- 
il}-  lived  on  a  small  farm  for  some  years.  The 
parents  then  settled  in  Blue  Island,  where  both 
died,  the  father  passing  awaj-  in  1872,  at  the  age  of 
seventh-six  years  and  the  mother  surviving  until 


1889,  she  being  then  sevcntj'-eight  years  old. 
Both  were  life-long  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  the  tenets  of  which  the}'  reared  their 
children.  These  all  survive,  are  married  and  have 
families. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest  member 
of  the  parental  family  and  was  born  in  Saxony, 
Germany,  April  30,  18  40.  lie  received  a  good 
education  in  his  native  land  during  his  early  boy- 
hood, and  after  accompanying  his  parents  to 
America,  attended  schools  in  this  State,  acquiring 
an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  English  language. 
He  was  living  in  Will  County  when  he  became  of 
age  anil  was  occupied  with  .agricultural  pursuits 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  AV^ar.  In 
1802  he  was  enrolled  in  Company  D,  Eighty-second 
Illinois  Infantry,  his  company  and  regiment  being 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Miller  and  Col. 
Hecker.  He  was  mustered  into  service  at  Camp 
Butler,  and  in  October  went  to  the  front,  first 
meeting  the  enemy  at  Chancellorsville.  The  next 
heavy  engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  at 
Gettysburg,  and  he  afterwards  bore  his  part  in  the 
terrible  conflicts  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Mis- 
sionary Ridge.  He  was  one  of  the  gallant  sixty 
thousand  who  marched  with  Sherman  from  Atlanta 
to  the  sea  and  back  through  the  Carolinas  to  Wash- 
ington, and  with  other  members  of  Hecker's  regi- 
ment was  known  to  officers  and  comrades  as  a 
faithful  and  plucky  soldier.  He  escaped  injury 
and  was  able  to  report  for  duty  every  day  until 
the  last  gun  was  fired,  when  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Chicago  and  mustered  out  of  service 
at  Camp  Douglas.  Coming  at  once  to  Monee,  this 
county,  he  began  his  clerkshi[),  which  he  continued 
until  he  established  the  business  in  which  he  is  now 
engaged. 

The  lady  to  whose  fine  character  and  housewifely' 
skill  Mr.  Ehrhardt  owes  the  joy  and  comfort  of 
his  home  life,  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as 
Miss  Louisa  Klein.  She  was  born  June  26,  1843, 
in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  her  parents,  August 
and  M.adeline  (Boehl)  Klein,  being  natives  of  the 
same  province.  In  1846  they  left  their  native  land 
to  make  a  home  in  the  Xew  World,  sailing  from 
Bremerhaven  accompanied  by  four  children.  After 
some  weeks  they  landed  at  New  York  City  whence 


t546 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


they  jouniej-ed  by  river,  eanal  and  lakes  to  Chi- 
cago. Later  the}'  located  at  Blue  Island,  and  still 
later  settled  on  a  farm  in  Cooper's  Grove,  where 
they  remained  some  j'ears.  They  then  purchased  a 
farm  in  Monee  Township,  Will  County,  where 
they  erected  a  comfortablejlwelling  in  which  they 
lived  until  after  the  death  of  Mrs.  Klein,  which 
occurred  when  she  was  forty-five  years  old.  Mr. 
Kleiu  subsequently  went  to  Missouri,  dying  there 
when  about  seventy -six  years  of  age.  lie  and  his 
wife  belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church.  Their 
daughter,  now  Mrs.  Ehrhardt,  being  scarcely  more 
than  an  infant  when  they  crossed  the  briny  deep, 
was  reared  in  Cook  County.  III.,  and  there  ob- 
tained her  education.  Her  happy  union  with  our 
subject  has  been  blest  with  the  birth  of  two  chil- 
,1,-en — Arthur  and  Carl — who  have  been  educated 
in  the  public  schools  and  who  are  still  living  under 
the  parental  roof. 

As  a  representative  citizen  of  Will  Count\',  we 
are  pleased  to  present  on  another  page  of  the 
ALBUM  a  lithographic  portrait  of  ^Ir.  Ehrhardt. 


OBLE  JONES.  The  tastes  of  men  give 
'  rise  to  varied  wants  and  occupations.  Some 
find  their  enjoyment  in  the  bustle  of  the 
busy  haunts  of  men,  and  some  amid  the  less  ex- 
citing scenes  of  rural  life,  while  others  combine 
the  two.  The  latter  is  the  case  with  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  notice,  who  spends  his  days 
anir>ng  the  bulls  and  bears  of  the  Chicago  Board 
of  Trade  and  in  the  turmoil  of  the  great  cit3-,  while 
the  hours  not  occupied  in  efforts  to  increase  his 
store  of  worldl}'  goods  are  given  to  rural  pleasures 
anil  domestic  joys  ''far  from  the  madding  crowd." 
His  home  is  in  Mokena,  whence  he  goes  to  Chicago 
every  morning,  returning  at  night,  as  regularly  as 
clock  work,  never  having  been  left  in  thirteen 
years.  For  the  past  decade  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  and  has  become 
llie  largest  receiver  among  the  heavy  dealers  so 
prominent  there.  His  shrewdness  is  unquestioned, 
and  minor  dealers  who  could  get  a  "tip"  from  Noble 
Jones   would   consider  tliemselves  verv  fortunate. 


The  Jones  family  is  of  Welsh  descent,  and  the 
more  immediate  progenitors  of  our  subject  were 
natives  of  New  England.  His  grandfather,  Wesley 
Jones,  was  born  in  Vermont,  whence  he  removed 
to  Connecticut,  in  which  State  his  son  Wt^sle}',  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  1800.  Tlie 
same  j'car  the  elder  Jones  removed  to  Canada, 
making  a  settlement  in  Barnstone  Township.  County 
Standstead.  He  owned  and  operated  a  large  farm, 
and  the  son  was  reared  amid  rural  surroundings. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  following  it 
in  Canada  until  1837,  when  he  removed  to  Arca- 
dia, Waj'ne  Countj',  N.  Y.,  and  in  that  town  con- 
tinued his  occupation  several  j'ears.  In  181-1  he 
came  to, Will  Couutj',  111.,  locating  in  Homer  Town- 
ship, where  he  sojourned  but  a  year  ere  removing 
to  Orland  Township,  Cook  County.  'J'here  he 
purchased  and  improved  an  eighty -acre  farm,  upon 
which  he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1880,  engaged 
in  the  peaceful  vocation  of  a  farmer. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Abigail,  daughter 
of  William  Barnes,  and  was  born  in  Hillsboro, 
ISIass.  Her  father,  who  had  previously  kept  an 
hotel  in  Boston,  removed  to  Barnstone,  Canada, 
during  her  early  life,  and  engaged  in  farming  there. 
The  homes  of  Grandfather  .lones  and  Grandfather 
Barnes  were  but  a  mile  apart,  and  when,  in  1882, 
our  subject  revisited  his  birthplace,  he  -was  able 
from  the  descriptions  given  him  to  locate  both 
places.  Grandfather  Barnes  and  his  wife  were 
brought  to  Illinois  in  1854,  and  both  died  at  the 
home  of  his  father.  Mrs.  AVesley  Jones  was  the 
mother  of  six  children,  he  of  whom  we  write  being 
the  j'oungest.  Cj'rns  died  in  New  York;  Wesley 
is  now  living  in  Wetmore,  Kan.;  William  is  farm- 
ing in  Frankfort  Township,  this  county;  Wright 
lives  in  Portland,  Ore.;  Abigail,  Mrs.  Cross,  lives 
in  Wetmore.  Kan.  The  mother  passed  away  in 
Mokena  in  1881,  at  the  advanced  .age  of  eight}- 
years. 

Noble  Jones  was  born  in  Barnstone,  Canada, 
November  16,  1834,  and  was  thei'efore  about  three 
years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  i)arents  to 
Arcadia,  N.  Y.  The  journey  w.is  accomplished 
with  a  team  and  wagon,  and  during  the  few  years 
which  followed  the  little  lad  enjoyed  the  privi- 
lege of  attending   the  common   schools.     The  re- 


PORTRAIT  AJ^D  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


347 


moval  to  Illinois  taking  place  when  he  was  ten 
years  old,  is  well  remembered  b}'  him,  and  the  ride 
on  the  canal  to  Buffalo  and  on  a  steamer  to  Chi- 
cago were  enjoyed  as  none  but  a  hearty  boj-  could 
enjoy  such  a  tri|).  Tiie  city  wiiich  is  now  the 
scene  of  JNIr.  .Tones'  labors,  presented  an  uninviting 
appearance  when  the  family  reached  it,  consisting 
as  it  did  of  a  few  unpretentious  dwellings  and 
places  of  business,  around  which  stretched  the  low 
ground  which  well  deserved  the  name  of  mud  hole. 
From  Chicago  the  family  came  to  Will  County 
wilh  teams,  and  here  our  subject  passed  one  year. 

Cook  County  tiien  became  the  home  of  the 
Jones  family,  and  our  subject  was  obliged  to 
go  three  miles  to  school.  The  old-fasiiioned  log 
schoolbouse  with  slab  benches  and  puncheon  lloor 
was  the  scene  of  his  educational  efforts,  and  the 
schools  were  kei)t  u|j  by  subscription.  Like  other 
farmers"  sons  young  Jones  was  early  set  to  work, 
soon  presenting  the  appear.auce  of  the  "barefoot 
1hi\  with  check  of  tan"  who  may  be  seen  on  many 
M  larni.  When  thirteen  years  old  he  began  driv- 
inn  :i  breaking  team,  consisting  of  seven  yoke  of 
oxen.  Three  3ears  later  he  found  work  as  a  team- 
ster for  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company,  which 
was  then  putting  its  line  to  Mokena.  He  received 
§1.25  [ler  daj'  for  himself  and  team,  a  day's  work 
lieing  twelve  hours. 

In  the  spring  of  1852,  when  eighteen  ^ears  old, 
Noble  Jones  and  his  brother  Wright  rigged  up  a 
mule  team  and  stai'ted  to  California.  Making 
their  way  to  Council  Bluffs,  they  joined  eighteen 
others  in  a  caravan  which  traveled  along  the  north 
bank  of  the  Platte  River  to  Ft.  Laramie,  thence 
along  the  North  Platte,  taking  Sublet's  Cut-off,  and 
tlience  through  the  South  Pass  to  the  Golden 
.State.  Three  times  tiie  train  was  attacked  by  the 
Pawnees,  who  were  very  hostile  at  that  time,  and 
all  considered  it  wonderful  that  they  escaped  being 
massacred.  At  Loupe  Fork  and  the  two  follow- 
ing camping  places,  only  the  bold  front  the}'  pre- 
sented to  the  savages  i^resented  so  dire  a  catastro- 
phe. As  their  own  animals  were  wild,  and  gun- 
shots woulil  have  stampeded  them,  they  did  not 
dare  shoot,  but  depended  upon  their  appearance 
of  preparation  and  fearlessness,  which  fortunately 
proved    sullicicnt    to   save    their  lives.     The  only 


weapon  possessed  by  our  subject  during  these  try- 
ing scenes  was  a  long  range  ritle. 

The  train  arrived  in  Sacramento  seventy-tliree 
days  after  leaving  Council  Piluft's,  and  Mr.  .loncs 
found  work  upon  a  farm,  beginning  his  labors  at 
¥75  per  month,  and  receiving  1:125  before  he 
abandoned  them.  His  onl}'  experience  in  mining 
was  during  three  (Lays,  when  he  was  visiting  in  the 
mountains.  After  remaining  on  the  slope  two 
years  Mr.  Jones  returned  via  the  Nicaraugua  route, 
the  steamer  "Sierra  Nev.ada"  carrying  him  from 
SanF^rancisco  to  the  Isthmus,  and  the  "Star  of  the 
West"  lieing  his  home  during  tiie  Atlantic  voyage. 
The  last  named  vessel  was  the  first  l)o.at  fired  at 
Charleston  during  the  late  war.  Mr.  Jones  was 
working  on  a  farm  six  miles  from  Sacramento 
when  tiiat  cit}'  was  burned,  and  also  when  it  was 
"drowned  "  b\-  the  overflow  of  the  Sacramento 
River. 

]\[r.  Jones  completed  his  journej'  from  New 
York  to  Mokena  by  rail,  the  road  to  tiie  latter 
place  having  been  finished  in  his  absence.  For  a 
short  time  he  carried  on  his  father's  place,  then 
bought  eighty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Frankfort 
Township,  upon  which  he  broke  ground,  made  var- 
ious improvements  and  settled  down  to  farming. 
He  devoted  himself  to  that  vocation  two  years, 
meeting  with  an  ordinaiy  degree  of  success,  and 
he  then  built  a  steam  mill  in  3Iokena,  and  for  two 
j-ears  enga6:ed  in  Hour  and  saw  milling  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cross  &  Jones.  This  venture  did 
not  prove  successful,  but  on  the  contrary  swal- 
lowed up  all  the  previous  earnings  of  Mr.  Jones, 
and  he  therefore  abandoned  it  for  another  field  of 
labor. 

In  1858  Mr.  C.  Rowley  engaged  our  subject  to 
go  with  him  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colo.,  to  start  and 
carry  on  a  sawmill,  agreeing  to  pay  him  *50  per 
month  for  his  services.  When  the  two  arrived  at 
Atchison,  Kan.,  Mr.  Rowley  concluded  to  start 
the  business  on  the  Missouri  River  at  that  point 
instead  of  going  to  the  destination  which  they  had 
had  in  view.  Mr.  Jones  therefore  became  Super- 
intendent of  the  sawmill  at  Atchison,  having  charge 
of  the  sawing  and  rafting  of  logs  and  every  other 
detail  of  the  business.  He  was  joined  by  his  wife 
and  child,  and   continued   to  reside  in  the  Garden 


-518 


PORTUAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Stiite  until  18fi;!.  when  he  returned  to  Illinois.' 
Fur  A  twelvemonth  ho  carried  on  his  fatlier's  farm, 
and  then,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Mokena,  he  began 
buying  grain  and  shipping  it  to  Chicago.  Dui  ing 
the  next  two  }'cars  he  was  fairl\-  successful,  and  he 
then  opened  an  estaliiisbmeiit  for  the  sale  of  agri- 
cultural implements. 

The  new  venture  of  JSIr.  Jones  proved  to  be  one 
in  which  his  good  judgment  and  business  tact 
foan<l  room,  and  during  the  nest  twelve  years  he 
made  money.  He  closed  out  his  large  trade  at  the 
right  time,  in  1 878,  and  going  to  Chicago,  engaged 
in  the  commission  business  and  secured  a  member- 
ship on  the  Board  of  Trade.  So  successful  have 
been  his  operations  that  his  name  has  become  well 
known  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the  working  of 
the  lioard.  His  son  and  son-in-law  are  with  him 
as  assistants,  and  six  otlicr  men  are  emplojed  by 
him  in  his  office.  His  dwelling  in  Mokena  is  a 
commodious  one,  furnisiied  in  a  style  suited  to  his 
means  and  the  cultured  tastes  of  the  occupants, 
and  sui)plied  with  every  means  for  the  added  cul- 
ture and  enjoyment  of  the  familj'. 

The  lad^-  with  whom  Mr.  .Tones  was  united  in 
marriage,  was  liorn  in  Solon,  N.  Y.,  and  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Clarissa  15.  Farley.  Her  father, 
Benjamin  Farle}-,  was  an  earl3-  settler  in  Lockport, 
HI.,  following  the  trade  of  a  car|)enter  and  joiner. 
Mrs.  Jones  was  orphaned  when  a  j'oung  girl,  and 
early  began  to  make  her  own  way  as  a  teacher. 
She  was  educated  in  Indiana,  and  in  that  State 
began  her  wedded  life,  her  marriage  rites  being 
celebrated  July  25,  18.5.5,  in  the  town  of  West 
Creek.  She  is  a  gifted  and  accomplished  woman, 
whose  charming  hospitality  is  never  forgotten  by 
those  who  once  enjoy  it.  She  is  the  mother  of  six 
children,  of  whom  four  survive — Charles  II.,  the 
first-born,  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  twenty  3'ears; 
Edward  S.  makes  his  home  in  Chicago,  being  with 
his  father  in  business;  Emma  married  Walter'Met- 
calf,  and  their  home  is  in  Normal  Park,  Cook 
County ;  Belle  and  Bertha  are  still  at  home.  The 
sons  and  daughters  have  bad  fine  advantages,  and 
their  minds  and  manners  do  credit  to  the  care 
which  has  been  bestowed  upon  them,  and  afford 
good  ground  for  parental  pride. 

Mr.  Jones  was  i'resident  of   the  Board  of  Trus- 


tees at  Mokena  for  three  years  and  then  resigned 
the  odiee.  In  18,50  he  cast  a  Presidential  ballot 
for  .lolin  Charles  Fremont,  and  since  that  date  lias 
been  an  active  sup|iorter  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  possesses  agreealile  manners,  a  jovial  and 
friendly  nature,  and  is  one  of  those  fortunate  men 
who,  when  l)usiness  hours  arc  over,  can  thoroughly 
enjoy  the  comforts  aud  luxuries  b}'  which  they  are 
surrounded,  and  the  many  pleasures  which  their 
abundant  means  can  procure.  Mrs.  Jones  is  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


-se^- 


*i^-' 


^^^^jEORGE  W.  I)UNT>AP,  the  son  of  a  pioneer 
flj  — ,  of  Will  County,  who  has  himself  done  much 
^i^5i>Jj  pioneer  W'Ork  in  the  improvement  of  his  fine 
farm  on  section  36,  Wheatland  Township,  may  well 
be  classed  among  the  pioneers  of  this  i)art  of  Illi- 
nois. He  is  a  native  of  Sullivan  Count\-,  N.  Y., 
and  was  born  April  3,  1845.  He  is  a  son  of  Wilson 
and  Plucba  (Hollida}')  Dunlap,  natives  of  New 
York  State.    The  father's  familv  is  of  Scotch  origin. 

In  1853,  the  parents  of  our  subject  emigrated  to 
this  county  and  his  father  farmcil  here  as  a  rentei'  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  finally  settled  on  a  farm  of 
his  own  in  DuPage  Township,  and  subsequently 
removed  to  Plainfield  and  resided  there  a  number 
of  years.  Later  he  and  his  wife  retired  from  active 
life  to  the  home  of  his  daughter,  ;\trs.  Albert  Tyler, 
of  Wheatland  Township,  and  he  is  still  an  inmate 
of  her  household  and  is  now  in  his  sevent^'-sixth 
year.  In  the  month  of  June,  1888,  his  faithful 
wife,  who  had  borne  with  him  the  labors  of  their 
early  years  and  had  shared  with  him  the  joys  and 
sorrows  of  a  long  wedded  life,  was  removed  from 
his  side  by  the  hand  of  death.  By  that  marriage 
he  became  the  father  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
the  following  four  survive:  Eugene,  residing  in 
Lockport  Township;  Mrs.  Tyler,  of  Wheatland 
Township;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  Walker,  of 
Iroquois  Countj',  and  our  subject.  The  father  is  a 
stanch  Democrat  in  politics. 

George  Dunlap,  of  whom  we  write,  was  a  young 
lad  when  he  came  to  this  county  and  here  he  was 
reared  to  a  stalwart  manhood  under  the  inlluenccs 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


349 


of  pioneer  life.  His  education  was  conducted  in 
the  district  scliools  of  the  early  da3-s,  and  he  gained 
a  thorough  Itnowledge  of  farming  in  all  its  brandies 
under  the  guidance  of  his  father,  and  has  ahv.a3's 
followed  that  calliug. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1862,  Mr,  Dunlap  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Affa  Eaton,  widow  of  Henrj'  Eaton, 
of  Wheatland  Townsliip.  and  a  daughter  of  J.  B, 
King,  of  DuPage  Township,  of  whom  a  sketch  ap- 
pears in  this  Albuji.  Of  their  union  four  children 
have  l)een  horn,  of  whom  three  are  now  living: 
.James  W.,  Ida,  Affa  aiid  Emma  J.  By  her  first  mar- 
riage with  Henry  Eaton,  Mrs,  Dunlap  had  one 
daughter,  Alice. 

Sir,  and  Mrs.  Dunlap  are  highly  regarded  in  this 
community  for  their  great  personal  worth  and  in 
their  home,  comfort  and  hospitality-  aliides,  Mr. 
Dunlap  carries  on  his  affairs  with  wisdom  and  in 
his  dealings  witli  others  is  honest  and  fair.  He  is 
sincei'ely  religious  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Ctiurch  fin<ls  in  him  one  of  its  myst  consistent  and 
conscientious  inemhcrs.  His  strong  temperance 
views  shape  his  politics  and  he  is  identified  with  the 
I'luhibitioii  partj\  He  lias  served  as  a  School  Di- 
rector, and  all  things  that  will  in  any  way  advance 
the  educational  inteiests  of  the  township  or  elevate 
society,  find  favor  witli  him. 


ILLIAM  BKEDEMEYER.  It  would  need 
^.  liut  a  casual  glance  over  his  estate,  even 
^  fi'om  one  unacquainted  with  the  relative 
value  of  soils  and  unaccustomed  to  farm  life,  to 
recognize  the  fact  that  the  above-named  gentleman 
is  a  thorough  agriculturist.  The  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  l.i, 
Washington  Township,  are  so  well  improved  and 
kei)t  in  such  excellent  order  as  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  all  passers-b}'  and  lead  all  to  agree  in  their 
verdict  regarding  tiie  owner,  !Mr,  Bredemeyer  was 
one  of  the  earlj- settlers  in  this  vicinit}',  but  having 
come  to  stay  he  put  forward  his  best  efforts  to  make 
of  his  home  one  of  the  best  farms  in  Northern 
Illinois, 

Before  outlining  the  life-historj'  of  our  subject 


it  will  not  be  amiss  to  devote  a  brief  space  to  that 
of  his  ancestors.  His  grandfather,  Christopher 
Bredemeyer,  and  his  father,  William,  Sr,,  were  of 
old  German  stock  and  born  in  Algesdorf,  Germany, 
There  father  and  son  were  engaged  in  farmiug,  and 
both  were  noted  for  their  great  strength  and  massive 
frames,  AVilliam  Bredemeyer  was  over  seven  feel 
in  height  and  of  projiortionate  weight.  He  lived 
to  be  more  than  four-score  j^ears  old, while  his  father 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years. 
Both  were  life-long  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Chuvcli.  William  Bredemeyer,  Sr. ,  married  a  lad}' 
who  became  the  mother  of  two  children,  our  subject 
and  his  sister  Mary,  who  lived  and  died  in  German}-. 
The  mother  was  possessed  of  remarkable  physical 
strength  and  a  disposition  and  (-haracter  w-(irthy  of 
remembrance  by  her  posterity.  When  in  tlie  prime 
of  life  she  was  stricken  by  a  fever  and  after  a  short 
illness  breathed  her  last,  leaving  our  subject  mother- 
less before  he  was  eight  years  old. 

The  subject  of  this  biograpical  notice  was  born 
.June  9,  1824,  iu  Algersdorf,  (iormany,  and  passed 
ills  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  native  land.  In  1845. 
while  he  yet  lacked  some  months  of  having  leached 
his  majority,  he  left  Uremerhaven  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel bound  for  New-  York,  After  a  voyage  of  six 
weeks  a  landing  was  made  and  the  young  man  con- 
tinued his  journey  to  Chicago,  III.  He  spent  ten 
years  in  Cook  County,  always  engaged  in  farm 
labor,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  obtained 
from  the  (Government  the  laud  which  he  now-  owns 
and  occupies.  A  decided  change  has  taken  place 
in  its  aspect  and  surroundings  since  he  took  posses- 
sion of  it  in  1854,  and  the  change  is  highly  credit- 
able to  him  who  has  made  the  desert  blossom  as  the 
rose. 

In  Cook  County  Mr,  Bredemeyer  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Miss  Sophia  Reesen,  an  industrious 
and  worthy  young  woman  who  was  gaining  a  live- 
lihood as  a  domestic.  Her  good  qualities  won  his 
regard,  which  was  reciprocated  and  they  became 
man  and  wife,  Mrs,  Bredemeyer  was  born  in 
Uepen,  Germany.  February  17,  1827,  and  began  to 
earn  her  own  living  when  quite  young,  having  lost 
her  parents.  In  1846,  she  crossed  the  briny  deep 
alone  to  make  a  home  for  herself  in  a  foreign  land. 
She  is  the  njother  of  fifteen  children,  three  of  whom 


350 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


(lied  in  infancy  and  the  son.  Henry,  at,  the  age  of 
twenty -six  years.  The  living  members  of  the  fam- 
il\-  are  William,  Jr..  a  farmer  at  Harnsville,  Clay 
County,  Minn.;  .lohn.  who  married  a  lady  of  Min- 
nesota and  ii  living  in  Claj'  County ;  Sophia,  wife 
of  William  Heeht,  a  farmer  of  the  same  county; 
Christoph.  who  is  farming  in  the  same  county  and 
in  ttiat  State  married  a  native  of  Saxony;  Fred, 
who  is  still  at  home  and  helps  to  manage  the  farm; 
Mary,  wife  of  .lohn  Meyer,  of  Crown  Point,  Ind.. 
and  a  traveling  salesman;  Christ,  who  is  unmar- 
ried and  working  in  Chicago;  Louisa  and  Herman, 
at  home;  Amelia,  who  is  living  in  Chicago;  and 
Emma,  at  hums.  All  the  children  are  self-support- 
ing and  inherit  the  industrious  habits  and  thrifty 
ways  of  their  parents. 

Mr.  Hredemej-er  is  a  believer  in  and  a  supporter 
of  tlie  principles  of  the  Democratic  i)art}-.  He  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 


s^^ 


f^  ON.  AMOS  SAVAGE.  Few  words  are 
needed  in  introducing  Mr.  Savage  to  the 
.^^  people  of  Will  County,  as  his  name  has 
^  been  familiar  to  the  great  portion  of  them 
for  many  }'ears.  He  has  long  been  identified  with 
the  best  interests  of  this  section  and  has  fairly 
earned  his  title  of  Honorable  by  services  in  the 
Illinois  Legislature,  where  he  acquitted  himself 
with  his  usual  good  judgment  and  efficiency.  He 
is  a  man  of  fine  taltnts  and  that  solid  strength  of 
character  which  has  gained  him  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  had  dealings.  The 
friend  of  progress  and  education,  he  has  carried 
out  his  ideas,  especially  in  his  own  family,  giving 
to  his  children  the  advantages  which  will  fit  them 
for  taking  their  positions  in  life  as  good  and  use- 
ful members  of  the  community.  The  home  of  Mr. 
Savage  and  his  surroundings  indicates  in  a  marked 
manner  the  qualities  of  character  which  have 
shown  conspicuously  in  all  the  relations  of  life. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  is  the  offspring  of  ex- 
cellent ancestr)',  supposed  to  have  originated  in 
England.  His  father,  Deacon  Levi  Savage,  was 
born  in  Washington   County,  N.    Y.,  Januarj'  28, 


1799,  and  his  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  ^Milenda  .Streetor,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
county  as  her  husband  and  less  than  a  month  his 
junior,  her  birth  taking  place  February  "20,  of  the 
same  3'ear.  They  were  reared  in  their  native 
county  and  married  atGranville.  .January  27,  1822. 
Soon  afterward  they  settled  in  Clinton  County, 
that  State,  but  onlj*  remained  there  three  jears. 
returning  then  to  Washington  County  where  they 
resided  about  eight  years. 

Jn  June.  1833,  the  parents  of  ilr.  .Savage  came 
to  this  county,  locating  near 'Joliet,  where  they. re- 
mained until  the  spring  of  1834.  The  father  tlien 
took  up  land  0.1  section  28,  Homer  Township, 
from  which  he  constructed  a  comfortable  home- 
stead where  he  sojourned  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred Fcbruar}'  14,  1885.  The  mother  is  still 
living  and  although  having  arrived  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-two  years,  retains  her  faculties  to  a 
remarkable  degree. 

Deacon  Savage  was  a  man  possessing  strong 
traits  of  character  and  was  not  easily  turned  from 
his  convictions  when  he  felt  assured  that  he  was 
right.  He  was  a  stanch  Abolitionist,  totally  0[)- 
posed  to  the  -'peculiar  institution"  of  slaver}'  and 
for  many  years  was  a  Deacon  in  the  Congregational 
Church.  His  home  was  the  resort  of  nianj'  noted 
characters,  where  bis  hospitality  and  genuine  kind- 
ness of  heart  made  everj-one  feel  welcome  and  at 
home.  The  household  circle  included  eight  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  lived  to  mature  years.  Han- 
nah W^.  died  unmarried  when  about  fort}'  years  of 
age;  Helen  L.  was  the  wife  of  Dwight  Haven,  a. 
sketch  of  whom  will  be  found  on  another  page  in 
this  voluine.  Emily  is  the  wife  of  William  H. 
Lanfear  of  Homer  Township;  Edward  is  a  resident 
of  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.;  Amos,  our  subject,  is  the 
youngest  born.  The  elder  children  died  when 
quite  young. 

Mr.  Savage  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  what 
is  now  Homer  Township,  June  18,  1836,  and 
therein  he  has  spent  his  entire  life.  His  bo3hood 
days  were  unmarked  by  anything  especially  no- 
ticeable, he  attending  the  district  school  and  as- 
sisting his  father  in  the  lighter  labors  of  the  farm. 
He  chose  agriculture  for  his  vocation  in  life,  as 
best    suited  to    his  tastes    and    capacities,    being 


PORTKAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


351 


thoroughly  imbued  with  the  sentiment  that  this 
calling  properly  carried  on,  was  second  in  dignity 
to  none  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  He  remained  a 
member  of  the  parental  household  until  his  mar 
liagc,  which  occurred  at  Leniont,  Cook  County, 
this  State,  February  25,  1864,  the  bride  being  Miss 
Mary  L.,  daughter  of  Asahel  and  Catherine  (Ged- 
des")  Slate. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  the  young  peo- 
ple commenced  their  wedded  life  togetlieron  their 
own  farm  in  Homer  Township,  and  Mr.  Savage 
operated  successfully  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  while  at 
the  same  time  he  grew  in  favor  with  liis  fellow  citi- 
zens, interesting  himself  in  the  enterprises  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  general  good  of  the  commun- 
ity. His  first  public  service  was  as  Supervisor  of 
Homer  Township,  to  which  he  was  elected  in 
April,  1861,  and  which  olHce  he  resigned  in  order 
to  proffer  his  services  in  the  preservation  of  the 
union.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  August  5,  1861, 
in  Company  G,  Thirtj'-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
not  long  afterward  was  given  the  commission  of 
Second  Lieutenant  which  was  succeeded  July  20, 
1862,  by  his  promotion  to  a  First  Lieutenancy. 
Still  advancing,  he  was  presented  July  11,  1864, 
with  a  Ca|itain's  commission  and  served  in  this 
capacity  until  October  28,  following,  when  he  was 
obliged  to  accept  his  honorable  discharge  on  ac- 
count of  disability.  His  first  experience  in  actual 
service  was  in  repelling  the  raid  of  Stonewall  Jack- 
son upon  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1862,  where  one  hundred  men  of  tl.e  Thirty- 
ninth  successfully  resisted  the  attack  of  two  rebel 
regiments,  the  Third  Arkansas  and  Thirty  seventh 
^'irginia.  He  was  also  at  the  battle  of  Wineliester, 
(Hearnstown)  March  23,  1.SG2,  where  the  favorite 
chieftain  of  the  rebellion  was  driven  from  the  field 
with  the  loss  of  guns  and  many  prisoners.  He  ^\fls 
sent  with  his  command  to  join  the  Arm^-  of  the 
Potomac  at  the  time  of  tbe  '-seven  days'  fight"; 
was  in  the  expedition  agai.'ist  Charlestown  and 
engaged  in  the  siege  of  that  city  from  April  to 
December,  of  1863,  and  led  his  company  over  the 
parapet  of  Ft.   Wagner. 

Mr.  Savage,  in  1864,  was  in  the  campaign  against 
Richmond,  in  the  Army  of  tiie  James,  leaving  the 
front  only  when  disabled   and  when  his    regiment 


had  been  reduced  by  the  casualties  of  battle  and 
bj'  disease,  from  a  total  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty, 
to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  the  short 
space  of  two  months.  Upon  receiving  his  discharge 
he  retui'ned  to  his  farming  interests  in  Homer  Town- 
shii),  but  has  never  laid  aside  any  of  his  patriotism 
or  his  activity  in  assisting  the  projects  set  on  foot 
foi-  the  Ijeriefit  of  the  people.  He  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  [lolitical  affairs  and  it  is  hardly  nec- 
essary to  state  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  has  been  for  many  years  a  prom- 
inent member  of  Gooding  Post,  No.  401,  G.  A. 
R.  and  was  once  elected  to  the  commandership, 
but  declined.  He  is  independent  in  his  religious 
views,  a  man  who  does  his  own  thinking,  who 
seeks  to  force  his  opinions  upon  none,  but  who 
abides  by  his  convictions  with  the  natural  tenacity 
and  strength  of  his  character. 

For  over  a  (juarter  of  a  century  and  since  No- 
vember, 1864,  Mr.  Savage  has  served  continuously 
as  Township  Treasurer.  His  leisure  hours  have 
been  employed  with  instructive  reading,  and  few 
men  not  following  the  profession  of  law  arc  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  its  underlying  principles.  His 
council  is  frequently  sought  in  matters  of  impor- 
tance and  largely  in  the  settlement  of  estates  with 
which  he  is  often  entrusted.  In  1860,  he  took  the 
stump  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  in  AVill  and  DuPage 
Counties,  rendering  signal  service  in  behalf  of  the 
Republican  candidate  for  President.  In  1867,  he 
was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  as  Supervisor  of 
Homer  Township,  and  from  that  time  was  contin- 
uously elected  to  the  office  until  1872,  when  he 
withdrew  to  take  his  seat  in  the  legislature.  He 
was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  two 
years  and  otherwise  rendered  efficient  service 
in  the  various  mattei-s  which  were  constantly 
coming  up  for  consideration.  Mr.  Savage  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  every  Presidential  cam- 
paign since  1864.  During  his  eight  separate  elec- 
tions as  Township  Su|)ervisor,  he  was  placed  in 
office  five  times  without  a  single  dissenting  voice. 
He  was  elected  to  the  State  Board  of  Equaliza- 
tion in   1876,  and  served  eight  years. 

Notwithstanding    his    public  services,  Mr.  Sav- 
age has  distinguished  himself  as  a  progressive  far- 
i    mer  and   hag  invested  a  large  portion  of  his  cap- 


352 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ital  in  valuable  himl.s,  owning  three  hundred  and 
sixt3'-four  acres  in  this  county,  besides  land  in 
Dakota.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  live  stock,  buj-- 
ing  and  .selling  extensively  and  utilizing  a  large 
portion  of  his  farm  in  Homer  Township  for  feed- 
ing purposes.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Old  Settlers  Association  of  this  county.  His  domes- 
tic life  furnishes  a  picture  ple.asant.  to  contemplate, 
with  his  family  of  intelligent  children  growing  up 
around  him  and  ocmpyiug  honored  positions  in 
society.  Tlie  eldest  daughter,  Helen  E.,  was  boru 
December  b,  1864,  and  is  the  wife  of  Frank  A. 
Rowley,  of  Homer  Township;  Frank  M.,  was  born 
.hily  r.l,  1867,  and  married  Miss  Emma  Ilalej'  of 
Homer  Townsliip;  John  H.,  was  born  June  25, 
1870.  and  is  pursuing  his  studies  in  the  Englewood 
Higli  Sciiool;  Williard  A.,  was  born  September  14, 
1872,  and  Mary  A..  May  13,  1874.  The  two 
jounger  children  aie  at  home  with  their  parents. 
Tlie  parents  of  !Mrs.  Savage  died  in  South  Car- 
olina when  she  was  quite  young.  Her  father  was 
born  in  New  England  and  her  mother  in  New 
York  State.  Mrs.  Savage  was  born  near  George- 
town, S.  C,  June  22,  1837.  and  cauie  to  Illinois  in 
1851. 

^    PC  o    . 


,ANIEL  FIDUYMENT.  It  is  a  ple.nsure  to 
gaze  upon  the  varied  landscape  that  com- 
prises the  beautiful  farm  of  this  gentleman, 
and  to  note  the  care  with  which  every  detail  of  its 
management  is  overseen,  the  natural  features  of 
hill  and  valley  being  unmarred  by  neglected  build- 
ings, tumble-down  fences  or  unsightly  fields.  The 
estate  comprises  one  hundred  and  uinet^'-two  acres 
of  land  that  is  well  adapted  for  stock-raising,  and 
in  that  branch  of  agriculture  Jlr.  Fiddymeut  is 
quite  extensively  engaged. 

The  i)arents  of  our  subject,  William  and  Hannah 
(Kuivelt)  Fiddymeut,  were  natives  of  "Merrie 
Euglaud,"and  there  their  son  was  also  born,  his  na- 
tal day  being  October  6,  1838.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  they 
were  reared  upon  a  farm,  the  father  being  a  tiller 
of  the  soil.  In  1859  they  determined  to  cross  the 
brin}-  deep  and  seek  a  better  opening  for  their  en- 


ergies in  the  United  States.  Bidding  adieu  to  the 
land  of  their  birth,  they  re.ached  New  York  after 
an  ocean  voyage  of  seven  weeks,  and  came  to  Lock- 
port,  111.,  by  water,  traversing  the  Hudson  River, 
Erie  Canal,  Great  Lakes,  and  Illinois  and  Mii:higan 
Canal. 

For  some  time  the  elder  Mr.  Fiddymeut  was  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  distilling,  but  he  finallj- 
settled  on  the  homestead  now  occupied  by  his 
widow  and  her  son  Daniel.  He  of  whom  we  write 
began  his  personal  career  as  a  farmer,  and  has  ever 
continued  in  the  vocation  to  which  his  early  sur- 
roundings and  tastes  led  him.  That  it  is  one 
to  which  he  is  adapted  l)y  nature,  no  one  will 
doubt  who  visits  his  pleasant  and  remunerative 
farm.  The  reputation  that  he  bears  among  the 
tillers  of  the  soil  of  this  vicinity  is  that  of  an  able 
agriculturist  and  an  honest  man,  and  this  is  agreed 
to  by  all  who  know  him. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Fidd3-nient 
was  his  marriage,  in  1861,  to  Miss  Margaret  Wads- 
worth,  a  native  of  Vermont.  This  lady  possesses 
the  strict  integrity  and  regard  for  duty  that  char- 
acterize the  New  England  women,  and  with  it  the 
housewifel}'  skill  and  kindliness  to  those  in  need  of 
attention  that  are  also  prominent  traits  in  their 
character.  The  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  five  children,  but  three  have  been  removed 
by  the  Angel  of  Death.  The  survivors — Olive  and 
Daniel — yet  linger  at  the  family  fireside. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  in  a  life 
marked  bj*  uprightness  and  strict  attention  to  his 
personal  afifairs,  is  the  fact  tluat  Mr.  Fiddyment  has 
never  been  engaged  in  a  lawsuit,  either  as  princi- 
pal or  witness.  His  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  at  Lockport.  and  is  numbered 
among  the  reliable  members. 

A  fine  view  of  the  home  of  our  subject  and  its 
surroundings,  will  be  found  on  the  opposite  page. 


^:  OSEPII  KAPS.    Among  the  citizens  of  for- 
eign birth,  residents  of  Plainfield  Township, 
who   have    been    factors   in    promoting    its 
farn)ing  interests  and  by  sheer  force  of  per- 
sistent and  intelligent  labor  have  placed  themselves 


,  '*%^'  '^'?'^w-?'^^^^^^'^fe 


'#*c^  -ji^' 


i'ii^siaiiSS^t^,- 


-  <,Aas.Sa»^fc 


Residence  of  Joseph  Kaps  ,  Sec28.  PlainfieldTp.Will  Co.Ill. 


Jjfefe,febB.V--- 


Residence  of  Mrs. Hannah  Fiddyment,  Sec.I.LockportTp.Will  Co.Ill. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BJOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


355 


among  the  most  sulistantial  memheis  of  the  com- 
munity, is  the  subject  of  tliis  biographical  review, 
and  his  farm  is  one  of  the  finest  and  Ijest  managed 
in  tliis  vicinity.  lie  w.as  liorn  in  Slileisien,  Germany, 
near  the  bounilary  line  lietween  tliat  kingilom  anil 
Poland,  his  birth  taking  place  ()ctol)er  1.  1831. 
His  father,  Christopher  Kaps,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  place,  while  his  father,  whose  given  name 
was  John  Michael,  was  born  in  Austria.  After  at- 
taining manhood  the  latter  crossed  the  border  and 
became  a  citizen  of  Germany,  and  there  married 
and  reared  a  family,  spending  the  reit  of  his  days 
there  as  a  farmer.  The  father  of  our  subject 
learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver  and  followed  that 
occupation  besides  tilling  the  little  plot  of  eight 
acres  of  land  that  he  owned.  He  resided  in  his 
native  place  until  1854,  and  in  that  year  with  his 
wife  and  two  sons  started  for  this  land  of  i)romise, 
setting  sail  Novemlier  10,  from  Bremen  in  the  sail- 
ing vessel  "Alfred"  and  landing  December  25,  on 
the  shores  of  America.  He  located  in  Cleveland, 
Gswego  County.  >«'.  Y.,  and  was  a  resident  of  that 
place  till  .Inly,  1855.  In  that  month  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  located  in  Aurora.  Kane  County,  and 
lived  there  ten  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  came  to  Will  County  and  spent  his  last 
years  in  the  town  of  Troy,  dying  there  in  1875. 
The  mother  of  our  suliject  departed  this  life  in 
1872.  The  father  was  twice  married  and  reared 
two  daughters  bj'  his  first  niarri.age,  Hilary  coming 
to  America  and  dying  here  subsequently  unmar- 
ried. There  were  four  children  of  the  second 
marriage,  two  of  whom  were  reared  to  years  of 
maturity,  our  subject  and  his  brother  .lohn.  The 
latter  settled  in  Troy  and  later  iu  Plainfield,  where 
he  died  unmarried. 

.Joseph  Kaps  attended  school  steadily  until  four- 
teen years  of  age  and  acquired  a  sound  education. 
He  then  took  up  farming  as  his  life  work,  carrying 
it  on  in  the  land  of  his  birth  till  1854.  That  ^-ear 
maiked  a  turning  point  in  his  life  as  it  was  then  he 
emigrated  to  this  country.  He  started  out  in  a 
foreign  land  with  uo  other  capital  than  with  which 
natuie  provided  him  and  he  first  made  money  by 
working  for  others.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  four 
years,  and  then  rented  land  and  in  1867  made  his 
first  purchase  of  eighty  acres  of    wild   prairie  in 


Tro3',  this  county.  He  greatly  improved  the  land 
and  tilled  the  soil  there  until  18S0.  wlicn  he  sold  it 
at  a  good  advance  and  purchased  his  present  place 
of  residence  on  section  28,  Plainlield  Township, 
three  miles  from  the  village,  seven  and  one-half 
miles  from  Joliel,  the  farm  being  beautifully  lo- 
cated on  the  banks  of  the  DuPage  River.  It  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  fifty-one  acres  of  land  of 
unsurj)assed  fertility  and  productiveness.  He  has 
it  under  the  best  of  cultivation  and  has  erected 
coiumodious  buildings  and  lias  it  amply  provided 
with  all  the  conveniences  for  carrying  on  agricul- 
ture to  the  best  advantage. 

The  prosperity  of  our  subject  is  due  in  a  measure 
to  the  fact  that  he  has  been  assisted  in  his  labors  bj' 
the  active  co-operation  of  a  capalile  wife  to  whom 
he  was  united  in  marriage  in  1865.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Seipolt  and  she  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  America  with  her  parents,  Jo 
seph  and  Mary  M.  Seipolt.  Their  pleasant  home 
circle  is  completed,  by  the  seven  children  born  to 
them:  Matilda,  Mary,  Francis,  Henry,  Joseph, 
Clara  and  John.  The  family  are  members  in  high 
standing  of  St.  John's  Catholic  Church. 

It  ma}'  be  seen  from  the  perusal  of  this  sketch 
that  all  that  our  subject  has  and  is  he  owes  to  him- 
self, that  he  is  in  fact  a  self-made  man.  He  is  well 
endowed  with  decision  of  char.acter,  tenacity  of 
purpose,  and  an  active  mind,  and  these  with  his  in- 
herent capacit}'  and  traits  of  thrift  and  sagacity 
have  pushed  him  on  to  success  in  his  calling  and 
the  accjnirement  of  a  desirable  property.  He  is 
alive  to  the  value  of  a  good  education  and  gives 
his  children  advantages  in  that  direction.  A  man 
of  his  standing  is  a  good  citizen  and  is  a  help  to 
any  community. 

The  ple.asant  home  and  fertile  fields  belonging  to 
our  subject  are  well  represented  in  the  accompany- 
ing lithographic  view. 


^  RANKLIN  E.  BARBER   was   born    in   this 
a^  county  in  pioneer  times,  coming  of  a  good 
/ll,  old   pioneer  familj',  and,  reared   to  a  stal- 

wart, enterprising  manhood,  under  the  peculiar  in- 
fluences   that   obtained    here   in    the  days    of   hig 


356 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


youths  he  stepped  to  the  front  to  take  his  p.-ut  in 
the  great  work  of  redeeming  this  section  of  llu- 
countrj'  from  its  primitive  vvildness,  and  has  ever 
since  borne  an  honc)rable  part  in  sustaining  and 
pushing  forward  its  extensive  agricultural  interests 
as  an  active  farmer  and  slock-raiscr  in  DiiPage 
Township. 

Tiie  suliject  of  this  notice  was  horn  in  this 
county.  August  25,  1835.  lie  was  a  son  of  John 
and  Emma  (Perry)  Barber,  natives  respectivel}'  of 
N'ermont  and  Massachusetts.  In  1832  they  emi- 
grated from  New  England  with  their  family  to 
this  part  of  Illinois,  and  Mr.  Barber  bought  lantl 
in  tliis  townsliii),  on  section  2,  when  the  (iovern- 
meut  sale  took  place,  purchasing  both  Government 
and  canal  land,  paying  >?\.'25  for  the  former  and  a 
higher  price  for  the  latter.  His  land  consisted  of 
prairie  and  timber,  and  he  turned  the  first  furrow 
and  erected  a  log  house  and  log  barn,  making  a 
dwelling  of  the  former  for  a  number  of  3ears. 
He  resided  here  till  his  death,  December  19,  1870, 
which  removed  from  our  midst  a  representative 
[lioneer  and  a  highly  honorable  useful  citizen. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  had  preceded  him  in 
death,  dying  on  May  2,  1874.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  a  large  family'  of  children,  of  whom  four 
are  known  to  survive,  namel}':  Royal  E.,  of  .loliel; 
Caroline,  wife  of  L.  B.Anderson,  of  Michigan; 
.lane,  wife  of  Milton  Elsworth,  of  Wheaton ;  and 
Franklin  E.  The  father  was  a  man  of  consider- 
able prominence  in  the  count}',  and  served  for  a 
time  as  Deputy  Sheriff.  He  was  in  early  life  a 
Whig,  but  he  afterward  cast  in  his  fortune  with  the 
Kepublican  party.  He  was  successful  in  life,  liuau- 
ciall}',  and  left  a  comfortal)le  estate.  Like  all  pio- 
neers, his  earlj'  life  here  was  one  of  sacrifice  and 
often  of  privation. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  was 
reared  in  this  townshi[),  and  received  the  [nelimi- 
naries  of  his  education  in  the  local  schools,  and 
subsecjuently  attended  the  High  School  at  .lolict 
for  a  shoi't  time.  Since  then  he  has  advanced  his 
education  by  observation  and  by  reading,  as  lie  is 
a  great  lover  of  good  books.  He  was  trained  to 
ihe  life  of  a  farmer,  atid  obtained  a  sound.  i)rac- 
tical  knowledge  of  his  calling,  which  he  still  pur- 
sues very  profitably.     He  owns  over  two  hundre(l 


acres  of  excellent  farming  land,  which  is  well  cul- 
tivated and  yields  large  harvests,  and  is  amply 
provided  with  substantial  buildings  for  every  [lur- 
pose. 

To  the  one  to  whom  he  owes  so  much  of  the 
comfort  and  eoziness  of  a  good  home,  be  was  united 
in  marriage  September  2,  1807,  the  maiden  name  of 
his  bride  being  Adelaide  \alentine.  They  have 
five  children,  namely:  Emma,  wife  of  C.  H.  Tot- 
son;  Etla  F.,  Edward,  .Jessie  and  F'rankie. 

Mr.  Barber  bears  u  fine  reputation  in  his  old 
home  as  being  a  practical  man.  of  .standi  jirinciijles 
and  stability  of  purpose,  whose  word  is  never 
doubted;  one  in  whom  his  neighbors  place  im- 
plicit trust,  who,  in  short,  is  a  credit  to  his  native 
county  and  is  bearing  worthily  the  mantle  of  his 
pioneer  sire.  Ho  has  been  Townshi|)  Clerk,  and 
has  held  the  office  of  Constable.  Politicallj-,  he  is 
classed  with  the  most  earnest  supporters  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Religiously,  he  and  his  wife  are 
Presbyterians,  strong  in  the  faith,  and  are  among 
the  most  zealous  members  of  the  church  of  that 
denomination  in  this  place. 


"^OHN  CAVANAUGH.  The  estate  which 
this  gentleman  has  secured  is  a  monument 
to  his  ability  as  an  agriculturist,  and  a  con- 
elusive  proof  that  persistent  effort  will  be 
rewarded.  It  comprises  three  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  acres  on  section  35,  Jackson  Town- 
ship, and  it  needs  but  a  glance  to  assure  the 
passer-l)y  that  here  comfort  abounds,  while  thrift 
is  seen  in  every  detail  of  the  work  which  is  car- 
ried on.  The  estate  is  thoroughly  improved,  the 
buildings  being  especially  noticeable  for  their  size, 
number  and  convenience. 

In  County  Sligo,  Ireland,  about  1829,  John 
Cavanaugh  opened  his  e3'es  to  the  light,  and  in 
the  F^merald  Isle  he  remained  until  lie  was  almost 
twenty  years  old.  He  then  went  to  F^ngland, 
where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1851,  when  he 
determined  to  seek  a  wider  field  for  his  energies  in 
the  land  across  the  sea.  Taking  passage  for 
America  he  landed  iu  New  York,  whence   he   went 


m 


PORTRAIT  AND  lilOGRAPHIOAL  ALBUM. 


357 


to  Albany,  sojourning  in  that  city  three  or  four 
months.  He  then  tooii  up  his  residence  in  tiie 
western  part  of  tiio  Km  pile  State,  making  Herki- 
mer County  his  home  for  some  two  years.  His 
next  removal  was  to  Will  County,  HI.,  where  he 
has  since  hecn  a  resident,  and  where  he  has  de- 
voted his  attention  to  agriculture. 

One  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  life  ot 
Mr.  Cavanaugh  was  his  choice  of  a  companion,  and 
he  has  no  leason  to  regret  his  selection.  His  wife 
bore  tlu'  maiden  name  of  Kai.e  >Iahcr,  and  was 
born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  November  15, 
1838.  .She  was  about  twenty-three  years  old 
when  she  left  her  native  isle  for  America,  and  at 
the  time  ot  her  marriage  she  was  living  in  Wil- 
mington, this  county.  The  family  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cavanaugh  includes  ten  living  children  and 
two  deceased.  The  latter  are  James  E.  and 
Malhew;-  the  survivors  are  Willi;>m,  Michael, 
Thomas  P.,  (ieorge,  Edward,  Mary,  Lizzie,  Mag- 
gie J.,  Julia  and  Katie  A. 

The  active  intellect  and  quick  wit  which  are 
proverbial  to  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle  are  not 
lacking  in  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife,  anti 
the  religious  element  of  their  characters  is  salislied 
with  the  worship  of  the  Catholic  Church,  in  the 
faith  of  which  they  are  devout  believers.  Mr. 
Cavanaugh  has  been  Commissioner  of  Highways, 
taking  the  interest  which  all  dwellers  in  the  coun- 
tr}-  should  in  the  improvement  of  the  roads. 


IIARLE.S  lloLZ.  This  gentleman  is  num- 
bered among  the  leading  citizens  of  Beecher, 
and  indeed  of  Washington  Township,  of 
which  he  has  been  Clerk  for  sixteen  j'ears.  He 
has  held  other  local  offices  and  has  a  high  reputa- 
tion as  an  efHcient  public  servant,  and  he  is  like- 
wise regarded  .as  one  of  the  most  successful  far- 
mers of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  owns  a  line 
estate  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  the 
village  and  an  excellent  residence  which  he  occu- 
pies within  the  limits. 

Mecklenburg-Schwerin,    Germany,    claims    Mr. 
Holz  as  one  of  her  sons  and  that  duchy  w.as  the 


ancestral  home  for  generations.  Henry  Holz,  the 
father  of  our  suliject,  was  a  slioeinakcr  who  fol- 
lowed his  trade  in  the  Fatherland  until  1858,  when 
with  his  wife  and  family  he  emigrated  to  America. 
They  sailed  from  Iltunburg  to  New  York  on  the 
••North  America"  which  made  the  passage  in  thirty- 
five  days.  The  family  journeyed  direct  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  and  thence  to  Du  Page  County,  from 
which  the  parents  subsccpiently  returned  to  Cook 
County,  locating  in  Proviso  Township.  There 
the  father  die(l.  July  21,  1878,  in  the  sixty-seventh 
year  of  his  .age.  He  was  a  Re()ublican,  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  a  good  man  who 
was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  wife, 
Mary  (Miller)  Holz,  came  to  Will  County  after 
his  death  and  died  at  the  home  of  our  subject  in 
the  winter  of  188(;.  She  w.as  then  seventy-three 
years  old.  She  was  a  life-long  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  w.as  a  devoted  mother,  lov- 
ing companion,  and  excellent  neighbor. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  two  sons  and 
four  daughters,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  boru  No- 
vember 29,  1827,  and.  was  nearly  of  .age  when  his 
parents  came  to  this  country'.  He  reached  his 
majority  in  Du  Page  County  where  he  continued 
to  make  his  home  until  1865,  being  occupied  as  a 
farmer  and  an  imiirover  of  lands.  Upon  leaving 
that  county  he  took  up  his  abode  near  Beecher  and 
here  he  has  gained  a  competence  and  secured  an 
excellent  reputation.  In  his  early  life  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  but  he  has  not  followed 
it  since  he  came  to  America. 

The  estimable  wife  of  Mr.  Holz  was  known  iu 
her  maidenhood  as  Minnie  Oelerking.  Their  mar- 
riage rites  were  celebrated  in  Cook  County  and 
neither  has  h.ad  cause  to  regret  the  union.  Mrs. 
Holz  was  born  in  Hanover.  Germany,  January  9, 
1842,  received  a  good  education  in  the  laud  of  her 
birth,  .and  was  so  instructed  by  her  good  parents 
as  to  grow  to  womanhood  possessed  of  a  fine  char- 
acter and  much  useful  domestic  knowledge.  She 
was  nineteen  years  old  when  her  parents  came  to 
this  country  and  she  lived  in  Du  Page  County 
until  her  marriage.  Her  union  with  our  subject 
has  been  a  childless  one  but  they  have  become  the 
foster  parents  of  three  children:  Henry  died  whet) 


358 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


seven  years  old;  Louisa  and  Rosa  are  still  with 
their  foster  parents,  undn-  whusc  cari-  and  traininu 
Uit'v  liave  liecu  well  reared  and  eduealed  in  Lutli 
Knglisl)  and  (iornian  schools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holz 
and  the  daughters  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church 
and  have  many  friends  among  tlieir  associate  mem- 
bers, as  well  as  in  all  circles  in  which  they  move. 
Tlie  parents  of  IShs.  IIolz  were  Henry  and 
Sophia  (Hartmann)  Oelerking,  wiio  were  born 
reared  and  married  in  tlie  Kingdom  uf  Hanover. 
'I'lie  father  followed  tlie  business  of  buying  u|) 
butter,  eggs,  chickens,  etc.,  and  selling  tlieni  in  tlie 
larger  cities,  doing  in  this  way  a  tine  commission 
trade.  One  son  and  live  daugliters  were  born  to 
the  good  couiilo  before  they  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica. They  sailed  from  Bremcrhaveu  in  1860, 
landing  in  New  York  seven  weeks  later,  and  com- 
ing at  once  to  the  Prairie  State,  took  up  their 
abode  on  a  farm,  in  l)n  Page  County.  There  the 
parents  lived  for  some  years,  but  subsequently 
became  residents  of  Beecher.  Here  Mr.  Oelerking 
died  in  October,  1872,  at  the  age  of  sixty  three 
years.  He  was  an  honest,  hardworking  man,  a 
good  Pepultlican  in  politics,  and  a  sound  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church.  His  widow  survived 
him  several  years,  breathing  her  last  May  21,  187(;. 
She  was  a  good  mother,  and  a  kind-hearted  neigh- 
bor, ever  ready  to  assist  those  in  need.  With  one 
exception  the  members  of  the  parental  household 
are  still  living. 


-^Hf#^^4-'-J-- 


ORRANCE  DIBKLL.  One  fundamental 
idea  has  been  retained  as  a  common  basis 
for  the  principal  forms  of  Government. 
In  the  theocracy,  the  patriarchal  system, 
a.id  the  democracy,  the  principle  that  the  judiciary 
stands  first  in  importance,  has  ever  been  recognized, 
and,  as  a  logical  sequence,  to  be  chosen  to  diEcharge 
that  function  carries  with  it  a  signal  honor.  Dor- 
ranee  Dibell  was  invested  with  this  dignitj-  b}'  be- 
ing elected,  on  the  3d  of  November,  1885,  Judge 
of  the  Ninth  .ludicial  Circuit,  consisting  of  Will, 
Grund}',  LaSalle  and  Bureau  Counties.  Born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1844,  he  was  fortj'-one  years  of  age  at 


the  time  of  his  election,  thus  being  the  youngest 
of  tliost'  who  have  been  called  to  tliat  oflice  in  the 
circuit  mentioned. 

.hidge  Dibell  is  the  son  of  tlie  Kev.  .1.  I!.  Dibell. 
a  native  of  Kingsville,  Ashtabula  County'.  Ohio, 
and  Louisa  (Ward)  Dibell,  whose  birthplace  was 
Kllington,  Tolland  County,  Conn.  His  own  birth- 
|)lace  was  Wooster,  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  His 
parents  lived  in  Homer  and  New  Lenox  Townships, 
Will  County,  111.,  from  18.)0.  The  father  was  a 
Baiitist  minister  whose  sacred  calling  was  termin- 
ated by  death  September  10,  1885.  His  thirtj-'five 
years  of  ministration  in  this  county  are  rich  in 
tributes  to  his  faithfulness  in  the  service  of  his  di- 
vine Master.  After  his  death  the  mother,  with  her 
daughter,  .lulia  Louisa,  took  up  her  abode  with  her 
son  Dorrance,  in  Joliet,  where  she  resided  until  her 
death  October  17,  1885.  The  daughter  Julia  was 
killed  by  the  cars  in  that  city  September  20,  1889. 

Judge  Dibell  was  ;i  lad  of  but  six  years  when  his 
parents  settled  in  the  Prairie  State  and  he  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  attending  the  public 
schools  in  boyhood  and  subsequently  prosecuting 
his  studies  in  the  University  of  Chicago;  beginning 
his  personal  career  as  a  teacher  he  was  afterward 
employed  as  a  telegraph  operator  at  Racine,  Wis., 
and  Wheatland  and  DeWitt,  Iowa.  At  the  latter 
[ilace  he  began  the  stud^'  of  law  with  the  Hon. 
John  C.  Policy,  further  pursuing  his  professional 
researches  with  Messrs.  (Joodspeed.  Snapp  A-  Knox 
and  Parks  &  Hill,  all  of  Joliet. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1.S70,  the  young  student 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  the  Hon.  Charles  A.  Hill,  now  member  of  Con- 
gress from  the  Eighth  District.  The  firm  name  was 
Ilillcfe  Dibell,  and  the  connection  begun  September 
3,  1870,  was  not  dissolved  until  November  13, 
1  880,  when  tlu;  election  of  Mr.  Dibell  to  the  bench 
severed  the  oldest  law  iiartncrship  in  the  county. 
The  firiii  enjoyed  a  large  and  im|)ortant  practice, 
both  members  holding  high  positions  among  the 
legal  fraternity  on  account  of  their  .acumen  and 
their  skill  in  coiulucting  cases. 

During  the  years  of  his  active  pr.actice  Judge  Dil)- 
ell  was  a  member  of  the  Cit}'  Council,  and  assisted 
in  establishing  a  great  number  of  the  best  improve- 
ments of  the  cit}'.     He  was  in  the  council  when  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


359 


chanjje  was  made  from  the  special  charter  to  incor- 
poration under  tlie  general  law.  Tlie  first  jiulicial 
liTiii  of  the  Judge  is  drawing  to  a  close  and  it  is 
well  within  bounds  to  say  that  his  record  will  stand 
with  the  purest  and  ablest. 

One  wiio  has  Unown  .Tudge  Dilicll  long  and  iiiti- 
inalcly  .says  of  him:  '-Judge  ];)ibcll  is  ;i  hirgc- 
liiahu'd,  broad-minded,  generous-spirited  iiinn,  who 
commands  the  affectionate  esteem  and  conlidence 
of  all  who  know  him.  Like  most  students,  he  is 
not  ill  any  sense  a  society  man.  I>ut  his  equable 
temper  and.  aniial)le  disposition  have  made  him  a 
prime  favorite  with  his  neighbors  and  friends. 
The  exacting  demands  and  large  requirements  of 
ids  profession  have  not  dulled  his  taste  for  general 
literature.  He  has  gathered  a  large  and  valuable 
uiisoellaneous  library,  not  for  ornamenl,  but  for 
his  own  use  and  enjoyment.  The  gre.at  poets  and 
dramatists  are  represented  there,  and  the  specialists 
of  science,  philosophy  and  political  economy,  have 
not  l)een  neglected  nor  overlooked.  Even  tliool- 
ogy  is  not  excluded,  as  is  too  frequently  the  case 
among  lawyers.  In  short,  to  legal  learning  he  .adds 
a  cultivated  taste  and  a  large  store  of  geuei-al  in- 
formation." 

The  marriage  of  Judge  Dibell  and  !\Iiss  Sarah  I\L 
.Siiapp  was  celebrated  in  1872.  The  chosen  com- 
panion of  our  suliject  is  the  eldest  daughter  of  the 
lion.  Henry  Snapp,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage 
representing  this  district  in  Congress.  The  only 
living  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dibell  is  Charles  Dor- 
ranee,  who  was  born  March  H),  1S7.5.  Not  only  is 
Mrs.  Dibell  devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  home 
but  she  has  the  culture  and  disjiosition  that  wins 
friends,  and  her  place  in  society'  is  an  assured  one. 


-^^ 


-H- 


EBENEZER  C.  STEPHEN.  The  man  who 
has  a  brain  tx)  conceive  and  a  hand  to  per- 
form various  kinds  of  handicraft,  may  well 
l)e  gratefully  proud  of  his  ability  to  add  to  the 
means  iiy  which  others  can  increase  their  conven- 
iences or  opportunities.  The  gentleman  with  whose 
name  we  introduce  this  notice  comes  of  a  family  in 
which  the  mechanical  talent  is  conspicuous,  several 


members  having  shown  high  degrei  ^  of  skill  in  va- 
rious lines  of  construction.  Ills  Grandfather  Gar- 
den was  a  mill,  cart  and  plow  wright,  and  his 
Grandfather  Stephen  was  also  a  first-class  mechanic. 
So,  loo,  was  his  father,  Josejih  Stephen,  although 
the  latter  studied  for  the  ministry  and  devoted 
himself  to  the  cause  of  the  MastjCr  during  .a  great 
part  of  his  life.  A  fuller  account  of  the  lives  of 
Joseph  Stephen  and  his  wife,  Jane  (Garden)  Ste- 
phen, will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  David  S.  Ste- 
phen on  another  page  in  this  Album. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Aberdeen- 
shire, Scotland,  July  25,  18:58,  and  accompanied 
his  parents  to  America  in  1813.  The  voyage  and 
journe}-  to  Northern  Illinois  are  recorded  in  the 
sketch  of  his  brother  David,  and  it  is  unnecessary 
to  reiieat  them  here.  The  lad  was  reared  up(m  the 
farm  until  186.3,  having  the  advantages  of  the 
common  schools,  and  when  a  very  young  man 
taught  for  one  terra  in  Green  Garden  Township. 
He  inherited  the  mechanical  skill  of  his  ancestors, 
and  without  having  tc>  serve  an  apprenticeship  was 
able  to  do  almost  an3'thing  in  mechanics. 

In  1863  Mr.  Stephen  opened  a  machine  and  re- 
pair shop  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  David  S., 
and  has  continued  in  the  business  for  twenty  seven 
years.  The  fraternal  connection  was  finall}'  dis- 
solved in  1889  and  our  subject  has  now  the  bulk  of 
the  old  business.  He  is  proprietor  of  a  .saw,  plan- 
ing and  feed  mill  in  Frankfort  and  does  .all  kinds 
of  general  woodwork,  repairing  and  manufacturing. 
He  also  deals  in  farm  implements  and  machinery 
and  in  hard-wood  lumber  and  coal.  He  has  a  fine 
set  of  m.achinery  and  tools,  and  the  reputation 
which  he  has  earned  as  a  Hrst-cla.ss  mechanic  is  well 
deserved.  The  buildings  which  he  occupies  were 
erected  by  himself  and  are  situated  upon  a  five- 
acre  tract  of  land  owned  by  him.  He  also  owns  a 
cozj'  residence. 

AVhen  a  young  man,  Mr.  Stephen  learned  the 
rudiments  of  farming  and  was  actively  eng.aged  in 
it,  .acquiring  in  this  wa}'  a  practical  knowledge  of 
all  that  pertains  to  agricultural  life.  Such  was  his 
taste  and  natural  ability  that  while  te.aching  he 
spent  Saturdays  working  in  the  shop  and  was  able 
to  wood  two  plows  per  day,  thus  making  $7.  Such 
industrj'  and  zeal  merited  the  smiles  of  Dame  For- 


360 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tune,  and  it  is  a  pleasui-e  to  his  friends  to  know 
that  lie  has  gained  a  comfortable  financial  standing. 
Mr.  Stephen  has  no  political  aspirations,  preferring 
the  quiet  of  his  home  to  the  tumult  of  public  life, 
but  is  ever  ready  to  use  his  influence  and  deposit 
his  vote  in  favor  of  Republicunisra. 

The  marriage  rites  of  Mr.  .Stephen  and  iliss 
Emma  .1.  Iloupt  were  celebrated  in  Frankfort, 
December  .M.  1!S67.  The  charming  bride  w,as  born 
in  EHiughain  C'ountj-,  Mich.,  .and  well  educated  bj- 
worth}-  parents.  The  latter  were  early  settlers  in 
Jackson,  Miili.,  where  they  located  in  1836.  The 
union  of  Mr.  and  IVIrs.  Stephen  has  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  five  children:  George  G.  is  a  me- 
chanic and  engaged  with  his  father;  Ida  M.  is  a 
graduate  of  the  F'rauk fort  schools  and  now  teaching 
at  Hadley,  Homer  Township,  having  begun  her 
professional  laliors  when  but  sixteen  3'ears  old ;  Jo- 
seph A.  is  deceased ;  Robert  E.  and  John  O.  are 
still  at  home  and  unoccupied,  except  in  useful 
stiidies  and  pursuits. 


^^-^  EORGE  W.  FLAGG.  The  family  name 
III  —^  of  this  gentleman  will  ever  be  held  in  rever- 
'\^j(j  euce  in  Will  County  as  that  of  one  of  its 
early  pioneers,  who  w.is  for  many  years  promi- 
nentlj-  connected  with  its  interests,  and  of  great 
assistance  in  developing  its  resources  and  laying 
the  solid  foundation  of  the  prosperity  that  it  en- 
j  lys  to  day.  And  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  place 
before  the  readers  of  this  volume  a  review  of  his 
life  and  of  that  of  his  honored  representative  of 
the  present.  The  latter,  a  native  of  the  county,  is 
now  one  of  its  leading  agriculturists,  owning  and 
successful!}'  managing  a  large  and  valuable  farm 
in  Lockport  and  DuPage  Townships,  where  he  has 
a  fine  residence  and  enjoys  all  the  comforts  and 
luxuries  of  life.  He  was  au  officer  in  the  late  war 
and  did  gallant  service  with  his  regiment  until  ill 
health  compelled  him  to  resign  his  eouimission  and 
retire  to  private  life,  taking  with  him  the  respect 
of  his  fellow  officers  and  the  men  who  served  un- 
der him. 

Mr.   Flagg    was  born    in    Plaiufield    Township, 


July  25,  1837.  Reuben  Flagg,  his  father,  was  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire.  Groton,  in  Grafton 
County,  being  the  place  of  his  birth.  He  was 
there  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  and  thence 
went  to  Vermont  when  a  young  man  and  there  was 
engaged  in  the  eoojier's  tr.ade.  Two  }'ears  later  he 
made  his  way  to  lialtimore,  Md.,  where  he  ac- 
quired the  trade  of  a  stone-mason.  After  two 
3'ears  stay  in  that  city  he  returned  to  Vermont  and 
at  one  time  worked  as  a  stone-mason  in  Boston. 
In  1830,  he  came  to  Illinois,  traveling  by  Lake 
Cbamplain.  Ciianiplain  A-  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo, 
and  from  thence  bj-  the  lakes  to  Chicago.  That 
city  was  then  composed  of  two  log  houses  and 
Indian  huts,  and  there  was  a  trading  post  there. 
The  captain  of  the  boat  wanted  him  to  build  a 
warehouse,  thinking  it  might  come  in  use,  though 
no  one  else  seemed  to  agree  with  him.  Our  sub- 
ject's father  did  not  like  that  section  of  the  country, 
as  he  thought  it  too  swampy  for  farming  purposes, 
and  he  hired  a  team  to  take  him  to  Walker's  Grove, 
a  little  below  the  present  site  of  Plainfleld.  At  that 
time  there  were  l>ul  three  families  living  in  the 
vicinity,  and  where  Plainfield  and  Joliet  now  are 
there  was  not  a  house,  and  Will  County  then 
formed  a  part  of  Cook  County.  All  the  land  was 
open  for  settlement  and  he  h.ad  his  choice  in  mil- 
lions of  acres,  and  as  he  was  told  he  could  not  live 
on  the  prairie  he  claimed  a  tract  of  timlier  in  the 
northeastern  quarter  of  section  20,  of  what  is  now 
Plainfield  Township.  At  that  time  deer  and  all 
kinds  of  wild  game  were  plenty,  which  was  for- 
tunate for  the  earl}'  settlers  as  bread  stuflfs  were 
scarce,  the  nearest  flour-mill  being  in  Indiana.  Mr. 
Flagg's  settlement  was  made  there  before  the 
Black  Hawk  War  and  there  were  frequent  Indian 
scares,  therefore,  the  handful  of  settlers  l)uilt  a 
stockade  of  logs  and  all  gathered  in  it,  and  atone 
time  lived  there  three  months,  the  men  taking  their 
guns  to  the  field  to  be  ready  for  the  enemy  at  a 
minute's  warning.  Once  it  was  thought  the  In- 
dians were  going  to  make  a  raid  and  all  the  set- 
tlers here  went  to  Ft.  Dearborn  and  stayed  there  a 
few  days  until  it  was  thought  safe  to  return  to 
their  homes.  Mr.  Flagg  built  a  log  cabin  on  his 
farm  and  commenced  its  clearance.  Soon  after 
coming   here  he  took  a  contract  to  build  the  race 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


361 


for  Walker's  mills  in  which  was  sawed  the  lumber 
to  build  tbe  I'vst  frame  iiouse  ever  erected  in 
Chicago,  and  Mr.  Flagg  drew  it  there  with  an  ox 
team.  After  residing  on  that  claim  a  short  time 
lie  sold  it  and  tooix  up  a  tract  of  prairie  land  on  sec- 
tion 10,  and  ;it  once  began  tlie  work  of  improve- 
ment, lie  first  built  a  log  cabin  for  the  accom- 
modation of  liis  family  and  afterward  erected  a 
more  sidistantial  residence,  and  at  the  time  of  ids 
death  had  improved  a  valuable  farm. 

November  0,  18G9,  this  wortliy  and  liigldy  re- 
spected pioneer,  departed  this  life.  Tlie  maiden 
name  of  tlie  wife  who  shared  his  labors  and  en- 
abled him  to  attain  success  in  life  was  Betsey  Ken- 
dall. Slie  was  l)orn  in  Hebron,  Grafton  County, 
N.  H.,  April  G,  1805.  Her  father,  .lohn  W.  Ken- 
dall, was  formerly  a  resident  of  Hollis.  N.  II.  and 
removed  thence  to  Hebron,  where  he  bouglit 
a  farm,  and  besides  carrying  on  agriculture  he 
worked  at  liis  trade  of  a  cooiier  in  that  place  un- 
til his  death.  Tlie  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Betsey  Flanders  and  she  was  also  of  New  Hampshire 
origin,  and  there  spent  her  entire  life,d3'ing  on 
the  home  farm  in  Hebron.  Mrs.  Flagg's  death  oc- 
curred February  2.5,  1872.  She  was  the  mother 
of  eleven  children,  as  follow's:  John  W.  K.,  .Sarah 
E.,  Samantha.l'rudcnce,  Frank,  George  W.,  Lorain, 
llenr\,  William  II..  Mary  and  Lucy.  Samanlha 
was  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  county,  and 
she  died  here  February  25,  1872,  aged  forty-one 
\  ears  .and  five  months.  In  his  early  life  Mr. 
Flagg  was  a  follower  of  the  Whig  party,  but  later 
identified  himself  with  the  Republican  at  the  time 
of  its  organization  and  remained  true  to  the  party 
until  his  death.  He  was  distinguished  as  being  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  ever  elected  here.  Judge 
Caton  being  his  o|)ponent. 

Following  is  an  item  pul>lished  in  the  Chicago 
y/z/c's  after  Mr.  Flagg's  death,  which  is  of  interest 
and  importance.  "In  the  winter  of  1831,  the 
Methodist  circuit  riders  of  the  great  west  held  a 
conference  in  the  settlement  of  Chicago,  and 
among  the  other  supplies  contributed  to  their  com- 
fort during  their  session  was  a  dressed  hog  from 
the  old  town  of  Plainfield,  in  Will  County,  thirty- 
six  miles  south-west  of  the  place  of  meeting.  This 
animal  was  the  property  of  Reuben  Flagg,  a  good 


farmer  residing  near  Plainfield,  who  has  recently 
passed  away.  He  started  with  the  dressed  hog  on 
a  sled  .and  succeeded  in  getting  lost,  somewhere 
just  outside  the  present  city  limits.  Not  arriving 
in  time  a  delegation  of  ministers  w.os  sent  out  from 
the  conference  to  find  him.  This  they  were  for- 
tunate enough  to  do,  all  lioing  much  rejoiced,  it  is 
said,  at  the  sight  of  the  wandering  farmer  and 
especia^y  of  the  fat  porker  on  the  sled.  Now  the 
question  is  whetluu-  this  dressed  hog  shipped  from 
Plainfield  to  Chicago  in  1831,  is  not  the  first  ship- 
ment of  the  article  to  this  market  on  record,  the 
initiatory  arrival  of  a  product  which  in  1874,  .ag- 
gregated two  million,  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  thousand,  one  hundred  eight  head." 

George  W.  Fl.agg,  of  whom  these  lines  are  writ- 
ten was  reared  on  a  farm  and  e<lucated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  of  this  his  native  county.  He  early 
displayed  the  patriotism  that  made  him  a  good  sol- 
dier and  before  the  war  became  a  nieuiber  of  the 
Plainfield  Light  Artillery,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
first  call  for  troops,  in  April,  1861,  he  was  .Second 
Lieut  Miant  of  his  company,  which  offered  its  ser- 
vices to  the  government  and  was  sent  to  Cairo, 
and  was  there  organized  as  Company  K,  Tenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  mustered  in  for  three  months. 
Our  subject  served  until  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  enlistment,  and  in  September,  IHGl,  again 
volunteere<l  for  the  defeiice  of  his  countiy,  enlist- 
ing in  Conii)any  K,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and 
was  mustered  in  as  .Second  Lieutenant.  He  was 
with  his  regiment  until  18G2,  when  he  resigned  on 
account  of  ill  health  and  returned  homo  to  resume 
farming  OB  section  31 ,  of  I)u  Page  Township  and 
lived  there  until  1872.  In  that  year,  as  bis  health 
was  not  good,  he  went  to  Greeley,  Col.,  and  there 
engaged  in  livestock  business  for  five  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  returned  to  Will  Count}' 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
here.  He  owns  five  hundred  acres  fif  as  fine  farming 
land  as  is  to  be  found  in  the  county,  located  in 
l)u  Page  and  Lockport  Townshiiis.  He  has  a 
handsome  and  substantial  residence  which  he  oc- 
cupies in  Plainfield,  and  is  managing  his  large  agri- 
cultural interests  with  more  than  ordinary  success. 
In  18G1,  Mr.  Flagg  and  Marava  Colegrove 
united   their  lives  and  fortunes.     She  is  a  native  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Wliealland  Township,  \\  ill  (  timiU.aiKi  Hihuigliler 
of  Lester  G.  ami  Lueietia  ( IngersoU)  Colegrove, 
of  whom  see  sketch.  Two  cliildien  liave  resulted 
from  this  marriage.  George  K.  and  Jerome  F. 
Chester  liigersoli.  the  grandfather  of  ^Irs.  Flagg, 
kept  the  first  liotel  tliat  was  openfcl  in  the  city  of 
Chieago. 

Mr.  Flagg's  loyal  course  when  our  country  was 
threatened  with  ruin,  and  his  straightforwanl, 
manly  con<luct  in  all  the  aff.iirs  of  life,  both  be- 
fore and  since  that  time,  mark  him  as  a  man  who 
is  an  honor  to  the  citizenship  of  his  native  countj-. 


a» 


^fs^,  HARLES  PAULI,  proprietor  of  the  Na- 
(l(  tional  Hotel  at  Joliet,  counts  his  friends  by 

^^?'  the  score  among  the  traveling  public,  and 
whoever  is  so  fortunate  as  to  sojourn  once  under 
his  hospitable  roof,  repeats  the  experiment  at  the 
earliest  opportunity.  The  National  is  comfortabl3- 
equipped  with  all  the  requisites  for  rest  and  re- 
fresiiment.  "Mine  host"  exerts  himself  to  be 
courteous  and  obliging,  and  is  evidentlj*  operating 
with  a  thorougli  understanding  of  his  business. 

The  subject  of  this  notice,  a  native  of  the  King- 
dom of  Saxony,  was  born  May  28.  18;)7,and  is  the 
son  of  an  old  soldier  of  the  German  arm}'.  Henry 
Pauli.  who  died  in  Germany,  in  1873,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two  j'ears.  He  had  distin- 
guished himself  for  bravery  and  fidelity  to  duty, 
and  for  many  years  was  in  the  enjoj'meiit  of  a 
pension  from  the  Government. 

In  accord.ance  with  the  laws  and  customs  of  his 
native  country.  ]Mr.  Pauli  was  placed  in  school  at 
an  carl\-  age  and  pursued  his  studies  several  years, 
acquiring  a  good  education  in  his  native  tongue. 
He  remained  a  resident  of  his  native  place  until  a 
man  of  twenty-eight  }"ears,  and  then  resolved  to 
seek  his  fortunes  in  America.  Accordingly,  in  the 
summer  of  1865  he  set  out  for  the  New  World  on 
a  steam  vessel  named  Nen'  York,  wiiicli  in  due  time 
landed  him  safely  in  New  York  City.  Thence  not 
long  afterward  he  repaired  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
from    there  migrated   to   Edwards   Count}',   Kan., 


where  he  sojourned  two  j'ears.  He  afterward  fol- 
lowed cigar  ra.aking  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  three  or  four 
years,  from  1877  to  1881.  In  the  spring  of  the 
latter  }'ear  he  came  to  Joliet,  wiiere  he  pursued  his 
trade  of  a  cigarmaker  until  purchasing  the  hotel 
of  which  he  is  now  proprietor. 

I'lon  becoming  a  voting  citizen  Mr.  Pauli  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is 
eminently  social  in  his  instincts,  belonging  to  the 
Old  Soldiers"  Society,  a  German  order  flourishing 
wherever  there  is  a  large  number  of  (Jerman 
soldiers.  He  also  belongs  to  the  .Sharpshooters  and 
the  Vocal  Minstrel  Society  of  Joliet. 

Mr.  Pauli  took  unto  himself  a  wife  and  helpmate 
in  October,  1880,  being  wedded  to  Miss  Lena  An- 
hardt.  This  lady  was  born  of  parents  who  were 
natives  of  German}',  and  who  are  now  deceased. 
Of  this  uniou  Hiere  are  no  children.  ^Ir.  Pauli's 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Doretta  Bock ; 
she  is  now  deceased.  The  National  Hotel  is  a  solid 
stone  building,  containing  seventy  two  rooms  and 
thoroughly  equipped  for  the  purposes  to  which  it 
is  adapted.  It  was  the  first  building  of  the  kiml 
erected  in  Joliet,  and  although  an  old  tinier,  is  in  a 
perfect  state  of  preservation  and  good  for  man}- 
years  to  come. 


■3=*^r-> '5 


■frASON  L.  AVILSON.     Among  the  live  real- 
I  I    estate  men  of  the  flourishing  little   city  of 

d'    Joliet.  is  found  Jason  L.  AVilson,  who  was 
Y    born  in  this  city,  November  11,  1858.     He 

is  a  son  of  George  and  Martha  (Eaton)  AVilson. 
both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Manchester.  N.H.  The 
futher  started  out  ic  life  as  a  farmer,  but  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  subsequently  fol 
lowed.  In  1852  he  left  the  Granite  St.ate  to  find  a 
home  in  the  prairie  lands  of  the  Mississi|>pi  A'alley, 
bringing  with  him  his  family,  which  then  com- 
prised two  children.  Tiiese  were  John,  now  cashier 
of  the  rolling  mills,  and  Mrs.  Jennie  McGuire, 
also  of  this  city.  After  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  yi'\\- 
st)n  became  residents  of  Joliet  four  children  were 
born  to  them.     Tvvo  of   these,  George  and    Eaton 


'^ 


^t^/k^-w^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIO&KAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


365 


are  deceased ;  the  living  are  Charles,  a  grocery 
(leakn-  in  Joliet,  and  our  subject. 

'I'lif  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  received  a 
Ljood  coninion-sehoo!  education  and  began  his  act- 
ive life  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  in  wliich  he 
remained  about  four  years.  He  tlien  became  a 
clerk  in  the  local  office  of  the  Alton  Railroad, 
spending  eleven  years  in  the  employ  of  that  I'ail- 
road  corporation,  four  of  which  were  passed  in 
Chicago  as  chief  clerk  of  the  local  office  tliere.  He 
returned  to  Joliet  as  agent  of  the  Chicago  &  St. 
i^ouis,  now  the  S.anta  Fe  Railroad,  continuing  in 
lliat  capacity  five  years.  In  1889  he  entered  upon 
the  sale  of  real  estate,  whicli  he  still  pursues,  hav- 
ing in  December  of  that  year  formed  a  partnership 
with  Henry  H.  McGuire. 

In  Miss  Laura  A'andcnburg,  a  cultured  and  lov- 
nlile  young  lady  of  this  city,  Mr.  Wilson  found 
the  (lualitics  of  heart  and  mind  which  he  desired 
in  his  life  companion.  After  a  successful  wooing, 
I  he  riles  of  wedlock  were  celelirated  between  them 
.Inly  22,  1882.  They  have  three  living  children, 
named  respectively:  George,  Martha  and  Anita. 
Mrs.  Wilson  is  a  daughter  of  W.  L.  A'andenburg, 
originally  of  the  Empire  State.  Mr.  Wilson  af- 
liliatis  with  tlic  Masonic  fraternity.  He  possesses 
dei-icU'd  business  ability,  is  well  informed  regard- 
ir.g  the  world's  progress,  and  is  reputed  honest,  re- 
lialilc  and  straightforward  in  all  !iis  dealings. 


^,  )»ILLIAM  DAVIDSON.  It  is  frequently 
\/\l/l  **'*^  ''''■'^^  ^^^  l)edestrian  learns  much  more 
wW  of  the  country  than  he  who  travels  by 
public  conveyance,  as  he  is  Iirought  much  closer  to 
the  people  and  has  a  better  opportunity  to  observe 
tlieir  habits  and  to  learn  their  characteristics,  and 
also  sees,  as  rapid  transit  will  not  permit,  the  nat- 
ural beauties  or  blemishes  of  the  landscape.  Did 
time  and  s|)ace  allow  of  a  detailed  account  of  the 
experiences  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  miu'hof 
interest  might  be  learned  regarding  tlie  appearance 
of  various  sections  some  years  since  and  the  man- 
ner  of   life  of  the  citizens.     Although   his  ex|ierl- 


ences  were  not  always  agreeable,  yet  his  labors  in 
life  were  beguiled  by  many  scenes  both  entertain- 
ing and  instructive.  The  stubborn  determination 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  race  from  which 
he  sprung  and  the  feeling  which  has  been  so  thor- 
oughly embodied  in  the  well-known  expression  of 
one  of  England's  most  noted  men, that  "England  ex- 
pects every  man  to  do  his  duty,"  has  characterized 
his  life  labors  and  led  to  his  success  and  present 
assured  financial  standing. 

The  remote  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  Danes, 
but  for  many  generations  they  have  been  num- 
bei'ed  among  the  English  race.  He  of  whom  we 
write  was  born  in  Tallantire,  Cumberland  County, 
England,  October  28,  1827,  and  is  one  of  six  sons 
and  two  daughters  born  to  Robert  and  Esther 
(Howe)  Davidson,  who  were  natives  of  the  same 
county.  The  father  was  a  farm  laborer.  Three 
sons  and  a  daughter  came  to  America,  Joseph  and 
William  making  the  voyage  in  1850. 

An  old  Englishman  had  been  sent  from  Connec- 
ticut to  the  Mother  Country  to  secure  one  hundred 
and  fifty  quarrymen,  and  under  an  engagement 
with  him  the  two  Davidsons  came  to  the  United 
States,  Joseph  paying  his  own  fare  but  William 
being  brought  by  the  companj-.  The  latter  from 
early  boyhood  had  longed  to  cross  the  ocean  and 
rejoiced  in  the  opportunity  presented  to  him.  They 
landed  in  New  York  April  24,  1850,  and  began 
their  labors  in  the  Connecticut  quarry  the  follow- 
ing day.  Previous  to  leaving  his  native  land  young 
Davidson  had  been  railroading  for  six  years  and 
prior  to  that  time  had  been  a  farm  hand. 

Mr.  Davidson  worked  ninety-nine  days  in  the 
quarry,  paying  his  passage  money  and  quitting  the 
employ  of  the  company  when  they  owed  him  $40, 
which  they  have  never  paid.  Borrowing  $7  from 
his  brother,  he  went  to  Pbiladeli)hia  and  thence  to 
Baltimore,  from  which  point  he  started  on  a  tramp 
with  his  kit  on  his  Ijack.  Ho  went  to  Little  York, 
I'.n.,  and  had  worked  six  weeks  when  the  quarry 
stopped  and  he  tramped  three  hundred  miles,  re- 
turning to  within  a  mile  of  his  starting  point. 
There  he  worked  on  a  canal  six  weeks,  after  which 
he  walked  to  Dalton.  Ohio,  where  lie  engaged  to 
lay  track  for  the  Ft.  W.ayne  Railroad.  Nine 
months  were  spent  in  the  employ  of  that  company. 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


during;  which  Mr.  Davidson  put  in  the  switches 
and  side  traclvs  from  Pittsburg.  Pa.,  to  Massillon, 
Ohio.  His  next  change  was  to  Michigan  City,  Ind., 
where  he  loolc  a  job  of  spotting  ties  on  the  New 
Albany  &  Salera  Railroad.  The  little  luone}'  which 
he  should  have  made  was  lost,  as  his  contract  was 
but  a  verbal  one,  and  his  employers  thought  he  was 
making  too  much  for  an  old  country  man. 

After  this  hard  treatment  Mr.  Davidson  left  the 
company  and  coming  to  Chicago  in  1852  was  ill 
for  two  weeks,  after  which  he  went  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  at  Kankakee,  before  there  was  a 
house  at  that  point.  He  got  out  all  the  stone  used 
on  the  road  from  there  to  Cairo,  working  at  it 
about  four  years,  after  which  he  took  up  bis  abode 
in  Joliet,  where  he  has  resided  for  thirty-four  years. 
He  came  here  with  Robert  Cunningham  and  the 
fiist  work  he  did  in  this  place  was  to  get  out  stone 
for  the  Universalist  Church.  He  began  work  in 
the  quarry  of  which  he  now  owns  a  share,  his  em- 
plo^-ers  being  Wilson  Bros,  of  Chicago,  whom  he 
served  eleven  years  as  a  foreman.  He  and  W.  A 
Strong  then  bought  the  Swalm  quarry,  and  after- 
ward the  Wilson,  carrying  on  the  two  about  four 
years,  when  our  subject  bought  his  partner's  inter- 
est, besides  other  property.  In  1869  he  sold  a 
fourth  interest  to  his  brother  and,  in  1885,  taking 
in  Henr^-  Kerber,  organized  as  a  joint  stock  com- 
pany. The  output  has  been  from  $100  to  *150,000 
per  j-ear. 

Mr.  Davidson  has  been  four  times  married.  His 
first  wife,  Jane  Sterling,  was  a  native  of  Canada 
and  was  of  Scotch  descent;  she  died  about  three 
years  after  their  marriage.  5Ir.  Davidson  con- 
tracted a  second  marriage  with  Ann  Finne3-,  al.ady 
of  English  birth;  she  was  a  widow  with  six  chil- 
dren, the  youngest  of  whom  was  two  j'ears  old  at 
the  time  of  her  second  marriage.  She  bore  Mr. 
Davidson  two  children,  one  deceased,  while  the  other 
a  daughter.  Etta  J.,  is  the  wife  of  John  Pierce 
and  resides  in  Colorado  Springs,  Colo.  After  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Ann  (Finney)  Davidson  our  subject 
took  unto  himself  as  a  wife  and  helpmate  Mrs. 
Melissa  Dewey,  who  lived  twenty-one  years  after 
their  union.  No  children  were  born  of  this  mar- 
riage. Mr.  Davidson  married  his  present  wife,  a 
most  estimable  lady,  in    the    fall    of    1885.     Her 


maiden    name  was  Amelia  Hegbom,  and  she  is  of 
Norwegian  birth. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  we  present  a  lith- 
ographic portrait  of  Mr.  Davidson.  Politicall}%  he 
is  a  strong  Republican.  His  character  as  well  as 
his  business  energy  entitle  him  to  respect,  and  he 
is  numbered  among  the  most  reliable  citizens  of 
the  citj-  in  which  he  has  resided  so  manj^  j-ears. 


=iat 


OHN  KIEl',seuior  member  of  the  firm  of  Kiep 
Bros.,  is  with  his  partner  conducting  a  well 
regulated  market  occupying  No.  117  Chi- 
cago Street,  Joliet,  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged since  1875.  Mr.  Kiep  is  one  of  the  native- 
born  citizens  of  Joliet,  and  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  November  24,  1858.  His  father,  Philip 
Kiep.  a  native  of  German}',  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  in  1856,  when  a  young  man,  coming  imme- 
diately to  the  young  town  of  Joliet,  and  in  due 
time  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  St.  Julian. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
France  and  born  in  1834.  She  was  thus  four 
years  younger  than  her  husb.aud  whose  birth  took 
place  May  1,  1830.  They  were  married  in  1857,  and 
Philip  Kiep  sometime  afterward  opened  a  board- 
ing house  which  he  is  still  conducting.  He  and 
his  excellent  wife  are  still  living,  being  hale  and 
hearty  and  in  the  enjo3'ment  of  a  comfortable  sup- 
pi}'  of  this  world's  goods.  There  was  born  to  them 
a  family  of  nine  children,  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  with  the  exception  of  P. 
Robert,  the  fourth  child,  who  works  in  the  Elgin 
AVatcli  Factory,  are  residents  of  Joliet.  The  others 
were  named  respectively:  John,  Joseph,  Frank  L., 
Philip  D.,  Josephine,  Mary  and  Theresa,  and  one, 
Philip,  dead. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Joliet  and  when  starting  out  in  life  for 
himself  entered  the  emplo}'  of  W.  C.  Wood,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  Later  he 
was  variously  occupied  until  1875.  when  he  estab- 
lished his  meat  market  in  partnership  with  James 
McPanlin  in  1881.  In  1881,  selling  out  he  wentto 
California  where  he   remained    until   April  the  fol- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


367 


lowing  year.  He  was  married  in  Joliet,  June  24, 
1885,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Rappal.  .Soon  afterward, 
in  company  with  liis  brother  Joseph,  lie  established 
the  present  market  which  is  one  of  the  most  ini- 
[iDrtant  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  doing 
a  large  business.  He  has  made  as  fine  displays 
during  the  holidays  as  any  market  man  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  priding  himself  at  this  season.  He  is 
a  fine  judge  of  good  meats  and  is  fully  ap[)reciated 
by  his  patrons  who  comprise  the  best  people  of  the 
city.  He  gives  very  little  attention  to  politics, 
with  the  exception  of  voting  the  Democratic  ticket 
at  the  general  elections. 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  (Rappal)  Kiep  was  born  June  13, 
1864,  in  Joliet  and  is  the  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Antoinette  Rappel  who  were  earh'  settlers  of  the 
township  and  who  are  still  living;  they  are  pleas- 
antly located  on  a  farm  two  and  one-half  miles  from 
the  court  house.  The  two  children  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kiep  were  named  respective!}'  Loretta 
and  Ambrose.  Being  a  descendant  of  a  people  be- 
lieving in  compulsory  education,  Mr.  Kiep  designs 
giving  his  children  the  best  advantage  in  his 
power.  He  is  a  Catholic  in  religion,  belonging  to 
St.  .\loysius  Society  in  Joliet. 


ERMAN  N.  DOESCHER.  Crete  Town- 
|i  ship  is  not  without  its  share  of  the  fine 
farms  for  which  the  State  of  Illinois  is 
noted,  and  on  one  of  these  lives  Herman 
Doescher,  a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser. 
This  estate  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  fine 
land  near  Kndor  has  been  the  home  of  our  subject 
for  fourteen  j-ears,  and  to  his  efforts  is  due  its 
present  state  of  improvement.  He  began  his  res- 
idence in  this  township  in  1854,  buying  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  in  the  southern  part,  upon 
which  there  was  but  little  improvement.  He  has 
since  improved  the  farm  and  increased  the  acreage, 
and  made  a  small  fortune  by  his  persistent  efforts 
in  agriculture  and  stock-raising. 

In  the  town  of  Hanover,  Germany,  April  28, 
1833,  he  of  whom  we  write  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  da}'.     He  is  the  second  in  a  family  of 


eight  children,  one  of  whom  was  born  in  America, 
and  was  about  nine  j-ears  of  age  when  the  family 
emigrated  to  America,  a  settlement  being  made  in 
Lake  County,  Ind.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
There  he  completed  his  schooling,  becoming  pos- 
sessed of  a  practical  educalion,  while  under  the 
careful  training  of  his  estimable  [iarents,he  acquired 
right  principles  and  useful  habits.  At  Hanover, 
in  that  county,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Amelia  Meier,  who  has  been  his  efficient 
companion  and  s}-mpathizing  helpmate  for  many 
years. 

Mrs.  Doescher  was  born  in  Hanover.  Germany, 
November  3,  1834,  and  there  reared  to  womanhood. 
She  lost  her  mother  in  Germany  and  subse- 
quently came  to  America  with  two  of  her  brothers 
to  join  their  father,  Henry  Meier,  at  Hanover,  Ind. 
The  latter  afterward  went  to  Iowa,  and  died  at 
Jefferson,  Greene  County,  when  about  four  score 
and  five  years  of  age.  His  life  work  was  that  of 
farming.  Mrs.  Doescher  was  married  about  a 
year  after  her  arrival  in  this  country.  She  is  the 
mother  of  twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  died 
young.  The  survivors  are  Alvina,  Lizzie,  Bertha; 
and  Edwin  and  Julius  (twins),  all  at  home.  Mr. 
Doescher  has  been  Highway  Commissioner  some 
years.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
The  entire  family  are  attendants  at  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  are  regarded  with  respect  by  their 
fellow-citizens  as  worthy  representatives  of  their 
nationalit}-  and  the  families  from  which  they  are 
descended. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Herman  and 
Johannah  (Steffen)  Doescher.  The  father  was  born 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  and  bred  to  the  trade 
of  a  rope  maker,  carrying  on  a  rope-walk  at  Bremer- 
haven  for  a  number  of  years  and  until  he  came 
to  America.  The  mother  was  born  .and  reared 
near  Hamburg,  and  was  of  pure  German  blood. 
After  the  birth  of  all  of  their  children  but  one, 
they  set  out  from  Bremeriiaven  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel for  the  United  States.  After  a  voyage  of 
seven  weeks  lauding  was  made  in  New  York  City, 
whence  the  family  at  once  journeyed  to  Lake 
County.  Ind.  This  was  in  the  fall  of  1842.  The 
parents  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixt}-  acres  of 
land  in  Hanover,  wheie  they  began  their  farm  life, 


368 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  where  they  lived  for  about  forty  years.  There 
the  mother  died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  3'ears.  Her  husband  afterward  went  to  En- 
dor.  111.,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  sou  Charles. 
December  2,  1887.  He  had  reached  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  He  had  been  successful 
in  worldli*  :iffairs  and  in  gaining  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow-men  to  whom  his  honesty  and  kindli- 
ness were  well  known.  His  wife  was  an  excellent 
neighbor,  ever  ready  to  perform  deeds  of  kindness 
and  both  had  many  friends,  particularl}-  among 
the  German  residents  of  the  county  in  which  they 
lived. 


-»<- 


^^s^EORGE  PICKEL  is  numbered  among  the 
if  ^»7  industrious,  thrifty  members  of  the  farm- 
^^!l  ing  community-  of  Plainficid  Township, 
where  he  has  an  excellent  farm,  that  is  under 
good  tillage,  is  provided  with  comfortable  build- 
ings, and  3ields  a  good  income.  Our  subject  is  a 
veteran  of  the  late  war,  in  which  he  suffered  all 
the  hardships  and  privations  of  a  soldier's  life 
for  the  .sake  of  his  country.  He  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  near  the  town  cf  Albion,  Orleans 
Count}-.  Jul}-  3,  1839,  a  son  of  John  Pickel.  He 
was  but  four  years  old  when  he  was  deprived  of 
the  care  of  his  father  b}-  liis  premature  death.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  married  a  second  time,  be- 
coming the  wife  of  William  McQuenn,  who  was  a 
veteran  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg.  In  1848,  the  family  came 
to  Will  Count}-,  and  here  our  subject  was  reared 
amid  the  pioneer  influences  that  obtained  here 
thus  early  in  the  settlement  of  this  section  of  the 
State.  Joliet  was  then  but  a  village  and  tlie  sur- 
rounding country  was  but  sparsely  settled,  giving 
but  little  indication  of  its  present  prosperous  con- 
dition. Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools 
and  obtained  a  fair  education,  and  when  very 
young  entered  upon  his  career  as  a  farmer,  gain- 
ing a  good  practical  knowledge  of  agriculture,  and 
he  continued  to  pursue  that  calling  till  he  entered 
the  army.  He  had  been  watching  the  course  of 
the  war  w-ith  patriotic  interest,  and  August  8,  18G2, 


in  the  very  prime  and  vigor  of  a  stalwart  man- 
hood, he  being  theo  but  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
he  proffered  his  services  in  the  defence  of  the 
Stars  and  .Stripes,  and  was  enrolled  as  a  member 
of  Company  E,  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  served  faithfully  from  that  time  until  his  hon- 
orable discharge  in  June.  1865,  with  the  exception 
of  tlie  time  when  he  was  languisiiing  in  rebel  pris- 
ons. 

At  the  battle  of  Perrysville  the  regiment  w-as 
held  in  reserve,  but  it  took  an  active  and  gallant 
part  in  the  battles  of  Stone  River  and  Chicka- 
mauga.  In  the  latter  eng.agement  Mr.  Pickel  and 
his  comrades  were  captured,  and  for  more  than  a 
year  suffered  the  horrors  of  life  in  rebel  prisons. 
After  tw-o  days  in  Libby  Prison,  Richmond,  tbey 
were  taken  from  there,  and  were  then  transferred 
to  Pemberton  Prison,  where  they  remained  until 
December,  and  were  then  taken  to  Danville.  In 
the  month  of  April,  they  were  dispatched  to 
Andersouville,  were  confined  there  seven  months 
and  after  that  taken  to  Florence,  S.  C,  and  from 
there  to  Goldsborough,  N.  C,  thence  to  Wilming- 
ton, and  were  there  paroled  after  being  in  the 
iiands  of  the  enemy  seventeen  long  and  weary 
months,  when  they  must  have  often  despaired  of 
ever  seeing  home  and  friends  ag.ain.  Mr.  Pickel, 
though  n.aturally  of  a  vigorous  constitution,  suf- 
fered extremely  and  became  so  emaciated  that 
whereas  he  had  weighed  two  hundred  and -five 
pounds  just  after  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  when 
he  w-as  released  from  captivity  he  only  weighed 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds. 

After  our  subject  and  his  comrades  were  )jaroled 
they     were    ordered    to   St.     Louis,    and    thence 
went  to  Camp  Butler,  Springfield,  and    were  mus- 
tered oui  of  the  service.    After  his  terrible  exper- 
ience in  prison,  on  the  march  and  on    the  battle- 
field, Mr.  Pickel  returned  to  Will  County,  and  as 
soon  as  able  resumed  his  farming  operations,  tliat 
had  been  interrupted  when  he  laid  aside   the  har- 
vesting instrument  to  take  up  sword  and  rifle.     He 
followed    agriculture    in  Jackson  Township    until 
I    1878,  and  then  bought  his  present  farm,  which   he 
is  managing  with  good  fin.ancial  success,  and  he  is 
:   a  shrewd,  skillful  farmer.     His   land  is  well    tilled, 
I   his  buildings  are  suitable  and   convenient,  and  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


:169 


has  ijood  machineiy  to  work  his  farm,  and  does 
what  he  can  to  promote  the  highest  interests  of 
his  adopted  township,  and  .is  a  practical  farmer  is 
contributing  to  its  material  prosperity. 


ON.  ABU  AH  C  AG  WIN.  The  growth 
|)  and  prosperity  of  any  citj'  de[)ends  very 
largely  upon  the  efforts  of  a  comparativel}^ 
small  number  of  her  residents,  to  whose  faith 
in  the  future  of  the  pLace  and  wise  judgment  as  to 
methods  bj-  which  to  secure  a  rapid  development, 
other  citizens  owe  the  benefit  which  acrue  to  them. 
In  the  cit}'  of  Joliet  an  important  part  in  the 
upbuilding  and  official  work  of  both  city  and 
county  has  been  taken  by  the  gentleman  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch,  and  who 
merits  the  good  will  of  the  citizens  for  labors  which 
have  resulted  beneficially'  to  all  who  then  made  or 
now  make  it  their  home. 

Tiie  birth  of  Mr.  Cagwin  took  place  in  Verona, 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  May  19,  1807,  and  he  lived 
ill  liis  native  place  until  he  was  nineteen  years  old. 
He  had  learned  the  trades  of  tanning,  currj'ing  and 
shoemaking  in  Rome,  and  going  to  Brockport, 
Monroe  Count}',  he  built  a  tannery,  continuing  in 
business  there  until  1835,  when  the  tanner}-  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  entailing  a  severe  loss.  The 
people  of  the  community  vvere  very  anxious  that 
the  owner  should  rebuild  and  offered  him  material 
assistance,  but  he  thought  it  would  not  be  for  the 
best,  although  very  grateful  to  them  for  their  good 
feeling  and  generositj-.  Some  leather  had  been 
left  uninjured  by  the  fire,  and  this  he  made  up 
into  harness,  which  he  shipped  to  Chicago,  having 
made  up  his  mind  to  come  West. 

Mr.  Cagwin  left  his  old  home  in  the  Empire 
State  in  company  with  one  Hiram  Janes,  but  took 
on  his  t)wn  account  a  stock  of  goods,  which  he 
peddled  on  the  way  through  to  Peoria,  III.  He 
visited  a  brother  in  Pekin,  and  then,  having  de- 
termined to  settle  at  Joliet.  which  was  then  in 
Cook  County,  he  loaded  up  the  goods  which  he 
had  left  in  Peoria  and  set  out  for  this  place.  He 
bought  a  house  and  lot  on  the  west  side  of  the  Des- 


plaines  River  and  sold  out  his  goods  at  auction. 
Just  before  his  settlement  he  undertook  to  cross 
the  river  in  a  boat,  but  came  very  near  being  car- 
ried over  the  dam  b)'  the  current  and  drowned. 
He  was  within  twelve  feet  of  the  verge  when  he 
was  rescued  by  having  a  bed  cord  thrown  out  to 
him  attached  to  a  pole,  which  he  finally  succeeded 
in  getting  hold  of. 

In  1835  the  land  sale  took  place  in  Chicago,  and 
Mr.  Cagwin  purchased  eighty  acres  southeast  of 
Joliet,  after  which  he  returned  East  and  bought  the 
necessary  equipments  for  a  sawmill,  which  he 
shipped  to  Chicago,  and  brought  with  a  team  from 
that  place  to  Joliet.  He  had  some  time  before 
purchiised  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber 
land,  on  which  he  purposed  to  begin  the  lumber 
business.  On  his  return  from  the  East  lie  pur- 
chased a  horse  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  completing  his 
journey  from  that  point  on  horseback.  He  began 
getting  out  timber  for  his  mill,  doing  what  he 
could  until  the  following  winter,  when  on  horse- 
back he  went  back  to  the  Empire  State,  returning 
in  the  spring  with  his  family,  which  consisted  of  a 
wife  and  four  children,  the  journey  being  accom- 
plished by  teams.  In  the  party  were  four  other 
adults. 

Settling  on  the  land  east  of  Joliet,  Mr.  Cagwin 
began  in  earnest  to  build  the  sawmill,  which  was 
soon  completed  and  in  running  order.  Such  mills 
being  few  in  this  section  at  that  date,  madesawmill- 
inga  lucrative  business  to  those  who  were  engaged 
in  it.  Mr.  Cagwin  did  well,  and  in  a  short  time 
was  able  to  pay  for  all  his  land  and  purchase  sev- 
eral lots  in  Joliet.  He  operated  the  mill  until 
about  1839,  when  his  excellent  judgment  and 
discrimination  were  recognized  b}'  his  election  to 
the  position  of  Judge  of  Probate,  which  office  he 
held  four  years.  During  that  time  he  lived  in  the 
city,  where  he  built  several  stores  and  other  edi- 
fices, and  in  various  way  displayed  his  public 
spirit.  The  first  warehouse  in  Will  County  was 
erected  by  hiin  during  his  term  of  office,  it  being 
the  one  now  owned  by  E.  Bush.  Joliet  was  the 
home  of  Mr.  Cagwin  until  October,  1886,  when  he 
removed  to  his  present  residence  east  of  the  city 
limits  on  section  11,  Joliet  Township.  The  land 
which  he   occupies  consists  of   ninety-three  acres, 


370 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


valued  at  $500  per  acre,  and  on  it  is  a  full  line  of 
excellent  buildings  adai)ted  to  various  purposes, 
the  family  residence  being  a  model  of  rural  archi- 
tecture. For  a  long  term  of  j'ears  Mr.  Cagwin  was 
engaged  in  l)uying  and  shipping  grain,  and  lie  is 
today  extensively  known  as  the  veteran  grain 
dealer  of  tins  section. 

The  marriage  of  tiie  llun.  Mr.  Cagwin  was  cele- 
brated at  Broekport.  N.  Y.,  many  years  ago,  liis 
bride  being  Miss  Hannah  Scribncr,  a  native  of 
Poultney,  Vt.  She  is  a  worthy  woman,  possessing 
more  tiian  ordinary  intelligence  and  an  excellent 
Christian  character.  She  has  borne  her  husband 
ten  chihlren,  eight  of  whom  are  living — Merritt  is 
a  farmer  in  Lockport  Township;  Helen  is  the 
widow  of  the  late  Dr.  Elvis  Harwood ;  Sarah  was 
first  married  to  a  Mr.  Ilibbard,  and  is  now  the 
widow  of  the  late  Dr.  Barrett,  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship; Tliom.as  is  a  resident  of  Milw.aukee,  Wis.; 
Ilamden  lives  in  Joliet;  Rose  is  tlie  wife  of  Burt 
Briggs;  Nancy  is  still  with  her  [larents;  Abijah 
resides  in  Ft.  Smith,  Ark. 

Mr.  Cagwin's  first  Presidential  ballot  was  east 
for  Andrew  Jackson,  and  he  has  ever  been  a  stanch 
Democrat.  He  has  held  several  ini|)ortant  pul^lic 
positions,  having  been  the  incumbent  of  various 
city  offices.  lie  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  is  a  Knight  Templar.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
Ijelong  to  the  I'niversalist  Church. 


=1^" 


HHILDT.  Among  the  respected  enterpris- 
ing farmers  of  Washington  Township,  the 
/I' — ^j  name  of  our  subject  deserves  mention  as 
that  of  one  who  in  a  comi)aratively  short  time  has 
accumulated  a  line  i)roi)erty  and  secured  a  good 
position  among  the  substantial  men  of  the  count3'. 
He  owns  and  occupies  two  hundred  acres  of  fertile 
land  on  section  27,  and  thereon  has  erected  a  full 
line  of  excellent  farm  buildings,  including  every 
convenient  and  necessar}'  structure.  Industrious 
and  zealous  in  whatever  he  undertakes,  upright  in 
all  the  relations  of  life,  and  manifesting  an  intelli- 
gent interest  in  the  advancement  of  the  section  iu 
which  he  hiis  made  his  home,  Mr.  Heldt  is  highly 
respected  by  his  fellow-cftizens. 


The  ijarents  of  oursuliject  were  Christopher  and 
Stenia  Heldt,  natives  of  Meckleidmrg.  Germany, 
in  which  Province  their  ten  children  were  also 
borns.  Two  sons  and  six  daughters  lived  to  ac- 
compan}'  their  parents  to  America,  to  whose  shores 
they  set  sail  from  Hamburg  in  ISIay,  1856.  Their 
passage  was  secured  on  the  mailing-vessel  ''Ore- 
gon," which  made  a  landing  iu  New  York  City 
after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  and  four  days. 
The  family  soon  afterward  came  to  Chicago,  and 
then  located  in  Du  Page  Count\-.  They  were  very 
poor  and  at  first  had  a  hard  time  to  get  al(.)ng.  but 
they  were  industrious  and  determined,  and  soon 
their  labors  were  rewarded  by  their  ability  to 
rent  land,  on  which  they  made  a  good  living.  The 
l)arents  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
\  and  not  only  led  upright  lives,  but  endeavored 
to  instill  into  the  hearts  of  their  children  the 
principles  of  right  living.  The  mother  died  in  Du 
Page  Count}',  in  September,  1864,  when  upwards 
of  three-score  and  ten  years  of  age.  The  be- 
reaved husband  came  to  Will  County  some  months 
later,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  son,  \Villiam,  in 
Washington  Township,  iu  1868.  He  was  seventy- 
five  years  old. 

The  natal  da}-  of  our  subject  was  .lanuary  20, 
1842.  In  his  native  land  he  obtained  the  educa- 
tion which  (iermany  ensures  to  all  her  sons,  and 
labored  witli  other  members  of  the  family'  as  his 
growing  strength  would  permit.  After  the"  re 
moval  to  America,  he  settled  with  the  others  in 
Du  Page  County,  III.,  remaining  there  until  1868- 
In  the  meantime  he  had  passed  his  majorit}'  and 
had  taken  unto  himself  a  companion  in  life,  with 
wiiom  he  established  his  home  in  Will  Count}'  on 
eighty  acres,  which  forms  a  [jart  of  his  i)reseut 
homestead.  To  this  he  added  according  to  his  abil- 
ity, until  the  landed  estate  reached  two  hundred 
acres  and  all  was  placed  in  a  fine  condition. 

For  nine  ^ears  Mr.  Heldt  served  as  Road  Com- 
missioner, giving  general  satisfaction  to  the  travel- 
ing public,  and  particularly  to  the  agriculturists. 
His  political  adherence  is  given  to  the  Republican 
party.  He  and  the  members  of  his  family  belong 
to  the  Lutheran   Church. 

The  lady  with  whom  Mr.  Heldt  was  united  in 
marriage    in    Du    Page   County,  bore  the   maiden 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


371 


name  of  Lncetta  Stedt.  She  was  born  in  Mecklen- 
burg, Germany,  January  8, 1843,  and  was  fourteen 
years  old  when  her  parents  came  to  this  country. 
She  remained  with  them  in  York  Center  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  until  her  marriage.  She 
is  a  woman  of  intelligence  and  genuine  worth,  who 
looks  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household  and  en- 
deavors to  faithfully  discharge  every  duty.  (A  full 
histor}'  of  the  family  of  which  she  is  a  member 
will  be  found  in  the  biograplij'  of  ^\'illiam  Stedt.) 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ileldt  have  had  eleven  children  and 
mourn  the  loss  of  Rosetta,  Sophia,  and  an  infant 
unnamed.  The  survivors  are:  AVilliam,  a  farmer 
in  Washington  Township,  who  married  Emma 
Blevening;  Amelia,  wife  of  Henry  C.  Hansen, 
whose  home  is  a  farm  in  Crete  Township;  Charles, 
Flmma,  Fred,  Ernst,  Louis  and  Robert,  who  arejet 
at  home. 

BLISS  SHAW,  M.  D.  The  regular  school 
of  medicine  acknowledges  one  of  its  most 
able  followers  in  the  person  of  Dr.  Shaw, 
one  of  the  prominent  piiysicians  of  .Toliet, 
who  has  a  finely  equipped  office  in  the  Barber 
Building,  and  who  enjoys  an  extensive  and  lucra- 
tive business.  He  located  in  the  city  in  1884,  and 
gives  his  entire  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession. From  1884  until  1888  he  held  the  office 
of  Coroner. 

A  native  of  this  county  Dr.  Shaw  was  born  in 
Joliet,  December  1,  18G0,  and  was  the  son  of  John 
K.  Shaw,  a  native  of  New  York  City.  The  latter 
was  reared  in  the  great  metropolis,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Martha,  daughter  of  John  J.  Flack, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.  The  wed- 
ding took  place  in  Joliet,  but  the  young  couple 
returned  East  afterward,  and  Mr.  .Shaw  was  con- 
nected with  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  for  a 
number  of  j'ears.  He  died,  however,  when  com- 
paratively a  young  man,  and  before  the  recollection 
of  his  son,  J.  Bliss. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Shaw  re- 
turned to  her  father's  home  in  Joliet,  where  she 
still  lives.  She  was  subsequently  married  to  Har- 
vey Downey.     Our  subject  was  the  only  child  of 


his  parents,  and  was  reared  by  his  maternal  grand- 
father, John  J.  Flack,  a  native  of  Oswego  County, 
N.  Y.  Grandfather  Flack  came  to  Illinois  in  1840, 
and  for  many  years  was  a  resident  of  Joliet,  where 
his  death  took  place  in  1876. 

Dr.  Shaw  w,as  a  child  of  two  years  when  he  was 
brought  to  this  county  by  his  mother,  and  pursued 
his  first  studies  in  the  city  schools.  At  an  early 
age  he  began  serionslj'  to  think  of  adopting  the 
medical  profession,  and  entered  upon  his  studies 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  M.  B.  Campbell. 
He  took  his  first  course  of  lectures  at  the  Chicago 
Homeopathic  College,  subsequently  attended  and 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1884,  from  the  Chi- 
cago Medical  College,  the  latter  being  connected 
with,  the  Northwestern  University. 

Soon  after  locating  in  Joliet  the  Doctor  was 
elected  County  Coroner,  obtaining  the  highest 
number  of  votes  of  any  candidate  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  at  that  election.  This  fact  is  sufficient 
indication  of  his  standing  and  popularity  in  the 
county.  He  has  thus  far  made  for  himself  a  fine 
record,  and  has  the  wishes  of  hosts  of  friends  for  his 
continued  success.  He  has  a  fine  library,  to  which 
he  is  steadily  adding,  and  wherein  he  spends  his 
leisure  time,  keeping  himself  thoroughly  posted 
upon  the  latest  methods  of  practice,  while  in  a 
literary  point  of  view,  he  is  more  than  ordinarily 
proficient,  being  the  master  of  French,  and  having 
a  good  understanding  of  the  German  tongue. 

After  being  graduated  Dr.  Shaw  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  spent  seven  months  in  the  city  of  Paris, 
devoting  himself  to  the  study  of  surgery,  together 
with  venereal  diseases  and  diseases  of  the  eye  and 
ear,  of  which  he  makes  a  specialty.  He  there  ob- 
tained instruction  from  some  of  the  finest  practi- 
tioners at  the  French  Capital,  among  them  being 
the  noted  Galezowski.  I'pon  returning  to  his  na- 
tive land  he  spent  a  jear  in  the  Michael  Reese  Hos- 
pital, Chicago.  In  Paris  he  had  charge  of  oue  of 
the  wards  in  the  Hotel  Dieu,  the  largest  hospital  in 
the  city. 

Dr.  Sliaw  was  wedded,  February  5,  1885,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  West  Union,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Lida  B. 
Ilammonl.  This  lady  was  born  in  Joliet,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  King  J.  and  Julia  B.  Hammond, 
who  were  natives  of  New  York,  but  are  now  resi- 


372 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


dents  of  West  Union,  Iowa.  Two  bright  chiklren 
have  been  born  of  this  union,  a  son  and  daughter 
— Arthur  H.  and  Laura  H.  The  Doctor,  politi- 
cally, gives  his  support  to  the  Republican  party, 
but  meddles  very  little  with  public  affairs,  con- 
scientiously devotiuii:  his  attention  to  the  duties  of 
his  profession.  Both  lie  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
members  in  good  standiiiii  of  the  Methodist  Ei)is- 
copal  Church. 

<^  HARLES  FRANCIS  PINNEO,  one  of  the 
II  „  energetic  grocers  of  Joliet,  is  a  native  of 
<^^  Will  County,  having  been  born  in  Reed's 
Grove,  November  18,  1851.  As  a  farmer's  boy  he 
grew  up  with  an  anxiety  for  other  and  more  con- 
genial pursuits,  which  were  realized  upon  his  father 
leaving  farm  life  and  removing  to  ICIwood,  where 
he  remained  until  his  death  in  the  spring  of  1879. 
Our  subject  on  leaving  the  farm  went  to  Verona, 
111.,  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  where  he 
remained  until  coming  to  Joliet  in  1881,  where  he 
first  accepted  a  subordinate  position,  which  in  1883 
was  exchanged  for  the  proprietorship  of  the  busi- 
ness he  j^et  maintains. 

First  class  in  all  its  appointments,  the  grocery 
of  Mr.  Pinneo  is  a  model  and  his  business  is  a 
thriving  one.  It  is  conducted  according  to  the 
most  honorable  methods,  and  with  a  high  degree 
of  energy  and  tact,  and  the  patrons  of  the  estab- 
lishment are  sure  of  courteous  treatment  and  square 
dealing.  Politically,  Mr.  J'inneo  is  a  Republican, 
as  was  his  father  before  him.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  endeavors  to 
make  his  daily  walk  and  conversation  consistent 
with  his  Christian  profession,  and  so  wins  the  re- 
spect of  those  about  him. 

Mr.  Pinneo  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Miss  Mary  A.  Grant.  Their  marriage 
was  celebrated  Christmas  D.ay,  1872,  and  they  lived 
happily  together  until  January  16,  1887,  wiien 
death  removed  the  wife  and  mother.  Three  chil- 
dren had  blessed  the  union,  onl}'  one  of  whom, 
Anny  G.,  is  now  living.  The  present  wife  of  Mr. 
Pinneo  was  formerly  Mrs.  Loretta  Thornburg,  an 


estimable  woman  of  intelligence  and  good  breed- 
ing, who  looks  well  to  the  ways  of  her  honseliold, 
while  not  neglecting  the  social  duties  and  the  so- 
ciety of  her  many  friends. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Charles  Pinneo, 
a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  whose  natal  day  was 
March  26,  1808.  He  was  a  man  of  pionounced 
convictions,  an  ardent  worker  in  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance, a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  most  excellent 
citizen.  He  died  April  27,  1879,  lamented  by  a 
host  of  friends.  His  wife,  Mary  E.,  also  died  at 
Elwood.  her  demise  occuring  March  3,  1888;  she 
was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  August  4,  1812.  To  her 
and  her  husband  eleven  children  were  born,  whose 
record  is  as  follows:  William  Simmons  is  deceased  ; 
George  Davenport  lives  in  Oakland,  Cal.;  John 
Baxter,  in  Will  County;  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Elderkin, 
in  Montana;  Mrs.  Prudence  Maria  Shiffer,  in  Joliet; 
Mar}'  Sophia,  Sophronia  Eliza,  Andrew  Wilson  and 
Charles  Albert  are  dead;  Mrs.  Sophronia  Olivia 
Childs,  now  a  widow,  lives  in  Joliet;  Charles  Fran- 
cis is  the  youngest  member  of  the  famil}'.  The 
paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  John  D. 
and  Elizabeth  Pinneo,  also  natives  of  Nova  Scotia. 


/p^RIFFIN  MARSHALL.  The  subject  of  tliis 
'II  ,^=-  notice  is  a  son  of  the  late  well-known 
■^^!|  George  Marshall,  who  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  this  county,  coming  hither  when  a 
young  mail  and  before  his  mairiage.  He  was  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  State,  as  was  also  his  wife,  Mar- 
garet A.  I'addock.  The  Paddock  family  likewise 
came  to  Illinois  at  an  earl^-  day.  and  the  parents  of 
our  subject  were  married  in  this  county.  Tliey 
settled  on  section  1,  New  Lenox  Township,  but  in 
LSoO  the  father,  seized  with  the  California  gold 
fever,  repaired  to^the  Pacific  Slope.  He  started  on 
his  return  home  by  the  ocean  route,  died  on  board 
ship,  and  was  consigned  to  a  watery  grave.  The 
mother  is  still  living,  and  makes  her  home  in  New 
Lenox  Township. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  seven  children,  of   whom  firiflhi  was  the 


yi64Ayuid 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


375 


fiftli.  He  first  opened  liis  eyes  to  the  light  at  the 
homestead  in  New  Lenox  Townsliip,  November  30, 
1846.  Ho  was  a  mere  child  at  tlie  time  of  his 
father's  tlerilh,  and  remained  with  his  motiier  at  the 
old  homestead  until  approacliing  nianliood,  in  fact 
has  liere  spent  all  his  life  with  tlie  exception  of  six 
months  when  he  was  in  the  army.  He  was  bred  to 
farming  pursuits,  and  has  made  these  his  cliief  oc- 
cupation in  life.  He  owns  a  [tart  of  the  old  liome- 
stead,  liis  share  being  about  one  hundred  acres. 
The  land  under  careful  cultivation  is  very  fertile, 
and  the  buddings,  without  making  an}'  pretention 
to  elegance,  form  a  safe  shelter  for  the  little 
family. 

When  a  man  of  twenty-six  years  Mr.  Marshall 
was  married,  December  21,  1872,  in  Joliet,  to  Miss 
Lucy  J.  Fry.  She  was  born  in  Joliet,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Edmunds)  Fr}',  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  and 
are  now  deceased.  This  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  five  children,  namely:  Edward,  Jesse, 
.Maggie,  Louisa  and  Chester.  The}'  form  a  bright 
an<l  interesting  group,  all  remaining  under  the 
home  roof. 

Mr.  Marshall  has  alw.ays  taken  an  active  interest 
in  politics,  .and  gives  his  uniform  support  to  the 
Republican  party.  His  estimable  wife  is  a  member 
in  good  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


'-^^^^^^i^^^^f^T^f^ 


-<-v 


ANIEL  FERRISS.  It  is  a  blessing  which 
comes  not  to  all,  to  have  parents  of  whom 
their  children  may  be  proud  and  of  whom 
they  may  justly  speak  .as  models  after  which  to 
siia|)e  their  own  lives.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
has  the  most  intense  filial  feeling,  and  alludes  to 
his  parents  in  terms  of  reverent  affection  that 
proves  them  to  have  been  worthy  of  his  heart's 
best  love. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Thomas  Ferriss, 
born  in  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1789,  and 
son  of  a  surveyor  who  mysteriously  disappeared 
on  one  of  his  trips  and  was  never  ag.ain  heard  from. 
Thomas  Ferriss  enlisted  in  the  War  of  1812  and 
during  a  i)art  of  the  conflict    acted  as  a  teamster. 


On  July  4,  181.3,  at  the  bride's  home  in  Pennsylva- 
nia he  married  Miss  Desire  Lake  who  was  born  in 
Wilke.sbarre,  in  1790.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Daniel  Lake,  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  lived  to 
be  more  than  four-score  and  ten  years  old.  The 
Lake  family  was  noted  for  the  longevity  of  most 
of  the  members. 

Aliout  1818,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Ferriss  took 
up  their  abode  in  Washington  County,  N.  Y., 
whence  they  removed  to  .Jefferson  County  a  few 
years  later  and  from  there  to  St.  Lawrence  County. 
On  September  14,  1839,  the  faithful  wife  and 
mother  closed  her  eyes  in  death,  leaving  behind  her 
the  menior}'  of  wise  counsels  which  have  left  their 
impress  during  all  the  years  that  have  passed  since 
her  voice  became  silent. 

In  1844,  Thomas  Ferriss  and  his  family  came  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Lake  County.  Five  years  later 
they  removed  to  Wesley  Township,  this  count}', 
renting  a  farm  which  w.as  the  home  until  1854. 
One  year  after  their  settlement  upon  it  the  father 
crossed  the  plains  to  California  attracted  by  the  re- 
ports of  the  successful  search  for  precious  metal, 
and  during  the  four  years  which  followed  he  was 
able  to  save  -SI, 800  in  gold.  He  then  returned  to 
the  Prairie  State  and  located  on  the  farm  now  oc- 
cupied by  our  subject,  and  there  he  closed  his  eyes 
in  death  M.ay  25,  1875.  His  son  Daniel  had  prom- 
ised the  mother  upon  her  deathbed  that  he  would 
always  look  after  his  father,  and  right  well  did  he 
keep  his  promise,  bearing  the  burden  which  would 
have  been  too  heavy  for  the  father's  shoulders  and 
becoming  to  him  a  staff  in  his  declining  years. 

The  parental  family  comprised  ten  children,  four 
of  whom  are  now  living.  David,  who  is  now  sev- 
enty-six years  of  age,  lives  in  Michigan;  Mrs. 
Uachcl  Gates  is  residing  in  Minnesota,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  3'cars;  Julia,  bora  June  23,  1822, 
and  unmarried,  keeps  house  for  our  subject,  whose 
home  comfort  she  looks  after  with  tender  solici- 
tude. 

Daniel  Ferriss  was  born  January  20,  1819,  in 
Washington  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  and  even  in  childhood 
learned  lessons  of  hard  labor.  When  not  yet  ten 
years  old  he  drove  a  three-horse  team  all  summer. 
While  the  family  lived  in  St.  Lawrence  County  he 
worked  in    the    brass    furnaces   and  forge.     His 


376 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


school  advantaj^es  were  very  meagre  Init  his  native 
intelligence  aixl  the  knowledge  which  can  be 
gleaned  through  reading  and  observation,  have 
taken  the  place  of  the  education  which  was  denied 
him. 

After  the  family  removed  to  the  Prairie  State 
our  subject  worked  on  the  farm,  assisting  his  fa- 
father  to  pay  an  indebtedness  of  $30,  which  hung 
over  their  heads  when  they  reached  here,  and  after- 
ward improving  their  own  estate,  in  the  payment 
of  which  he  bore  a  part.  The  land  which  they 
purchased  was  nearly  devoid  of  improvements  and 
to  the  energy  and  perseverance  of  our  subject  its 
present  condition  is  due.  His  labors  are  particu- 
larly commendable  as  he  has  for  manj'  a  year  la- 
bored single-handed  in  a  literal  sense.  While 
running  a  threshing  m.ichine,  Oetobei  24,  1848, 
his  left  arm  was  drawn  into  the  c^'linder  and  torn 
off  at  the  elbow.  He  suffered  amputation  without 
the  use  of  an.esthetics  or  allowing  anyone  to  hold 
him,  exhibiting  fortitude  extremely  rare. 

The  one  hundred  and  fortj'-seven  acres  on  sec- 
tion 27.  which  comprise  the  estate  of  Mr.  Ferriss, 
are  adorned  by  a  good  stone  residence,  a  full  line 
of  substantial  outbuildings  and  various  fruit  and 
shade  trees.  Neatness  aud  order  prevail  every- 
where and  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  such  a  variety 
of  work  can  be  thoroughly  accomplished  with  the 
use  of  but  one  arm.  and  that  even  chopping,  crad- 
ling of  grain,  and  similar  work  has  been  done  by 
Mr.  Ferriss  since  he  suffered  the  loss  of  his  limb. 

Mr.  Ferriss  and  his  sister  are  honest,  God-fear- 
ing people,  whose  lives  are  spent  in  consistent 
endeavor  to  carry  out  the  Golden  Rule  and  honor 
the  name  which  they  bear.  They  have  never  been 
members  of  any  church,  although  thej-  lean  toward 
the  I'niversalist  denomination,  but  give  their  coun- 
tenance and  support  to  the  good  work  of  various 
congregations.  Mr.  Fevriss  served  as  Constable  of 
the  township  for  six  years.  Otherwise  he  has  con- 
stantly refused  to  hold  oflice.  He  is  a  friend  to 
Masonr}%  his  father  having  been  a  member  of  the 
fr.aternity.  He  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  the  political  issues  of  the  day  and  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  has  been  a  firm 
supporter  of  it.  Prior  to  that  time  he  had  been  a 
Democrat.     His    father    was  of   the    i'niversalist 


faith  and  this  no  iloubt  is  one  reason  why  our  sub- 
ject and  his  sister  favor  that  church.  They  are 
entitled  to  the  respect  of  those  about  them  and  re- 
ceive their  due  measure. 

On  another  page  of  the  Albcm    is  presented    a 
lithographic  portrait  of  the  late  Thomas  Ferri.ss. 


^^ 


;f]UDGE  D.WID  WILLARD.  Years  after  a 
stone  alone  remains  to  tell  the  story  of 
their  lives,  the  memories  of  some  will  be 
clierished  by  the  generations  who  follow 
them,  and  upon  whose  lives  their  efforts  have  left 
a  lasting  impress.  There  is  none  so  humble  but 
that  he  exerts  some  control  over  those  about  him, 
and  the  influence  of  a  man  of  great  mental  and 
physical  activity  can  only  be  measured  when  time 
shall  be  no  more.  One  of  the  landmarks  of  Will 
County,  aud  one  who  during  his  prime  has  taken  a 
very  prominent  part  in  local  affairs,  is  the  subject 
of  this  review,  who  has  now  practicall3'  retired  to 
his  farm  on  section  4,  Wesley  Township. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  June 
13.  1818,  in  Alleghany  County.  N.  Y.,  being  the 
second  child  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Sanders) 
Willard,  from  whom  he  inherited  sturdy  qualities. 
His  father  w.as  born  in  the  old  Bay  State,  in  1787, 
becoming  a  resident  of  Washington  Count}-,  N.  Y., 
when  a  young  man.  There,  in  1815.  he  married  a 
native  of  Ft.  Edwards,  the  young  couple  removintr 
during  the  same  year  to  AUeghan}-  County.  Dan- 
iel Willard  was  a  farmer,  and  during  the  War  of 
1812  had  taken  up  arms  in  his  countr3-'s  defense. 
He  liveil  to  tlie  advanced  age  of  ninety  j-ears.  one 
month  and  nine  days,  breathing  his  last  October 
21.  1877.  Ilis  faithful  companion  survived  him  a 
few  months,  dying  July  26,  1878.  >She  also  w.as  of 
rii)e  age,  having  been  born  .Vpril  22,  1704. 

Our  subject  was  the  fortunate  recipient  of  good 
educational  advant.oges,  and  made  a  spcciall}-  of 
algebra  and  field  surveying.  Being  reared  on  a 
farm  he  took  some  part  in  agricultural  labors,  and 
during  his  early  years  taught  school  in  the  winter 
season.  Before  he  had  attained  his  m.ijority  he 
was  put  on  the  ticket  as  School   Insjiector,  but  w.as 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


877 


not  elected  until  lliu  following  year,  when  he  was  a 
second  time  nominated.  He  was  afterw.inl  electe(1 
Constable  and  Town  Collector  for  three  successive 
years,  and  still  later  was  the  successful  candidate 
for  Justice  of  the  Peace,  leaving  home,  however, 
before  the  term  of  oHice  began. 

When  twenty-one  years  ohl  Mr.  Wiil;u<l  at  odd 
times  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  on  the  Alle- 
gany River.  His  first  experience  was  as  a  raftsman, 
a  position  which  required  a  keen  eye,  quick  wit  and 
physical  activity.  lie  frequently  walked  from 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  to  his  home,  a  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred miles,  there  being  no  means  of  transit  other 
than  this.  In  the  spring  of  18i4  Mr.  Willard  took 
a  companion,  with  whom  he  came  at  once  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  on  a  tract  of  unimproved  land.  It 
comprised  the  eighty  acres  on  which  he  is  now 
passing  his  days  in  peace  and  pleasantness.  He 
built  a  small  house  which,  in  1857,  was  replaced  by 
the  present  oozy  home,  and  which  was  gradiiall}' 
surrounded  with  the  various  improvements  which 
a  good  farmer  considers  necessary  for  the  success- 
ful prosecution  of  his  work,  and  the  comfort  of 
himself  and  family. 

The  vocation  to  which  he  turned  his  attention 
as  a  means  of  support  was  not  allowed  to  engross 
the  attention  of  Mr.  Willard,  whose  fitness  for 
office  was  soon  recognized  by  his  fellow-citizens, 
who  demanded  his  services.  In  1846  he  was  given 
the  position  of  Township  School  Treasurer,  and 
continued  therein  for  years.  Two  years  later  he 
was  elected  .Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  this  office 
he  served  until  1865.  As  Township  Supervisor 
and  Chairman  of  the  Board  he  also  officiated  for 
years,  his  service  in  the  latter  capacitj-  having  ex- 
tended over  the  period  of  the  Civil  War.  He  had 
to  assess  the  citizens  for  the  first  money  raised  to 
send  the  township  quota  for  defraying  expenses  of 
the  army,  and  many  friends  were  lost  b}'  this 
action.  His- personal  feelings,  however,  did  not 
deter  him  from  the  exercise  of  his  judgment,  and 
the  integrity  with  which  he  managed  the  affair  was 
afterward  overwhelminglj'  endorsed. 

In  186.i  Mr.  Willard  was  elected  Judge  of  the 
County  Court  for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  being 
re-elected,  in  1869,  he  continued  to  serve  until 
1873.     He  removed  his  family  to  Joliet  and  made 


that  city  his  home  during  his  second  terra.  His 
strict  horior.  acute  judgment  of  character,  and  de- 
cisive opinions  regarding  right  and  justice,  were 
called  into  play  while  seated  upon  the  bench,  and 
the  lecord  which  he  made  is  one  upon  which  he  can 
look  back  with  pride,  knowing  that  his  worst  enemy 
can  find  no  just  ground  for  condemnation  of  his 
course.  Judge  Willard  was  first  identified  with 
the  Whig  i)arty,  and  after  its  disintegration  en- 
listed in  the  Republican  ranks.  His  first  Presiden- 
tial ballot  was  cast  for  Gen.  W.  H.  Harrison,  and 
his  last  for  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison,  the  descend- 
ant of  the  hero  of  Tippecanoe. 

Judge  Willard  is  descended  in  the  seventh  gen- 
eration from  Maj.  Simon  Willard,  who  emigrated 
from  Kent  County,  j;ngland,  to  Massachusetts,  in 
1634.  The  father  of  Maj.  Willard  was  Richard 
Willard,  who  held  a  large  lauded  estate  in  the 
mother  country.  The  Major  was  a  member  of  the 
General  Court  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  and  a 
participant  in  King  Phillip's  war.  He  had  nine 
sous,  from  the  youngest  of  whom  Judge  Willard  is 
descended. 

The  estimable  woman  who  for  man^^  years  h.as 
been  the  cherished  companion  of  .Tudge  Willard, 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hodah  Axtcll.  She  is  a 
native  of  the  Em|)ire  State,  born  October  27,  1822, 
and  is  the  oldest  of  three  surviving  children  in  a 
family  of  twelve.  Slie  attended  the  common 
schools  in  her  native  State,  acquiring  all  the  knowl- 
edge which  an  apt  pupil  could,  and  at  her  home 
was  instructed  in  housewifely  arts  and  the  princi- 
ples of  right  living,  which  have  made  her  honored 
and  useful  in  her  home  and  among  her  neighbors. 
Her  union  with  Judge  Willard  was  oelelirated  May 
9,  18J4,  and  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six 
children.  The  fond  parents  have  been  called  upon 
to  part  with  four  of  their  loved  ones.  The  sur- 
vivors are:  Lois,  wife  of  Albert  H.  Mapps,  of 
Joliet,  and  the  mother  of  one  child ;  Reuel,  who 
also  lives  in  Joliet,  is  now  filling  the  office  of 
County  Surveyor,  and  who  took  for  his  wife  Miss 
Cora  Sibert;  Alice  died  at  the  age  of  three  }-ears, 
from  typhoid  fever,  which  was  a  sad  altliction  to 
the  bereaved  parents.  Three  children  died  in  in- 
faHcy  unnamed. 

It  will  not  be  amiss  to  devote  a  few  lines  to  the 


378 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ancestry  of  Mrs.  Willani.  Her  father.  CliauiK-ey 
Axtell,  was  born  at  Cronnian's  Patent,  N.  Y.,  in 
1786,  and  her  mother,  Betsey  (Morse)  Axtell,  in 
Otsego  County,  in  1706.  They  resided  in  tlie  Em- 
pire State  (luring  the  life  of  Mrs.  Axtell,  who 
passed  awa}-  in  .lanuarj-,  1852.  The  same  year  the 
bereaved  widower  removed  to  Illinois,  locating 
one  mile  viest  of  the  present  home  of  Judge  Wil- 
lard.  There  he  remained  until  death,  the  date  of 
his  decease  being  August,  1864.  He  was  a  farmer  i 
and  lumberman,  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  liesides  Mis.  Willard  the  surviving  members 
of  his  family  are  Axie  E.  and  Betsey  M. 

— '> »^-i:|> V- 


'¥|ANE  CHADWICK  has  displayed  a  degree 
of  administrative  ability  and  comprehension 
of  business  affairs  which  would  be  liighly 
creditable  to  one  of  the  sterner  sex.  She 
is  administratrix  of  the  estate  of  the  late  John 
Jones,  of  Manhattan  Township,  having  full  power 
to  manage  the  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  as  she 
sees  fit,  and  is  kept  busy  in  attending  to  the  labors 
which  it  entails  upon  her.  The  farm  is  rented  and 
Miss  Chadwick  occupies  a  pleasant  residence  in  the 
village,  which  for  comfort  and  ease  is  not  excelled 
therein.  She  is  looked  up  to  by  ever3'one  and  no 
person  in  this  vicinitj'  has  more  friends  than  she. 
The  father  of  our  subject  \vas  John  Chadwick. 
a  native  of  Lancashire,  England,  who  died  when 
his  daughter,  Jane,  was  about  eight  years  old.  The 
mother  was  Jane  (Murraj-)  Chadwick,  a  native  of 
Scotland,  who  upon  being  left  a  widow  with  nine 
children,  labored  so  wiselj-  and  well  that  slie  was 
able  to  rear  them  with  fair  educations  and  prepar- 
ation for  future  usefulness.  She  died  in  3Ian- 
chester,  England,  in  18o2.  She  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  endeav- 
ored to  instill  the  principles  of  right  living  into 
the  hearts  of  her  offspring. 

The  members  of  the  parental  family  were  Mar3-, 
Alice,  James.  Jane,  Joseph,  Elizabeth.  Henr\-,  John 
and  Ellen.  Mary  and  Alice  moved  to  Australia 
some  3-ears  after  our  subject  came  to  America  and 
have  since  been  lost  track  of.     James  was  in  the 


Twenty-third  Royal  AVelsh  Fusileers  and  served 
through  the  Crimean  War,  becoming  a  Corporal. 
At  the  close  of  the  struggle  he  returned  to  Eng- 
land, but  a  few  weeks  later  accompanied  the  arniv 
to  China  and  his  sister  has  never  heard  from  him 
since  that  daj'.  She  has  lost  trace  of  the  entire 
family  and  is  not  aware  that  she  has  a  single  rela- 
tive living. 

Miss  .Jane  Ch.adwick  was  born  in  Manchester, 
England,  and  reared  there  with  somewhat  limited 
school  advantages.  It  being  necessary'  that  she 
should  early  in  life  have  an  occupation  bj'  which 
she  could  secure  a  livelihood,  she  learned  dress- 
making and  millinery,  serving  a  regular  appren- 
ticeship from  sixteen  until  twentj^.one  ^-ears  of 
age.  From  earl^-  years  she  had  made  her  home 
with  an  aunt  and  about  the  time  that  she  became 
of  age  thj  health  of  her  relative  failed  and  the 
doctors  recommended  travel  as  a  means  of  restor- 
ing it. 

Miss  Cliadwick  was  requested  to  accompany  her 
aunt  and  uncle,  and  having  consented,  embarked  at 
Glasgow.  Scotland,  on  the  steamer  ••  City  of  Glas- 
gow," which  sailed  April  1,  1850.  This  vessel  was 
one  of  the  first  ocean  steamers  and  this  was  her 
first  trip.  After  a  stormy  vo^'age  of  fourteen 
days  and  eight  hours,  during  which  Miss  Chadwick 
had  been  ill  continualh'.  landing  was  made  at  New 
York.  For  three  j-ears  the  part}'  traveled  in  and 
through  man}'  of  the  States  of  the  Union,  their 
journeyings  ceasing  only  with  the  death  of  the 
au!it,  which  took  place  at  Louisville,  K}-.,  in  1853. 
The  bereaved  uncle  was  obliged  to  return  to  Eng- 
land and  was  most  anxious  to  have  our  subject  go 
with  him,  but  she  so  dreaded  the  voyage  that  she 
declined. 

For  some  time  Miss  Chadwick  followed  dress- 
making in  Louisville  and  then,  having  friends  in 
Atchison,  Kan.,  who  had  come  from  her  old  Eng- 
lish home,  she  determined  to  locate  there.  She 
traveled  to  Atchison  by  boat  and  there  engaged  in 
dressmaking,  making  her  home  with  her  friends. 
During  those  exciting  times  of  border  ruffianism 
which  preceded  the  late  Civil  War,  she  saw  and 
heard  much  of  the  events  which  have  become  his- 
torical. The  head  of  the  household  in  which  she 
h.ad  found  her  home,  went  South  and  was  killed  en 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


379 


board  a  boat  at  New  Orleans,  bis  murder  proving 
such  a  stiock  to  his  wife  that  she  too  died  an<l  ouv 
subject  was  as^ain  left  alone. 

In  1858,  having  been  recommended  b3-  Atchison 
friends  to  come  to  Joliet,  111.,  which  was  then  just 
starting.  Miss  Cliadwicli  turned  her  face  eastward. 
Close  confinement  to  sewing  had  affected  her 
liealth  and  her  ph3-siciau  advised  her  to  do  house- 
work for  a  change.  Although  she  knew  nothing 
about  housekeeping,  she  determined  to  follow  the 
doctor's  advice  and  when  she  reached  Joliet  did 
not  even  stop  to  eat  her  dinner  for  fear  that  her 
courage  would  fail  her,  but  started  out  in  search  of 
a  {)lace.  Walking  up  on  the  bluff,  where  she  had 
several  amusing  experiences,  she  finally  secured  a 
situation  at  Mr.  Furman  Macks.  There  she  remained 
unlil  she  became  housekeeper  for  the  late  James 
Jones  in  Manhattan  Township.  This  gentleman 
was  not  the  best  of  managers,  although  an  excel- 
lent man,  and  MissChadwick  manifested  so  much 
ability  and  good  sense  that  he  ere  long  admitted 
that  she  was  a  better  farmer  than  he,  and  followed 
her  advic^e  in  his  business. 

Seeing  that  Mr.  Jones  was  not  successful  as  a 
farmer.  Miss  Chadwick  advised  him  to  build  tenant 
houses  on  each  quarter  section  and  rent  the  estate. 
This  he  did,  the  i)lan  working  so  admirably  that 
he  became  one  of  the  most  substantial  men  of  the 
township.  Miss  Chadwick  remained  with  him  un- 
til his  death,  when  she  lost  a  good  friend.  Realiz- 
ing that  to  her  advice  he  owed  his  success,  Mr. 
Jones  wished  to  give  Miss  Chadwick  a  deed  to  the 
farm,  but  she  would  not  allow  this,  having  no 
desire  to  become  defendant  in  a  suit  which  would 
swallow  up  the  jilace  and  cause  much  hard  feeling 
in  the  minds  of  liis  relatives.  She  accepted  a  life 
annuity,  ^300  [ler  annnra,  which,  with  theadminis- 
tr.ator's  fees,  affords  her  a  comfortable  support. 
Congressman  Ilill,  of  Joliet,  was  appointed  by  Mr. 
Junes  to  assist  Miss  Chadwick,  but  she  lias  the  su- 
preme power.  She  remained  on  the  farm  a  j'ear 
after  the  death  of  the  owner,  straightening  up 
affairs  and  selling  off  eight}-  acres,  leaving  five 
hundred  and  sixt^'  in  the  farm. 

In  1883  Miss  Chadwick  bought  a  half  acre  in  Man- 
hattan upon  which  she  erected  three  houses,  later 
building  her  own  residence.     She  is  an  active  and 


liberal  member  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  in 
Manhattan  Township,  and  a  meml)cr  of  the  Ladies' 
Ouild,  for  which  she  has  acted  as  delegate  and 
otherwise  labored.  She  is  a  firm  believer  in  the 
principles  of  l\epul)licanism  and  exerts  all  the 
influence  which  a  woman  of  her  standing  can,  in 
favor  of  that  partJ^ 


VljOHN  McDonald.  No  resident  of  Frank- 
fort Station  is  better  known  than  this  gen- 
tleman, who  deals  in  grain,  lumber,  coal, 
hay  and  tile,  and  who  has  had  an  extended 
experience  as  a  grain  merchant.  No  better  judge  of 
grain  can  be  found  in  the  county-  than  John  Mc- 
Donald, and  he  was  probably  the  largest  buyer 
within  it  in  the  early  days  of  Frankfort  Station. 
He  still  handles  large  quantities,  and  is  recognized 
as  the  old  and  reliable  grain  merchant. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  John  Mc- 
Donald, a  native  of  the  Highlands,  in  Scotland, 
who  ran  awa}^  from  his  country  during  a  revolu- 
tion and  became  a  farmer  in  Ireland.  He  had  pre- 
viously been  an  officer  in  the  Scotch  Rebellion. 
In  County  Tipperar3%  Ireland,  his  son  John  was 
born,  and  he  also  became  a  farmer,  continuing  his 
agricultural  occupation  uiitil  his  death.  He  was 
also  a  road  contractor.  He  married  Ellen  Gleason, 
a  native  of  the  same  county,  who  bore  him  five 
children,  namely:  James,  Patrick,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth and  John.  The  latter  is  the  only  one  now 
surviving,  and  he  alone  came  to  America. 

The  natal  daj'  of  our  subject  w.as  December  11, 
1823,  and  his  birthplace  in  County  Tipperary 
some  six  miles  from  Nanah.  There  he  attended 
school  three  years,  going  back  and  forth  every 
day,  and  securing  excellent  advantages  by  paying 
seven  shillings  per  quarter.  He  read  Latin  and 
Greek  and  became  well  versed  in  the  ordinary 
branches.  He  was  assisted  greatly  in  his  aspira- 
tions and  labors  by  the  fact  the  teiicher  boarded 
with  his  parents.  The  master  was  very  strict, 
compelling  his  pupils  to  polish  their  shoes,  brush 
their  clothes  and  in  other  ways  make  themselves 
presentable  every  morning.     Mathematics  was  the 


380 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


bobby  of  .young  JoLin.  who,  while  he  was  helping 
on  the  farm  and  keeping  his  father's  books,  was 
able  to  figure  anything. 

After  keeping  books  for  his  fatlier  two  years,  tlie 
young  man,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  j^ears,  came  to 
America  to  see  the  country.  Leaving  Dublin  for 
Liverpool  in  the  summer  of  1841,  he  secured  pass- 
age on  an  American  sailing-vessel  and  five  weeks 
later  was  landed  in  New  York  among  strangers. 
lie  had  $2,000,  every  cent  of  which  he  spent  in 
traveling  through  New  York,  Pennsylvania  .and 
Michigan.  He  did  not  engage  in  any  occupation 
until  18r>0,  when  he  began  work  for  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  at  New  Buffalo,  Mich,  which  was 
at  that  time  the  terminus  of  the  road.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  the  ro.ad  termin- 
ated, in  1852,  and  there  he  checked  freight  two 
years. 

In  1854  Mr.  McDonald  came  to  Joliet.  continu- 
ing his  employment  as  a  checkman  until  1857, when 
lie  received  the  appointment  of  agent  at  Frankfort, 
which  was  just  starting  into  life.  He  held  the 
position  of  agent  until  1875,  when  he  resigned.  In 
1859  he  began  buying  grain  for  J.  L.  Heard  & 
Co.,  of  Michigan,  and  he  continued  to  transact 
this  commission  business  until  187G.  He  then  era- 
harked  in  the  grain  business  for  himself,  l>nt  al- 
though he  desired  to  build  an  elevator,  he  couJd 
not  do  so  on  account  of  the  lease  of  the  railroad. 
He  was  compelled  to  put  his  grain  through  their 
houses  until  he  caught  them  using  his  grain  and 
was  able  to  break  tlicir  lease.  He  then  built  the 
second  elevator  in  Frankfort,  whicii  was  35x50 
feet  on  the  ground  and  had  a  cai)acity  of  twenty- 
five  thousand  bushels. 

In  1885  Mr.  McDonald  bought  out  the  other 
elevator  which  had  been  erected  in  Frankfort,  and 
from  that  time  c>perated  both.  On  May  21,  1889, 
the  first  was  burned  to  the  ground,  but  he  did  not 
allow  this  catastroi)he  to  interrupt  his  bu.sjness. 
That  summer  he  built  an  elevator  on  the  Elgin, 
.loliet  &.  Eastern  Railroad,  at  Frankfort,  which  has 
a  capacity  of  forty  thousand  bushels,  is  run  by 
steam  power  and  supplied  with  the  C:ii[>per  and  Cy- 
clone Dust  Consumer.  He  sends  grain  to  New 
York  and  other  large  commercial  centers  and  does 
an  extensive  business,  mostly   in  corn  and  oats,  al- 


though when  he  began  buying,  wheat  and  oats 
were  his  staples.  It  has  been  no  unusual  sight  to 
see  teams  standing  all  around  town  waiting  for  tlie 
use  of  the  scales,  the  contents  of  the  wagons  pass- 
ing through  the  hands  of  Mr.  McDonald. 

In  the  earlier  d.ays  of  his  career  as  a  grain  dealer, 
Mr.  McDonald  ran  a  corn-sheller  day  and  nio-ht. 
In  1881  he  began  dealing  in  lumber,  and  it  was  not 
long  until  he  added  coal  to  his  stock-in-trade. 
He  has  a  hay  barn  and  bales  that  article  for  ship- 
ping, and  he  likewise  does  quite  an  extensive  busi- 
ness in  selling  tile.  He  is  one  of  those  busy  men 
who  are  always  full  of  affairs  and  find  time  for  the 
successful  [irosecution  of  various  lines  of  work. 
He  is  now  the  only  grain  dealer  in  Frankfort,  and 
in  this  flourishing  agricultural  country  a  laro-e 
amount  of  trade  passes  through  his  hands.  He 
owns  a  valuable  improved  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Green  Garden  Township.  In 
addition  to  the  business  which  we  have  noted,  he 
was  agent  for  the  American  Express  Company 
eighteen  years.  The  success,  which  first  began  to 
crown  his  efforts  while  working  as  a  commission 
agent,  has  but  increased  in  later  years,  and  he  has 
secured  ample  means. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  iNIcDonalil  and  Miss  Kliza- 
beUi  Doty,  a  native  of  Will  County,  took  pLace  in 
Frankfort  in  1859.  The  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  the  youngest, 
Elizabeth  Doly,died  at  the  age  of  eight  months;  Her- 
bert John  is  a  salesman  for  8.  E.  Gross,  a  Chicago 
real-estate  dealer;  Edward  Everett  spent  two  years 
in  attendance  at  the  University  at  Evanston,  and 
one  year  in  Souder's  Business  College,  at  Chicago; 
Charles  Howard  also  attended  the  Northwestern 
I'ni  versify,  at  Evanston,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
Ohio. 

]\Ii-.  McDonald  w.as  Supervisor  of  Frankfort 
Township  eight  years,  and  held  the  oflices  of 
School  Director  and  Trustee  for  years.  He  helped 
to  incorporate  the  village  aiMl  was  its  first  Presi- 
dent, resigning  the  ofliee  at  the  ex|iir;ition  of  two 
years,  lie  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, lieing  enrolled  in  the  Chapter  and  Command- 
ery  at  .lolief  :ind  having  a  life  membership  in  a 
Consistory  in  Cliicago.     In  politics  he  is  a  straight 


B.  A.  FULLER. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


381 


Republican,  and  has  been  from  the  time  he  cast  his 
vote  for  Fremont  in  Joliet,  in  185G.  He  has  served 
at  various  times  as  a  delegate  to  county  and  State 
conventions  and  was  a  member  of  the  Central 
Committee  eight  years. 


i)OBERT  W.  CROSSEN,  proprietor  of  the 
R.  W.  Crosseu  Carriage  Manufactory,  occu- 
t4i  Wv  pies  a  prominent  position  among  tlie  indus- 
trial interests  of  Joliet.  This  enterprise  is 
located  at  Nos.  620  and  622,  Van  Buren  Street, 
where  it  was  established  Januarj-  1,  1889,  having 
removed  from  East  Jefferson  Street,  and  comprises, 
besides  the  main  building,  a  repository  40x80  feet 
in  dimensions,  with  two  floors  and  an  addition  of 
one  storj',  20x48  feet.  Mr.  Crossen  embarked  in 
business  for  himself  in  April,  1883,  on  Van  Buren 
Street,  near  Chicago  Strect,commencing  in  a  modest 
waj',  but  now  gives  employment  to  from  ten  to 
lifteen  men.  This  is  the  largest  manufactory  of 
the  kind  in  the  place  and  receives  orders  from  all 
parts  of  the  country-. 

Mr.  Crossen  is  a  native  of  Coburg,  Province  of 
Ontario,  Canada,  and  was  born  February  25,  1856. 
His  father,  Jackson  Crossen,  was  Jikewise  a  na- 
tive of  the  Dominion,  where  he  lived  until  18C5, 
engaged  as  a  contractor  of  stone  work.  During 
tiie  year  mentioned  he  came  to  Illinois  and  located 
near  Joliet,  where,  with  his  estim.able  wife,  form- 
erly Miss  Van  Norman,  he  still  lives  and  is  still 
engaged  as  before.  Robert  W.  ac(|uired  his  early 
education  in  the  schools  of  Joliet  and  entered  upon 
his  business  career  as  a  carjienter  and  joiner.  Sub- 
sequently he  served  an  aiiprenticoship  at  carriage- 
making,  which  he  liiiislied  when  a  j'outh  of  eighteen 
and  continuously  worked  at  this  until  establishing 
himself  in  his  own  liusiness.  He  had  but  a  small 
capital  at  the  outset,  but  by  good  management  and 
strict  economy  he  soon  found  himself  on  the  high- 
way to  prosperity.  The  year  1880  witnessed  the 
largest  amount  of  business  yet  turned  out  of  this 
manufactf)ry.  Twice  has  Mr.  Crossen  been  obliged 
to  enlarge  his  facilities,  and  the  experiment  will 
have  to  be  repeated   in    the  near  future.      He  is  a 


man  prompt  to  meet  his  obligations  and  his 
straightforward  business  methods  command  the  re- 
spectful consideration  of  all  with  whom  he  deals. 
His  extensive  business  interests  prevent  him  giv- 
ing much  time  to  public  affairs  further  than  sup- 
jwrting  by  his  vote  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party. 

Mr.  Crossen,  on  the  12th  of  May,  1884,  took 
unto  himself  a  wife  and  helpmate,  Miss  Mary  E. 
Simpson.  Mrs.  Crossen  was  born  in  18G2,  in  the 
Province  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  Benjamin  .and  Sarah  Simpson,  who  were  n.a- 
tives  of  Canada.  Mr.  Simpson  came  to  this  county 
some  years  ago  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago, 
officiating  in  a  printing  office.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crossen  there  have  been  born  two  children,  daugh- 
ters— Nellie  and  Mabel.  The  little  family  occu- 
pies a  snug  home  at  No.  908  Cass  Street,  and  they 
have  gathered  about  them  many  warm  friends 
since  their  sojourn  here. 


[r^UEL  A.  FULLER.  The  legal  fraternity 
L^^  of  Will  County  would  be  but  poorly  repre- 
f(®)  f )  rented  in  this  volume  were  not  mention 
>Sr  made  of  the  gentleman  above  named,  who 
is  one  of  the  oldest  lawi'crs  living  in  Joliet,  and 
whose  portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page.  He 
h.as  retired  from  active  life  after  man}'  years  of 
tmroraitting  toil,  by  means  of  which  he  secured  for 
himself  a  fine  fooling  in  the  profession  and  a  com- 
petence which  cnaliles  him  to  spend  his  winters  in 
the  South,  and  to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  even 
luxuries  of  life.  His  home,  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  residences  in  or  about  Joliet,  is  located  just 
outside  the  city  limits  and  surrounded  by  over  two 
hundred  acres  of  beautiful  and  well  develo|)ed 
land.  Not  only  is  the  dwelling  itself  an  attractive 
one  but  in  its  furnishing  it  evinces  the  taste  and 
culture  of  the  occupants.  Mr.  Fuller  is  a  self-made 
man,  as  his  life  history  will  show,  ami  as  such  he 
deserves  the  greater  credit  for  his  attainments  and 
acquisitions.  His  nature  is  a  genial  one,  his  char- 
acter honorable  and  his  mental  abilities  of  a  high 
order.      In  all  his  enter|)rises  he  is  ably  assisted  by 


38-2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


his  wife,  who  presides  over  their  elegant  home  with 
gracious  hospitality.  She  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Edith  Carpenter,  and  was  born  in  the  Empire 
Slate  to  Alfred  an<l  Susan  (Fargo)  Carpenter.  She 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Fuller  January  28,  1885. 

The  natal  day  of  Mr.  Fuller  was  August  8.  1832. 
his  birth  having  taken  place  in  Edgar  County,  111., 
about  six  miles  east  of  Paris.  His  parents,  Hiram 
and  Nanc3'  (Murphy)  Fuller,  maile  their  first  set- 
tlement after  marriage  in  the  county  where  he  was 
born,  whence  they  removed  to  Coles  County,  and 
then  to  Danville.  There  the  father  died  in  1841, 
the  mother  surviving  until  1869.  The\' had  a  fam- 
ily of  five  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
second.  The  father  w.as  bom  amid  the  Green 
Mountains  in  Vermont  and  the  mother  in  Miami 
County,  Ohio. 

The  earliest  recollections  of  our  subject  are  of 
Danville,  where  his  life  was  passed  till  the  age  of 
ten  j'ears,  at  which  time  he  went  to  Perrysville, 
Ind.,  and  entered  a  iirinting  office.  There  he  was 
emplo3'ed  about  two  3-eai's  and  a  half,  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  former  home,  spending  a  short  time 
in  an  office  there  and  going  thence  to  Covington, 
Ind.  In  tbat  thriving  town  he  spent  some  time, 
leaving  it  for  a  position  in  Peoria,  111.,  whence  he 
was  driven  several  months  later  by  the  breaking 
out  of  the  cholera.  Returning  again  to  Danville, 
which  was  his  home  during  all  this  time,  he  after  a 
short  sojourn  took  his  departure  for  LaFayette,Ind., 
walking  the  entire  distance,  having  but  a  small 
amount  of  money  which  he  had  borrowed  to  help 
him  along.  There  he  was  employed  on  the  LaFay- 
ette  Courier  for  several  months,  and  being  a  good 
type  setter,  although  but  a  boj',  he  was  able  to  do 
a  man's  work  and  he  received  as  much  i)ay  for  his 
labor  as  any  one  in  that  branch  of  the  business.  In 
that  city  he  was  connected  with  others  in  publishing 
the  Wafjash  Scrotchcs,  which  w.as  in  great  demand 
during  the  months  of  its  publication. 

We  next  find  young  Fuller  in  connection  with 
Daniel  Clapp,  of  Danville.  111.,  i)u'ilishiug  the 
Temperance-  Journal  and  Sons  Companion,  an  en- 
terprise which  was  not  carried  on,  however,  for 
any  great  length  of  time.  New  Albany,  Ind.,  was 
the  next  abiding  place  of  the  young  man,  who  re- 
mained in  that  citj^    nearly  a  year,  next  going  to 


Madison,  where  he  became  foreman  on  a  paper, 
known  as  the  Madison  Banner,  and  published  by 
Bright  Bros.  Sever.al  months  later,  on  July  2, 
1852,  he  came  to  Joliet  and  purchased  a  half  inter- 
est in  the  Tt'Ue  Democrat,  bis  associate  being  Alex- 
ander Mcintosh.  The  succeeding  summer  he  sold 
his  connection  with  the  paper  on  account  of  sick- 
ness and  for  a  time,  while  regaining  his  health,  he 
w.as  in  a  daguerreotype  gallery  learning  the  busi 
ness  but  not  with  a  view  to  following  it  perma- 
nenlh-. 

Soon  after  this  Mr.  Fuller  went  to  Chic4»go.  find- 
ing employment  in  the  job  office  of  the  Journal 
for  a  few  months  and  then  being  transferred  to  the 
foremanship  of  the  news  department.  There  he 
rem.iined  but  a  short  time  ere  entering  the  office 
of  the  Chicago  Democrat,  then  edited  b}'  "Long 
John"  Wentworth.  from  which  he  went  to  that  of 
the  Democratic  Press.  Some  months  later  he  pur- 
chased a  half  iuterest  in  a  grocery  store  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Randolpli  and  Greene  Streets  and  embarked 
in  the  career  of  a  tradesman,  buj'ing  out  his  asso- 
ciate after  a  year  of  partnership  and  removing  the 
slock  to  Joliet.  Here  he  carried  on  the  business 
about  a  twelvemonth  when  he  sold  out  the  stock 
and  fixtures  and  returned  to  his  former  line  of 
labor. 

The  spring  o/  1856  found  Mr.  Fuller  the  purchaser 
of  the  Democrat  office  at  Kankakee,  and  the  editor 
and  man.ager  of  that  sheet  for  a  3ear,  during  which 
period  he  began  reading  law.  In  1858,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  entered  into  partnership  with 
Judge  S.  W.  Randall  and  the  Hon.  Henry  Snapp, 
the  firm  being  known  as  Randall.  .Snapp  ik  Fuller. 
The  connection  continued  about  a  3'ear  when  the 
second  member  withdrew,  the  firm  thereafter  being 
known  as  Randall  it  Fuller,  until  the  admission 
into  it  of  Royal  E.  Barber,  a  sketch  of  whom  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The  new  firm  of 
Barber,  K.andall  &  Fuller  continued  until  the  earl}' 
part  of  the  last  decade,  when  Mr.  Fuller  withdrew 
and  abandoned  the  practice  of  the  law.  The  firm 
of  R-.indall  <fe  Fuller  was  the  oldest  law  partnership 
in  Joliet,  Mr.  Barber's  connection  with  them  cov- 
ering a  period  of  about  three  years. 

Since  his  withdrawal  from  legal  business  in  1882, 
Mr.  Fuller  has  passed  his  winters  in  the  South  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBDM. 


385 


liis  summeis  in  various  sections  to  which  fancy  has 
led  him.  On  two  different  occasions  he  was  elected 
City  Attorney,  but  he  has  had  no  particular  lilting 
for  politics  and  has  not  cared  to  fill  public  oHiccs. 
lie  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity-  and  lias 
been  an  Odd  Fellow  since  1852. 


ir-sy  EV.  JAMES  LEWIS,  Pastor  of  the  Central 
'^^  Presbyterian  Church  at  Joliet,  was  called 
to  this  charge  in  Ma3',  1882,  and  has  since 
vj;^  been  connected  with  it.  He  is  a  minister 
of  talent,  and  greatly  beloved  both  as  pastor  and 
preacher.  Thoroughl3'  educated  and  alive  to  the 
duties  of  his  calling,  his  has  been  the  i-are  privilege 
to  pursue  a  career  of  more  than  ordinary  useful- 
ness and  success.  He  is  a  native  of  Hamden, 
Delaware  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  May  23, 
183G. 

IMi'.  Lewis  comes  of  substantial  ancestry,  being 
llic  son  of  Alexander  and  Rebecca  (Crawford) 
Lewis,  who  were  natives  respectively  of  Peebleshire 
and  Argyleshire,  Scotland,  whence  they  came  to 
America  in  1834.  The  father  w.as  a  weaver  by 
trade,  and  a  well-educated  man,  and  after  coming 
to  tliis  countr}'  occupied  himself  .as  a  teacher,  and 
also  engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  The  children 
of  the  parental  household  are  recorded  .as  follows: 
William  C.  occupies  himself  as  a  lumberman  in 
Delaware  County,  N.  Y.;  James,  our  subject,  was 
the*second  born;  Alexander.  Jr.,  is  assistant  engi- 
neer of  railway  construction  in  that  county;  Mathew 
C,  who  earned  the  title  of  Captain  by  defending 
the  Union  in  the  late  war,  is  a  contractor  and 
builder,  mostly  in  the  railway  service,  making  his 
headquarters  in  his  native  county;  Louis  K.  is  a 
dyer  of  Delhi,  N.  Y.,  and  although  nearl}-  blind 
turns  out  some  remarkably  fine  work;  Celia,  Mrs. 
Smith,  died  at  Delhi,  N.  Y.,  in  the  \'ear  1868;  Jen- 
nie C.  also  died  at  Delhi,  in  1865.  when  an  inter- 
esting maiden  of  eighteen  years;  Margaret,  Mrs. 
Boyd,  is  a  resident  of  Hays  City,  Kan.,  where  her 
husband  officiates  as  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction; Rebecca  died  in  Ha^s  City,  Kan.,  in 
1884.  Alexander  Lewis  departed  this  life  at  his 
home  in    Hamdeo.    Delaware    County,    N.    Y.,    in 


1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years;  the  mother 
died  in  Hays  City,  Kan.,  March  3,  1890,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-nine. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  his  native  county,  and  from  the  .age  of 
ten  to  seventeen  was  employed  in  a  woolen  fac- 
tory. He  then  served  an  apprenticeship  at  house 
painting  and  paper  hanging.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  he  kept  steadily  in  view  his  desire  and 
determination  to  acquire  a  thorough  education,  and 
now  commenced  in  earnest  to  put  his  resolution  into 
practice.  AYhen  nineteen  years  old  he  began  to 
prepare  for  college  under  the  instruction  of  Pro- 
fessors Sawj'cr  and  E.  G.  Cobb,  with  each  of 
wiiom  he  remained  one  year. 

In  18.')7  young  Lewis  became  a  student  of  Am- 
herst College,  wherein  he  took  the  full  course  and 
was  graduated  in  1861.  For  one  year  afterward 
he  was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the  academy  at 
Itbaca,  N.  Y'.  The  Civii  War  now  being  in 
progress,  he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  lay  aside  his 
personaLplans  and  interests,  and  entered  the  Union 
service,  September  27,  1862,  as  Captain  of  Com- 
pany C,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  New 
York  Infantvj-.  In  Julj-,  1863,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  after  corn- 
commanding  his  regiment  in  this  capacity-  ten 
months,  was  presented,  in  November,  1864,  with 
the  commission  of  Colonel.  He  remained  in  the 
array  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  w.as  mustered 
out  in  July,  1865.  He  was  present  at  many  im- 
portant battles,  including  the  sieges  of  Suffolk  alTd 
Charleston,  in  1863.  the  battles  of  John's  Island, 
Honey  Hill.  Duveaux  Neck,  James  Island  and  in 
several  skirmishes.  Although  experiencing  some 
hairbreadth  escapes,  he  was  neither  wounded  nor 
captured,  being  permitted  to  return  home  in 
safety. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  army  Col.  Lewis  entered 
the  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  New  York  City, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1868.  Then,  as 
one  of  a  baud  of  nine  home  missionaries,  he  re- 
paired to  t!ie  Westerr  frontiei. 'aud  soon  organ- 
ized a  church  of  six  members  in  Humboldt,  Kan., 
of  vvhicli  he  continuc'l  the  p:LSti>-r  seven  yenrs.  In 
the  meantime  he  had  charge  of  all  the  Home  Mis- 
sionary work    in   that  section,  the   Presbytery  iu- 


386 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


eluding  Indian  TiTiiluiv.  He  was  callcil  from 
that  field  of  labor  to  take  charge  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  in  llowell,  Midi,  where  he  remained 
until  coming  to  Joliet. 

Tlie  mairiage  of  the  Rev.  James  Lewis  and  Miss 
.Mary  C'oe  Farrand,  was  celebrated  at  the  home  of 
llic  bride's  parents  in  Detroit,  Mich..  November  1  7, 
18G',).  Mrs.  Lewis  was  born  in  Hudson,  Oliio, 
August  IG,  1842,  and  was  the  eldest  child  of  J.acob 
S.  anil  Olive  C.  Farrand.  She  became  the  mother 
of  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  departed  this 
life  at  iier  liome  in  Joliet,  December  3,  1889.  Tiie 
sons  (if  .Mr.  Lewis  are  named  respectively:  Jacob 
Farrand.  James  ]..ang,  Alexander  and  William 
Mather,  'i'hey  are  ail  at  home  with  their  father. 
Till'  only  (hiugliter,  Olive  Fariaiid,  died  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  months. 

jMrs.  Mary  Coc  (Farranci)  lA'wis  was  a  lady  of 
rare  loveliness  of  character,  and  proved  to  her 
husband  an  invalual)lc*assislanL  in  his  struggles  and 
labors  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  She  was  reared 
with  the  liest  advantages  of  education  and  amid 
the  choicest  endearments  of  society  and  home.  She 
went  bravely  with  her  husliand  into  a  new  country, 
cheerfully  leaving  the  luxuries  to  which  she  had 
been  accustomed,  and  Iw  a  modest  and  humble 
demeanor  sought  with  all  her  inliuence  to  win 
souls  to  Christ.  She  constantly  kept  in  view  the 
work  to  which  her  husband  was  devoted,  and  in 
all  ways  sought  to  commend  herself  and  his  minis- 
try to  the  good  opinion  of  all  with  whom  she 
came  in  contact.  The  manner  in  wliich  she  accom- 
plished this  was  fully  attested  by  the  great  influence 
which  she  exerted,  and  the  love  and  reverence  in 
wliich  she  was  held  by  all. 

Two  of  the  most  revered  pastors  who  ever 
worked  among  Joliet  people,  or  preached  to  Joliet 
congregations,  repaired  from  their  respective 
charges  to  the  scene  of  their  former  labors  to  add 
their  testimon}'  to  the  beauty  of  character  which 
had  .so  impressed  all  who  ever  enjoyed  the  personal 
acquaintance  of  Mrs.  Lewis.  Probably  there  had 
never  gathered  in  Central  Church  an  audience  im- 
pressed with  a  deeper  or  more  tender  sentiment 
tlian  that  which  gathered  to  render  its  tribute  of 
respect  to  the  memory  of  a  lovely  Christian  woman. 
After    the    usual    opening  exercises    of    song  and 


prayer,  the  Rev.  A.  H.  Dean.  D.I).,  of  iMonmouth, 
111.,  former  pastor  of  the  Central  Church  and  an 
early  friend  of  Mrs.  Lewis,  delivered  an  eloquent 
and  bnauliful  triliute  to  her  memory.  The  Rev. 
J.  W.  Conley,  a  clergyman  of  the  Baiitist  Church, 
and  who  liad  known  Mrs.  Lewis  intimately  during 
the  years  of  her  residence  in  Joliet,  paid  a  fitting 
tribute  to  her  virtues,  high  Chj'istian  character  and 
efficient  service  in  the  Master's  cause. 

Mrs.  Lewis  was  possessed  of  rare  conversational 
powers,  and  many  love  to  remt-mber  the  words  cif 
encouragement  spoken  to  them  by  her  during 
seasons  of  de|)ression.  and  when  they  most  needed 
the  counsel  of  a  disinterested  friend.  She  was 
warmly  attached  to  her  iiusband,  her  children  and 
her  home,  and  in  addition  to  the  duties  connected 
therewith,  she  still  found  time  for  a  vast  amount 
of  work  in  all  departments  of  the  church.  In 
October,  1884,  she  united  with  other  ladies  in  or- 
ganizing the  Woman's  Home  Mission  Society  of 
Chicago  Presbytery,  of  which  she  was  chosen 
Recording  Secretary.  At  its  annual  meeting  in 
1885,  she  was  elected  Corresponding  Secretary, 
and  held  that  office  until  her  death,  in  addition  to 
doing  her  full  share  of  work  as  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee. 

Multitudes  attended  the  obsequies  of  Mrs.  Lewis, 
but  not  from  curiosity.  Her  mortal  remains  were 
borne  to  rest  in  the  city  of  her  youth,  and  old  and 
young  mingled  their  tears  over  her  grave.  .She 
desired  there  should  be  no  floral  or  other  display 
at  her  funeral,  but  the  sincere  sorrow  manifested 
upon  the  occasion  was  a  nobler  tribute  to  her 
memory  than  anything  of  a  perishable  nature. 

Mr.  Lewis  was  a  delegate  from  the  church  of 
this  country  to  the  established  Church  of  Scotland, 
in  1873,  in  the  General  Assembly  held  in  Edin- 
burgh. In  1878  he  was  one  of  the  Board  of  Visi- 
tors at  West  Point,  appointed  b}-  President  Hayes, 
and  he  delivered  the  address  in  behalf  of  the  Board 
to  the  graduating  class.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  Trustee  of 
Knox  College  atGalesburg,  HI.  Asa  speaker,  Mr. 
Lewis  is  clear,  forcible  and  logical,  holding  the 
.ittenlion  of  his  audience,  and  presenting  his  sub- 
ject in  a  concise  and  lucid  manner,  oiothed  in  choice 
language. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


387 


AVe  present  to  the  readers  of  this  volume  a 
litho^irapliic  portrait  of  the  Rev.  James  Lewis. 
He  has  lieeii  permilled  to  accomplish  a  large  amount 
of  useful  wink,  ami  it  is  hoped  that  he  may  yet  see 
many  years  in  his  chosen  field  of  lalior. 


OHN  BRINCKERHOFF.  The  well-regu- 
lated homestead  of  Mr.  Brinckerhoff,  and 
which  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixt}' 
acres  of  prime  land  on  section  31,  stands  as 
a  worthy  monument  to  his  thrift  and  industry. 
The  fiehls  are  neat.l\'  laid  off  with  sul)stantial  fenc- 
ing, the  Ijuildings  are  convenient  and  in  modern 
style  of  architecture,  while  the  latest  improved 
machinery  is  em()lo3ed  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  The  proprietor  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
most  public-spiriled  and  progressive  men  of  the 
Idwnshii),  the  friend  of  morality  and  education. 
.•lU'l  who  has  given  especial  alUmlion  to  the  train- 
inii:  anil  education  of  his  cliildren.  He  commenced 
in  life  dependent  mainly  upon  his  own  resources, 
:inil  the  necessity  -.vhich  compelled  him  to  adopt 
liahiis  of  i)i-udence  and  industry  has  proved  to 
him  invaluable  all  througb  life. 

'I'lu'  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  at  his 
father's  farm  near  Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  15,  1836, 
and  was  but  two  years  old  when  his  parents  came 
to  this,county.  They  located  in  Homer  Town- 
ship, where  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  becoming 
familiar  with  the  various  employments  of  farm 
life  and  acquiring  a  practical  education  in  the 
common  school.  With  the  exception  of  two  years 
spent  in  the  grocery  business  in  Chicago,  he  has 
followed  farming  all  his  life.  After  reaching  his- 
majority  he  was  married  in  New  Lenox  Townshiii, 
August  19,  1858,  to  Miss  Reliecca  Breckenridge. 
This  lady  was  boi-n  in  Canada,  December  7,  1839, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Eaton) 
Breckenridge,  who  were  natives  respectively  of 
Canada  and  Scotland.  The  mother  died  in  Cook 
County,  in  1882.  Mr.  Breckenridge  is  slill  living, 
making  his  home  in  Cook  County. 

To  JNIr.  and  Mrs.  lirinckerhoff  there  has  been 
born   a  family  of  seven   children:     The   tvvo  eldest 


sons — Clarence  E.,  of  Chicago,  III.,  and  George 
E.,  in  Oakland,  Cal. — are  successful  practicing 
physicians;  Martin  S.  is  farming  in  Lockport 
Township,  this  county;  John  J.  is  pursuing  his 
studies  in  tlie  Michigan  State  University  at  Ann 
Arbor;  Howard  H.,  Gertrude  R.  and  Elmer  P>.  re- 
main at  home  with  their  parents.  Mr.  lirincker- 
hoff,  politicallj',  is  independent,  giving  his  support 
to  principles  rather  than  men.  He  keeps  himself 
thoroughly  posted  upon  current  events,  and  will 
at  once  be  recognized  as  a  man  of  more  than  or- 
dinary intelligence,  and  with  whom  an  hour  may 
alw.ays  be  spent  in  a  pleasant  and  profitable 
manner. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Martin  B.  Brinck- 
erhoff, also  a  native  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  who 
married  Miss  Eliza,  sister  of  George  A'an  Duser.  of 
New  Lenox  Township,  this  county.  After  mar- 
riage the  parents  settled  on  a  farm  near  Albany, 
whence  they  c^ame  to  this  county  in  1838,  settling 
in  Homer  Township  on  the  farm  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  our  subject.  There  they  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  days,  the  mother  dying  in  1873, 
and  the  father  April  30,  1889.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
*John  was  the  tifth  in  order  of  l)irlh.  Two  of  the 
others  are  living.  The  family  forms  a  part  of  the 
highly  respectable  element  of  this  section. 


^^^ii^^ 


*  ARVIS  C.  THOMPSON.  The  Thompson 
family,  who  have  been  I'esidents  of  Joliet 
since  1865,  occupy  no  unimportant  position 
among  its  leading  citizens.  John  Thomp- 
son, the  father  of  our  subject,  departed  this  life 
June  13,  1860.  His  mother,  Mrs.  Ann  (Miller) 
Thompson,  now  stands  at  the  head  of  a  noted 
f.aniily,  foremost  of  whom  is  her  son.  Bishop  Hugh 
Miller  Thompson,  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in 
Mississippi.  She  wis  born  in  County  Derry,  Ire- 
land, in  1812,  where  she  was  reared  and  married. 
She  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  family  in 
1836,  they  locating  first  in  Essex  County,  N.  J., 
where  Mr.  Thompson  operated  as  a  contractor  and 
builder,  and  where  they  lived  until  1844.     Thence 


388 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the}'  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  the  father 
folloived  his  occupation  and  died,  as  before  stated, 
June  13,  1860,  leaving;  a  family  of  seven  children. 
Five  of  these  are  still  living,  viz.:  Hugh  'M.,  Will- 
iam G.,  John  R.,  Rufus  F.  and  Jarvis  C.  Thomas 
J.  served  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil 
War,  and  met  death  on  the  battlefield  of  Stone 
River. 

Mrs.  Tliompson  after  the  death  of  her  husband 
came,  in  18C5,  to  Joliet,  where  she  has  since  re- 
sided. Jarvis  C,  our  subject,  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  February  26,  1852,  and  was  thus  a  lad 
of  thirteen  years  when  the  family  came  to  Illinois. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland,  and 
later  was  a  student  at  Nashota,  Wis.,  having  a 
private  tutor.  When  completing  his  studies  he 
returned  to  Joliet,  and  engaged  with  Messrs.  King 
&  T'rub}',  in  the  lumber  trade.  Subsequently  he 
was  with  King  &  IJishop.  He  next  entered  the 
employ  of  the  William  A.  Wood  Reaper  &  Mower 
Company,  having  charge  of  their  lumber-yard  at 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  and  was  in  the  employ  of  this 
firm  three  years.  Prior  to  this  time  he  had  been  a 
car  reporter  in  the  employ'  of  the.  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad.  After  returning  from  Ohio  he  re- 
engaged with  John  Lyons,  with  wliom  he  still  re-* 
mains.  He  votes  with  the  Democratic  party. 
Hugh  Miller  Thompson,  the  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, is  a  self-educated  man — one  who  started  out 
iu  life  dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  He 
studied  theology  at  Nashota,  Wis.,  and  was  first 
placed  in  charge  of  a  paiish  at  Madison.  Later  he 
was  the  pastor  of  churches  at  Milwaukee  and  Chi- 
cago, being  in  the  latter  city  Rector  of  .St.  James. 
He  reniaine<l  there  until  the  great  fire,  when  all 
his  property'  was  destroj'ed. 

Bishop  Tliompson  later  went  to  New  York  City 
and  otiier  places,  and  succeeded  in  raising  a  large 
sura  for  the  rebuilding  of  his  church  in  Chicago, 
which  now  stands  at  the  corner  of  Huron  and 
Cass  Streets.  This  completed,  he  received  a  call 
to  Christ's  Church  in  New  York  City,  where  he 
remained  a  number  of  years.  Thence  he  went  to 
New  Orleans  as  Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  where 
he  remained  until  elected  Assistant  Bishop.  Sub- 
sequentl}'  he  was  elected  Bishop  of  Mississippi, 
and  is  now  faiuiliarlv  known  as   the  Right  Rever- 


end Flugh  Miller  Thompson,  and  bears  a  fine 
reputation  as  a  Christian  gentleman  and  a  scholar 
of  rare  attainments.  Fie  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  W.  Hinsdale,  sister  of  Robert  G.  Hinsdale, 
formerly  President  of  Hobart  College.  New  York. 
Thej'  have  four  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  is 
a  Chaplain  in  the  United  States  Navy  at  Mares 
Island. 

William  G.  Thompson  is  an  architect  by  pro- 
fession, and  engaged  in  business  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
111.;  John  R.  is  a  planter,  making  his  headquar- 
teis,  especially  in  summer  time,  at  Horse  Cove, 
N.  C;  Rufus  F.  is  engaged  as  a  contractor,  builder 
and  architect  at  Youngstown,  Ohio.  The  sons, 
like  their  parents,  were  reared  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Episcop.il  Church.  Jarvis  C,  our  subject,  is 
a  member  of  Christ's  Church,  Surplice  Choir  of 
forty  male  voices,  one  among  the  finest  bodv  of 
singers  in  the  United  States. 


^^j}>,^ 


"     i^   >--^/ir-— ^'  ^     "^ 

^  AMES  KEIR.  Ourcountryis  indebted  to  the 
lands  across  the  sea  for  many  worthy  citi- 
zens, and  a  high  place  should  be  accorded  the 
Scotch, who  are  ever  industrious,  frugal  and 
strictly  honest.  The  sturdy  virtues  seem  higBIy  de- 
veloped in  all  dwellers  in  mountainous  regions  and 
it  is  easy  to  trace  a  comparison  between  the  rugged 
hills  and  the  men  who  inhabit  them.  The  Scotch 
character  not  only  possesses  these  sterner  traits, 
but  is  adorned  with  domestic  virtues,  as  the  land- 
scape is  b}'  the  blossoms  of  the  he.ither  and  gorse, 
and  the  devotion  to  home  and  kindred  is  frequently 
so  strongly  manifested  as  to  cause  thoughtless  re- 
marks regarding  the  '■clannishness"  of  the  Scotch. 
Clannish  they  may  be  iu  their  love  for  those  of 
their  own  blood,  but  this  does  not  prevent  their 
appreciation  of  and  love  for  all  that  is  worth}-  in 
those  about  them,  and  their  manifestation  of  kind- 
ness of  heart  to  all  in  need. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  fine  representative 
of  the  race  which  has  produced  a  Bruce,  a  Wallace 
and  a  Burns,  and  a  worth}'  descendant  of  two  good 
families.  His  father,  Alexander  Keir,  left  his  na- 
tive land  in  1852  to  make  a  home  in  America,  be- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


389 


ing  followed  in  a  few  montbs  by  his  wife,  who  had 
borne  the  maiden  naa-.e  of  Catherine  McNeil.  Two 
years  were  spent  b3'  them  in  New  York  City  wliere 
their  son  was  already  residing,  and  they  tlien  came 
to  Illinois.  Settlement  being  made  on  a  farm  in 
.loliet  Township,  this  coant3',  the^'  S|)ent  the  re- 
mainder of  tbeir  days  here.  Their  famil}'  consisted 
of  twelve  children,  tlie  subject  of  this  sketch  being 
the  second. 

The  natal  day  of  James  Keir  was  April  27.  1830, 
and  liis  birthjjlace,  Perthshire,  Scotland.  He  grew 
to  manhood  there,  improving  his  time  b}-  gaining 
information  which  would  tit  him  for  usefulne^ 
and  a  knowledge  of  work  v.'hich  would  be  avail- 
able in  his  future  life.  In  the  spring  of  1851  he 
crossed  tlie  briny  deep  and,  landing  in  New  York, 
found  emploj'ment  as  a  stone-cutter.  In  that  cit3- 
he  remained  until  1854,  when  witli  his  father's 
familj'  he  came  AVesl,  finding  emplojmen't  for  five 
years  in  Chicago  at  the  same  occupation  in  which 
lie  had  previously  been  engaged.  He  then  settled 
on  the  homestead  in  this  county,  where  he  has  since 
resided,  giving  his  attention  to  farming. 

Beginning  in  life  without  means  INIr.  Keir  has  se- 
cured a  competency',  now  owning  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  in  Joliet  Township,  two  hundred  acres 
in  Jackson  Township,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  in  Manhattan  Township.  The  home  farm  is 
made  attractive  by  an  excellent  set  of  farm  build- 
ings, including  every  necessary  and  convenient  ar- 
rangement which  will  further  the  work  of  the  estate 
and  add  to  the  comfort  of  the  occupants.  The 
otlier  land  owned  by  Mr.  Keir  is  also  well  improved 
and  valuable.  The  possession  of  a  large  amount  of 
real  estate  is  one  of  the  best  monuments  to  the  zeal 
and  thrift  of  our  subject,  whose  life  affords  a  strik- 
ing example  of  tlie  success  which  may  be  won  by 
persistence. 

Mr.  Keir  chose  for  his  companion  in  life  a  lad^' 
of  his  own  land  and  name,  and  amid  the  scenery  of 
Scotland  in  September,  1861.  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Ellen  Keir,  who  shared  his  fortunes 
until  June  20,  187C,  when  she  was  called  from  time 
to  eternit}'.  Mrs.  Keir  was  a  notable  housewife,  an 
affectionate  and  devoted  mother,  and  a  wife  whose 
price  was  far  above  rubies.  She  bore  her  husband 
seven    children,   all    yet    living  but   George,    the 


youngest,  who  died  in  infancy.  Agnes  is  now  the 
wife  of  Charles  Richards;  Alexander, is  a  farmer  in 
Jackson  Township;  Catherine  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
Morrison,  of  Joliet;  Ellen,  James  and  David,  j-et 
remain  under  the  i)arental  roof. 

The  otlieo  of  School  Director  has  been  held  by 
Mr.  Keir,  his  work  tlierein  having  been  acceptable 
to  the  iiatrons  of  the  school  and  creditable  to  him- 
self. In  politics  he  generall}-  acts  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  as  was  also  his  wife,  and  he  carries  out  in 
his  dail^-  life  the  principles  of  his  faith,  winning 
respect  and  gaining  good  will. 


y)ILLiS  A.  STRAIGHT,  proprietor  of  the 
tile  mill  at  Manhattan,  is  numbered  among 
W^  the  most  enterprising  members  of  tbe  com- 
munity. He  is  doing  an  excellent  business  in  the 
sale  of  drain  tile,  manufacturing  all  sizes  from 
three  to  eighteen  inches,  and  shipping  to  all  stations 
along  the  Wabash  Railroads,  and  selling  to  home 
trade.  He  keeps  eighteen  or  twenty-  men  con- 
stantly employed,  and  getting  out  seven  or  eight 
thousand  tile  per  day.  He  has  large  dry-houses, 
and  four  kilns,  at  least  three  of  which  are  taxed 
to  their  full  capacitj'  each  week. 

Grandfather  Straight  was  a  farmer  in  New  York, 
whence  he  removed  to  Livingston  County,  111., 
at  an  early  day,  continuing  his  former  occupation. 
His  career  has  been  a  successful  one  and  he  at  one 
time  owned  two  farms.  He  is  now  living  in  P'air- 
bur3'  and  he  and  his  trusted  companion  are  the  only 
inmates  of  their  home,  being  able  to  do  their  own 
work,  although  tbe  one  is  eighty-seven  and  the 
other  eighty-five  years  old. 

In  the  family  of  the  couple  above  mentioned  was 
a  son,  Rufus  C,  who  was  born  in  the  Em[)ire  State 
and  who  came  to  Will  County,  111.,  from  the  East. 
For  two3-ears  he  was  engaged  in  the  service  of  his 
uncle,  Daniel  Crops3',  of  Plainfield,  after  which  he 
bought  land  in  McLean  County  and  devoted  a  few 
3'ears  to  agricultural  pursuits  there.  Selling  his 
estate  he  bought  other  farm  lands  near  Fairbur3-, 


390 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Livingston  Coimtv.  ami  was  so  successful  as  to 
acquire  some  .cijjlit  luimlred  acres  fi(jin  a  beginning 
that  was  made  with  -sloO.  lie  lirst  engaged  in 
I'ai  ining  and  stock-raising,  and  tlien  embarked  in 
the  tile  business  wiiicii  [iroved  sui'cessful.  From 
1S77  until  1883  lie  ran  a  tile  mill  and  also  bought 
and  shipped  stock.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Hoard  tor 
years.  He  is  now  occupying  a  tine  residence  in 
Fairbury  and  at  the  age  of  fiftj-seven  years  is  able 
to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  ease  and  plenty,  secured 
by  his  former  industry. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Miss  Fr.ansina  .\bbiv.  She  was 
born  in  Cora.  Pa.,  and  is  the  daughter  of  a 
farmer  who  died  in  the  Keystone  State.  She  is  a 
noble  woman,  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
a  devoted  wife  and  mother  and  a  kindly  neighlmr. 
She  has  borne  her  husband  eight  children,  namely- : 
Willis  A.,  Lee  S.,  Lizzie,  Nellie  M.,  Guy  11.,  Stella, 
who  are  now  living;  Lena,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
ten  years  and  an  infant  who  died  unnamed.  All 
the  living  members  of  the  family  are  at  home 
except  our  subject  and  Lee.  who  is  in  the  tile 
business  at  El   Paso. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  biographical  notice  was 
born  in  McLean  County-,  near  the  large  and  noted 
Sullivan  farm,  August;'),  1859.  He  was  reared  in 
Livingston  County,  obtaining  his  fundamental 
instruction  in  the  district  schools  ami  further 
having  the  excellent  advantages  furnished  by  the 
Fairbur\-  High  School.  Like  most  lads  whose 
home  is  in  thecountr}',  he  was  early  set  to  work  on 
the  farm  and  acquired  an  undeistauding  of  agricul- 
ture. He  remained  at  home  until  of  .age  and  then 
began  life  for  himself  by  going  to  Chicago  and 
finding  employment  in  the  paint  and  oil  store  of 
B.  F.  Fitch.  After  remaining  there  some  eighteen 
months  he  returned  to  Livir.gston  Count}-  and  with 
his  brother  Lee  carried  on  the  large  tile  factor}-  at 
home  for  a  ^year,  their  labors  proving  quite  suc- 
cessful. 

On  January  1,  1883,  the  brothers  came  to  Man- 
hattan, purch.ased  twenty  acres  of  land  and  set 
about  the  construction  of  a  tile  mill,  preparatory 
to  embarking  in  manufacturing  liere.  It  required 
$10,000  to  start  their  business,  which  they   carried. 


on  in  partnership  until  1886,  when  our  subject 
bought  out  his  brother's  interest  and  the  latter 
opened  a  similar  establishment  in  El  Paso.  Our 
subject  has  since  continued  the  business  alone  and 
such  has  been  his  enterprise  and  business  tact  that 
he  has  increased  the  capacitj'  of  the  establishment, 
which  now  makes  from  three  to  eighteen  inch  tiles, 
which  was  not  formerly  done.  Besides  his  town 
propcrl}-,  Mr.  Straight  owns  eighty  acres  of 
improved  land  in  Livingston  County,  which  is 
rented. 

On  October  25,  1885,  the  interesting  ceremony 
was  performed  which  transformed  Miss  Nellie  M. 
.lones  into  .Mrs.  W.  A.  Straight.  The  bride  w.as 
born  ill  IJuclianan  County,  Mo.,  July  6,  1864, 
and  was  educated  at  Mokena  and  Normal  Park, 
this  State,  becoming  a  highly  intelligent  and  cul- 
tured woman.  Her  father  W.  D.  Jones,  was  for- 
merl}'  engaged  in  farming  in  Frankfort  Township, 
this  county,  but  is  now  living  in  Wetmore,  Kan. 
He  is  an  old  Califoruian  miner  and  w.as  also  at  one 
time  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  sawmill  business. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Straight  one  child  has  been  born, 
an  interesting  little  maiden  called  Natalie. 

Mr.  Straight  was  President  of  the  Yill.age  Board 
of  Trustees  one  year,  and  with  the  exception  of  a 
twelvemonth  has  been  a  member  of  that  body  since 
the  incorporation  of  the  village.  His  political 
adherence  is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  is 
looked  upon  with  respect  by  his  fcllow-men,  as  nii 
honorable  citizen  and  kindly  man,  while  the  love- 
able  disposition  and  pleasing  manners  of  his  wife 
win   many  friends. 


I  LFRED  NASH.  M.  D.  A  residence  of  over 
ten  years  in  the  city  of  Joliet, during  which 
he  has  conducted  a  successful  practice,  has 
fully  established  Dr.  Nash  in  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  the  people.  He  took  up  his  resi- 
dence here  in  1879,  and  was  at  once  recognized  as 
a  valued  addition  to  the  community.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Public  Health  Association,  the 
American  Medical  .Society  and  the  State  and  county 
societies,  and  at  one  period  was  President  of  the 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


391 


latter.  He  was  also  prominent  in  the  Medical  So- 
ciety of  Michigan  prior  to  his  removal  hither. 
Politically-,  he  is  a  pronounced  Republican,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Armj'  of  the  Republic  and  a  pil- 
lar of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  business  and 
social  circles  he  stands  second  to  no  man  in  ills 
coramunit)\ 

The  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  was  the  early 
tramping  ground  of  Dr.  Nash  and  where  his  birth 
took  place  August  12,  1828.  Thomas  and  Hannah 
(Swetmau)  Xash,  his  parents,  were  natives  of  Eng- 
land, and  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1820,  locating  in 
Kingston,  Canada.  The  father  occupied  himself  as 
a  merchant  and  with  his  estimable  wife  is  now  de- 
ceased, he  dying  in  1837  and  the  mother  in  1845. 
The  household  circle  included  eight  children,  seven 
of  whom  are  living,  one  dying  in  infancy. 

Dr.  Nash  started  outin  life  equipped  withathorough 
education,  obtained  inthe  college  andNornialSchool 
at  Toronto,  and  finally,  in  18.54,  entered  the  famous 
Oberlin  College  in  Ohio.  Not  content  with  the 
acquirements  hitherto  gained,  he  next  repaired  to 
Ann  Arlior  and  entered  the  Michigan  State  Uni- 
versity, from  the  medical  department  of  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1856.  lie  made  good  use  of  his 
time  and  commenced  the  regular  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Wyandotte,  Mich.,  continuing  there 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  Wav. 

In  July,  1861,  Dr.  Nash  entered  the  arm^-  as  As- 
sistant Surgeon  under  the  commission  of  Gov.  Blair, 
lie  was  with  the  First  Michigan  Cavahy  until  Jan- 
uar}',  18()3,  and  was  then  promoted  as  a  .Surgeon 
of  the  Ninth  Cavalr}-  in  which  lie  served  until  re- 
ceiving his  honorable  discharge  by  order  of  tlie 
lioard  appointed  to  examine  these  invalid  officers, 
in  December,  1804,  at  Cincinnati.  Ohio.  Upon 
leaving  the  army  he  located  at  once  in  Lapeer, 
Mich.,  where  he  followed  his  [irofession  until  com- 
ing to  this  county  in  1879. 

Dr.  Nash  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  J.  Cornelius, 
in  September.  1861.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Ke v. 
Samuel  Cornelius,  of  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  By  her 
he  had  four  children,  viz. :  Jesse,  the  wife  of  liobcrt 
Berger,  of  Peoria,  111.;  Miss  Maud,  a  short-hand 
reporter  residing  in  Chicago;  Claud,  a  resident  of 
.loliet;  and  Anna  at  home.  jNIrs.  Nash  died  at  their 
home    in    Lapeer,   Mich.,   in   August,    1875.      Dr. 


Nash  was  married  to  his  second  wife  in  July,  1879. 
Her  name  was  Mrs.  Charlotte  P.  Richards.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  have  a  comfortable  home  on 
Cass  Street. 

When  first  entering  the  armj'  Dr.  Nash  was  as- 
signed to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  was 
captured  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run.  He 
received  an  order  from  Lee's  Medical  Director  to 
remain  on  the  field  and  take  care  of  wounded  rebels 
and  for  this  service  was  tendered  a  pass  to  Wash- 
ington from  Fitz  Hugh  Lee.  The  "Johnnies" 
traded  boots,  hat  and  coat  with  the  Surgeon  and 
thus  accoutred  he  appeared  in  the  presence  of  Lee, 
who  said,  "  that  pass  shall  be  honored."  The  Doc- 
tor has  this  document  still  in  his  possession.  As 
he  left  the  lines  a  guard  remarked  to  a  comrade, 
"  this  is  one  of  Pope's  otticers,  let's  shoot  the  d — d 
cuss."  The  Doctor  expected  they  would  carry  out 
the  suggestion,  but  they  did  not  and  he  finally 
reacheil  the  Union  camji  in  safety,  at  Arlington 
Heights. 

Dr.  Nash,  in  1864,  was  made  Brigade  Surgeon 
under  Gen.  Israel  Gerrard.  In  December,  1863, 
he  had  charge  of  the  surgical  department  in  the 
hospital  at  Knoxville,  where  he  remained  six 
months.  He  joined  his  regiment  as  it  was  starling 
from  Camp  Nelson,  going  with  Sherman  to  Chat- 
tanooga and  was  under  the  command  of  the  hero 
of  Atlanta  until  after  the  fall  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Nash  was  appointed  Pension  Examiner  on 
the  board  for  this  district  in  1889.  and  is  Secretary 
of  the  Board. 


RANK  E.  MARSH.  This  young  man  is  a 
well-known  grain  dealer  of  .loliet,  in  which 
city  he  was  born  in  1849.  Here  he  grevv  to 
manhood,  enjoying  the  privileges  of  her  excellent 
public  schools,  and  after  finishing  the  course  in 
them,  taking  a  term  in  the  Chicago  University. 
In  1868  he  became  ticket  agent  and  telegraph  op- 
erator, continuing  in  that  position  until  1871,  when 
he  embarked  in  the  business  which  he  is  now  fol- 
lowing. He  buys  at  different  points  on  the  line  of 
the  Elgin,  Jolict  &  Eastern  Railroad,  and  such  sue- 


392 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cess  has  attended  his  efforts  that  he  has   continued 
to   carry   on   tlic  trade. 

In  187;)  I\Ir.  Marsh  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar 
Miss  Kale  Kicliinond.  with  whom  lie  lived  happily 
until  18711,  when  she  was  called  hence,  leaving 
three  children — Kiclimoiid,  Loren  and  Kate,  the 
latter  of  whom  died  when  two  years  old.  In  1882 
Mr.  Marsh  contracted  a  second  niatrimoniul  al- 
liance, the  lady  who  now  shares  his  joys  and  sor- 
rows haviiii--  borne  the  maiden  name  of  Ida  Pierce. 
They  have  one  living  child,  Ralph  L.;  and  lost  a 
daughter,  Agnes,  in  infanej'. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  elected  Alderman  in  I88y,  anil 
has  since  heen  retained  as  a  memlier  of  the  City 
Council.  The  suliject  of  this  brief  biographical 
notice  is  a  son  of  the  Hon.  II.  N.  Marsh,  one  of  the 
represcntaiive  men  of  Joliet,  whose  life  history  is 
found  on  another  page  in  this  Alisum. 


PUNCAN  MacLAREN  THOMSON.  This 
)  gentlemen  is  one  of  the  few  men  who  came 
to  Will  Count}'  independent  in  financial  re- 
sources, and  whose  life  here  has  not  been  the 
struggle  which  many  have  experienced.  He  owns 
and  operates  over  four  hundred  acres  on  sections 
IG,  17,  20  and  21,  Frankfort  Township.  His  land 
is  all  enclosed,  and  is  marked  with  excellent  im- 
provements, which  not  only  inc.ude  buildings, 
oicharils  and  others  of  the  usual  order,  but  much 
which  is  not  usually  found  on  farms.  The  dwell- 
ing is  situated  on  section  21,  and  is  not  only  of 
beautiful  design,  but  is  pleasantlj-  located,  well 
furnished  and  gives  evidence  of  the  [iresence  of  a 
woman  of  rclinement  at  the  head  of  the  establish- 
ment. Among  the  farm  buildings  are  three  barns 
and  other  structures  which  suffice  to  shelter  all  the 
stock  and  grain.  The  agricultural  and  domestic 
l.ibors  are  simplified  and  made  easy  by  the  use  of 
a  windmill  and  tank,  a  horse-power  grinder  (it  being 
under  cover),  corn-cutter  and  other  improved 
machinery,  and  Mr.  Thomson  also  has  a  silo,  the 
first  and  only  one  in  Frankfort  Township. 

The  land  includes  valuable  timber,  pasture  Innil 
watered  by  Hickory  Creek,  and  fields  of  great  fer- 


tility. Full-blooded  and  graded  Short-horn  cattle 
are  raised,  .as  well  as  fine  hogs,  roadsters  and  draft 
horses.  About  fifteen  he.ad  of  horses  are  to  be 
seen  on  the  estate,  and  the  herd  of  cattle  numbers 
from  one  hundred  and  thirty  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  head.  i^lr.  Thomson  ships  his  own  stock, 
and  iu  addition  to  that  raised  upon  his  [ilaco 
feeds  about  two  car-loads  of  cattle  per  auiiuni. 
Besides  his  fine  estate  here,  he  owns  two  hundred 
acres  of  land  near  Emmetsburg,  Palo  Alto  County, 
Iowa. 

Mr.  riiomson  is  a  Scotchman  of  a  lineage  honor- 
able and  influential.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
.lohn  Thomson,  born  in  Stirling,  Stirlingshire,  was 
a  carriage  manufacturer  in  his  native  citj-,  which 
was  his  place  of  abode  until  his  death.  He  left 
three  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  sons  were: 
John  Thomson,  D.D.,  of  I'aisley;  George,  the 
father  of  our  subject;  and  William,  also  engaged 
in  carriage  manufacturing.  His  son  George  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  business,  enlarging  it  and  en- 
gaging extensively  in  the  manufacture  of  carriages, 
stagecoaches  and  railroad  carriages.  He  made  the 
carriages  for  the  first  railway  in  Scotland.  He  was 
known  far  and  wide  as  an  influential  ajid  wealthy 
citizen,  and  a  pleasant  and  agreeable  man.  The 
following  incident  is  a  good  instance  of  his  prouji- 
nence:  As  two  travelers  were  passing  through 
.Stirling  one  asked  the  other  the  name  of  the  city, 
and  being  told,  inquired  what  it  was  noted  'for. 
The  second  traveler  responded,  "For  its  castle  and 
George  Thomson's  carriage  works."  Mr.  Thom- 
son was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  anil  a 
Hammerman.  He  was  a  Liberal  in  politics,  and  a 
Presbyterian  in  religion,  serving  as  Elder  in  his 
church.  He  died  in  1867,  at-  the  age  of  fifty-six 
years. 

The  maternal  graniUatlicr  of-  our  subject  was 
Maj.  Duncan  MacLaren,  a  native  of  Perthshire. 
He  belonged  to  the  Twenty-fifth  Regiment,  "The 
King's  Own  Borderers,"  until  he  retired  to  Stirl- 
ing, where  he  died  in  1819.  His  daughter,  Mary 
A.  C,  was  burn  on  the  farm  Dundurn,  at  St. 
l''illan's,  Perthshire,  but  reared  in  .Stirling,  and 
there  married  to  George  Thomson.  She  breathed 
her  last  July  15,  1879,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  namely: 


mA  ^•>yu-*iJlK'=>^-'-'T'n^'<(ex--,«^^'f^Vi)^^!i^^  A—  .-v>..,.p.Jl«5rf^]'.vtjl^.^  i  -J  - 


..„ife. 


;.iaa8sa^;»a»fe.ftfeia^aBsateaa^ 


Residence  of  Adam  Tuck,Sec.33.NewLenox  Tp.  Will  CQ.  III. 


Residence  of  D.M.Thoivi5on,Sec.21.FrankfortTrWillCo.  III. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


395 


Isiibelle    B.,  Mrs.    IL    M.    Douglas,  who    died    in 

Scotlan(!;  .lolui.  who  died  at  Frankfort  Station. 
tliis  countj' ;  oiir  subject;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  M.  IS'. 
Parliluirst.  of  Greeu  Castle,  Ind.;  George,  who 
died  in  Pernauiliuoo,  Brazil:  and  James,  wlio  is 
pro|irii'tor  of  ear  works   in  .Scotland. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
this  sketch  was  born  in  Siirling,  Scotland,  March 
25,  1843,  and  had  excellent  school  advantages. 
After  being  graduated  at  the  High  School  in  Stirl- 
ing, he  spent  a  year  at  Mt.  Greeuvan  Academy. 
When  fourteen  years  old  he  was  apprenticed  at 
carriage-making  under  his  father,  and  at  the  age  of 
twentj' years  took  charge  of  the  shops.  When  his 
father  died  he  took  entire  charge  of  the  carriage 
works,  managing  them  until  the  yoiuigest  son 
became  of  age,  vvhen  the  property  was  divided. 

In  Ma}',  1875,  our  subject  came  to  America  on 
a  visit,  sailing  from  Glasgow  on  the  steamtr  "^'ic- 
loria,"  and  twelve  days  later  landed  in  New  York. 
Thence  he  came  at  once  to  Chicago,  and  after  re- 
maining there  some  three  months,  s|)ent  about  the 
same  length  of  time  in  traveling  in  the  State  of 
Illinois.  He  finally  determined  to  locate  in  Will 
Count}',  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  acres  of  land  where  he  is  now  located,  mak- 
ing a  cash  ])aj'ment  of  $62.50  per  acre.  He  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock-raising,  increasing  his 
landed  estate  until  it  reached  its  present  acreage, 
and  making  nearly  all  the  improvements  upon  it. 
lie  has  displ.ayed  the  sterling  qualities  which  be- 
long to  the  Scotch  character,  and  is  looked  upon 
as  a  farmer  and  citizen  who  is  a  credit  to  the 
count}'  in  which  he  has  made  his  home. 

On  January  3,  1  871,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  betvveen  Mr.  Thomson  and  Miss  Isabelle 
Hunter  Paton.  This  accomplished  lad}' was  born 
in  Leith  Edinburgh.  July  24,  1842,  and  is  a  des- 
cendant of  families  whose  members  have  acquired 
fame  during  the  historic  times  of  Scotland.  She 
was  educated  under  private  instruction,  modern 
classics  and  music  being  included  in  her  course  of 
study,  and  ■  the  gr.aces  of  manner  being  by  no 
means  neglected.  When  she  had  arrived  at  woman- 
hood she  possessed  a  cultured  mind,  the  charming 
manners  of  a  well-bred  gentlewoman,  and  the  vir- 
tues   of    character   which  make  and  keep  friends. 


Her  hajjpy  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  the  following  survive: 
Lizzie  A.  Hunter,  Charlotte,  Cieorge,  Duncan  M., 
Jr.,  and  (iladys  May.  The  deceased  are:  Walter 
Paton,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  and  one-half 
years;  Isabel  Beatrice,  who  died  when  one  year 
old,  and  two  who  died  unnamed  in  infancy.  The 
surviving  children  still  remain  under  the  home 
roof,  and  display  a  marked  degree  of  intelligence 
and  quickness  of  perception. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Thomson  was  Capt.  Walter 
Paton,  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  whose  father  had 
died  when  he  was  a  babe.  His  mother's  father, 
Andrew  Bell,  was  a  Jacobite,  a  follower  and  active 
supporter  of  Prince  Charles  Edward  Stuart,  the 
Pretender.  He  was  a  topographical  engineer*  and 
surveyed  the  battlefield  of  Prestonpans  on  the  night 
before  the  battle.  He  was  subsequently  taken 
into  favor  again  by  the  reigning  house,  and  became 
(juite  intimate  with  the  I'rince  of  Wales.  He  did 
engraving  for  his  royal  friend,  being  considered 
the  foremost  engraver  of  Scotland.  He  was  the 
originator  of  the  Enclclopffidia  Britanuica.  The 
Bells  trace  their  ancestry  back  through  some  of 
the  noble  families  of  Scotland  to  the  Scougalls  of 
Scougall,  who  were  personal  friends  of  King 
James  VI  of  Scotland  or  James  I  of  England. 
Scougall  was  a  fine  artist,  and  did  the  painting  for 
the  royal  families. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Thomson  was  a  sea  captain, 
first  having  charge  of  a  merchant  vessel  and  after- 
ward becoming  an  officer  in  the  Royal  Navy.  He 
was  surveyor  for  Lloyd's  and  also  for  the  Board 
of  Trade,  and  Master  of  the  Trinity  House,  Leith, 
holding  the  latter  ofiice  until  about  four  years  be- 
fore his  death.  He  then  retired  to  Stirling,  where 
he  remained  until  a  few  months  before  his  decease, 
which  occurred  while  on  a  visit  to  his  daughter  at 
Greenock,  in  1873.  He  was  then  eighty-four  years 
old,  having  been  born  in  1789.  He  had  con- 
ducted and  commanded  the  vessel  which  conveyed 
to  Germany  King  Charles  X,  of  Fiance,  who  had 
taken  refuge  in  Scotland. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Thomson  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elizabeth  Hunter.  She  was  born  in  Cu- 
par-Fifeshire,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Hugh  Hunter, 
an  excise  oflicer  in  Greenock.     She  was  the  second 


396 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


wife  of  Capt.  Paton.  to  whom  she  bore  but  one 
fhihl,  now  Mrs.  Tliomsoii.  She  eiilered  into  rest 
in  1866.  She  and  lier  husband  belonged  to  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  first  marriage  of  L'apt.  Paton  was  blest  bj' 
the  birth  of  three  children,  viz. :  Mrs.  .Vnn  Gilki- 
son,  Jlrs.  Eupiieinia  Stephenson  and  Waiter.  The 
latter  worked  his  way  from  cabin  boy  to  captaia, 
reaching  the  latter  position  when  twenty-one,  and 
becoming  Commodore  when  twenty-five.  lie  cora- 
uiandeil  the  first  mail  steam  packet  that  went  to 
Canada,  and  was  two  years  in  the  Crimean  War  as 
Commander  of  the  steamship  -Cleopatra."  which 
carried  troops  to  and  from  the  seat  of  war.  He 
had  retired  from  the  sea  when  he  was  importuned 
to  take  command  of  the  "Great  Eastern,"  and  re- 
luctantly consented,  sailing  as  her  Captain  for 
about  three  years.  He  then  retired  the  second 
time,  making  his  home  in  Liverpool,  where  he 
died.     His  sisters  are  also  deceased. 

Duncan  M.  Thomson  is  Master  Mason  in  the 
Bruce  and  Thistle  Lodge,  Bannockburn,  No.  312  ; 
Stirling  Rock.  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  No.  2,  in 
Stirling,  Scotland,  in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
He  belongs  to  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  which 
is  one  of  the  branches  of  Presbyterianism.  Person- 
ally, he  is  joll_v  and  opeuhearted,  and  his  friends 
are  many. 

On  another  page  of  this  volume  appears  a  view 
of  the  pleasant  homestead  of  Mr.  Thomson. 

DAM  TUCK.  A  book  fiUetl  with  the  rec- 
ords of  the  lives  of  good  men  is  sugges- 
tive of  the  most  precious  and  important 
truths.  As  was  said  b^-  one  famed  in  En- 
glish literature,  such  a  book  is  the  "precious  life- 
blood  of  a  master  spirit,  embalmed  and  treasured 
up  on  purpose  to  a  life  beyond  life.'"  They  serve 
as  potent  examples  to  each  succeeding  generation, 
and  teach  them  how  to  make  life  a  success.  As  a 
prominent  farmer  of  Will  County,  Mr.  Tuck  de- 
serves representation  in  a  volume  designed  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  her  leading  citizens.  His  , 
pleasant  home,  a  view  of  which  appears  in  connec-   I 


tion  with  this  brief  biographical  review,  is  situated 
on  section  33,  New  Leuox  Township.  The  farm 
consists  of  eighty  acres  of  fertile  land,  and  bears 
such  improvements  as  are  usually  found  ui)on  the 
estate  of  an  enterprising  man. 

Coming  of  worth}'  German  ancestry,  Mr.  Tuck 
is  a  son  of  the  late  William  Tuck  and  his  wife 
Mary  Schroder.  This  estimable  couple  grew  to 
maturity  in  the  Fatherland,  where  they  remained 
for  some  time  after  their  marriage.  They  emi- 
grated to  America  in  18f>2,  making  their  first 
home  in  Chicago,  but  after  a  short  sojourn  in  that 
city  removed  to  Will  County.  In  Joliet  Town- 
ship, they  resided  until  the  spring  of  1867,  when 
they  settled  in  New  Leuox  Township,  where  our 
subject  is  now  living.  Here  the  father  departed 
this  life  December  7, 1881;  his  widow  is  yet  living 
and  is  now  making  her  home  in  Joliet. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  is  tlie 
youngest  of  the  eight  children  comprising  the  pa- 
rental family,  and  was  born  in  Joliet  Township, 
December  4,  1861.  He  received  a  good  practical 
education  in  the  common  schools,  and  has  been 
chiefl}'  engaged  in  farming  during  his  years  of  ma- 
turity.    He  has  alw.ays  resided  in  this  count}'. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Carrolton,  Greene 
County,  October  20,  1885,  Mr.  Tuck  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Kate  Kaffer,  a  worthy  young 
lady  who  was  born  in  that  county.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Frank  A.  Kaflfer.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tuck  are  the  parents  of  two  bright  children. 
Frank  A.  and  Florence  L.  In  politics  Mr.  Tuck 
is  a  Demociat.  and  socially,  both  he  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  are  highly  respected. 


j^OSSITER  RUDD  is  nnmbeied  among  the 
liii?  progressive  farmers  of  Joliet  Township,  h'is 
tm  being  on  section  24,  which  has  been 
his  home  since  his  infanc}-.  It  comprises 
sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  has  been 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness  b}'  means 
of  a  proper  rotation  of  crops  and  the  use  of  the 
best  fertilizing  agents,  while  the  improvements 
which  it  bears  are  adequate    for  the    purposes  for 


PORTRAIT  AISD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


397 


whifli  tlicy  were  inleucled.  In  the  fall  of  1887, 
Ml-.  KikUI  iMubai-ked  in  tlie  coal  business  in  Joliet, 
wiiieii  lie  lias  since  carried  un  in  connection  with 
Ills  ajjiiciiltiiral  enterprise.  He  has  been  us(?ful  to 
his  fellow-men  in  public  cajiacilies.  niaiiifesls  great 
kindliness  in  his  relations  to  liuinanily.  and  in  his 
own  jileasant  home  is  the  soul  of  hosiiitality  and 
good  fellowship. 

In  Rutland  County,  Vt..  the  Kudd  family  had  a 
foothold  many  j-ears  ago,  and  there  Erastus  Rudd, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  and  reared. 
He  married  Miss  Harriet  Hill,  of  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y..  their  first  home  being  in  Syracuse, 
whence  they  removed  to  Patriot,  Ind.  In  ]8t3 
they  emigrated  to  the  Prairie  State,  settling  in 
what  is  now  New  Lenox  Township,  but  afterward 
removing  to  Joliet  Township,  and  the  farm  now 
owned  by  our  subject.  There  the  mother  died 
September  3,  1872,  the  father  surviving  until  June 
22,  following.  The  latter  had  in  early  life  been 
engaged  in  boating,  and  after  coming  to  Illinois 
he  operated  the  fust  boat  that  was  run  on  the 
canal,  being  connected  in  that  entcriirise  with  Ahi- 
jah  Cagwin.  He  was  the  father  of  three  sous  and 
four  daughters,  our  subject   being  the    fifth  child. 

Rossiter  Rudd  was  born  in  Patriot,  Ind.,  No- 
vember 2.  If' 13.  but  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Will  County,  111.,  after  his  father's  death  taking 
possession  of  the  old  homestead.  He  was  married 
in  Bloomington,  August  23,  18G3,  to  IMiss  Jane 
(iregg,  whose  intelligence  of  mind  and  worth  of 
character  had  won  his  deepest  regard.  Her  par- 
ents. William  and  Margaret  (Lenox)  Gregg,  are 
natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  in  which  they  grew  to 
niaturily  and  were  united  in  marriage.  They  at 
nine  emigrated  to  Canada,  where  their  daughter, 
.Mrs.  Rudd,  was  born  November  23.  1835,  her 
birthplace  being  the  town  of  Brook.  Several  years 
after  her  birth  the  family  came  to  Will  County, 
HI.,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Joliet  Township,  where 
the  parents  still  reside.  Their  f.amily  comprises 
one  son  and  ten  daughters,  Mrs.  Rudd  being  the 
second  in  order  of  birth. 

An  interesting  family  has  been  born  to  Jlr.  and 
Mrs.  Rudd,  the  living  children  being  Hannah  L., 
Fayette,  Harriet,  Freeman  and  ^lansfield;  they 
have  buried  one  son,  Harry,  who  died   when  about 


a  year  old.  Mr.  Hudd  has  held  the  offices  of  Road 
Commissioner,  School  Director  and  Superinten- 
dent of  Mound  Cemetery.  In  every  position  to 
which  he  has  been  called  he  has  manifested  a  de- 
gree of  intelligent  interest  and  good  judgment 
which  have  redounded  to  his  credit  in  the  eyes  of 
the  community.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Uriiversalist  Church, 
and  in  all  the  vicinity  round  about  are  held  in 
high  esteem  for  their  many  good  qualities. 


tHHHE 


1^  TEPHEN  GLIDUEN.  A  history  of  the 
_|^^  men  who  have  had  the  making  of  Will 
1^^  County,  would  be  incomplete  without  a 
sketch  of  this  pioneer,  who  has  been  so 
long  and  so  closely-  connected  with  its  highest  ma- 
terial and  social  interests,  and  we  are  glad  to  be 
able  to  represent  him  on  the  pages  of  this  volume. 
He  stands  foremost  among  the  leading  farmers  and 
stock-raisers  of  Channahon,  is  one  of  its  most  ex- 
tensive land-owners,  having  a  large  and  valuable 
farm  in  this  township,  and  has  taken  a  leading  part 
ill  making  this  portion  of  Illinois  one  of  the  richest 
farming  regions  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Glidden  comes  of  fine  old  New  England 
stock  but  is  himself  a  native  of  the  Empire  State, 
born  in  Essex  County,  September  15,  1820.  His 
parents  were  Levi  and  Sar.ah  (Glidden)  Glidden. 
who  were  of  very  old  American  families,  who  came 
to  this  country  maiy-  years  prior  to  the  Revolution. 
Mr.  Glidden,  of  barb  wire  fame,  is  a  representative 
of  this  famil}-,  and  second  cousin  of  our  subject. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity 
and  followed  farming  there  and  also  the  lumber 
business,  getting  out  timber  from  the  pine  woods 
till  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  Then  in  the 
flush  aud  vigor  of  a  strong  manly  manhood  he 
came  to  the  Prairie  State  in  1848,  and  with  the 
|!C00  which  he  had  accumulated  in  New  York  as 
his  capital,  he  started  on  a  new  life  here,  by  in- 
vesting it  judiciously  in  a  piece  of  land  lying 
along  the  Desplaines  River,  on  which  was  a  mill. 
He  operated  that  for  five  years  very  profitably,  .and 
then  the  railroad  coming  tlirough  spoiled  the  busi- 


398 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ness.  After  tliat  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
eleven  acres  of  land  aii'l  ya\e  iiis  atU'iilion  to  rais- 
ing and  feeding  stock  and  has  always  been  engaged 
at  that.  He  lias  added  to  his  farm  till  it  is  now 
one  of  the  largest  in  tlic  county',  comprising'  eight 
'iiindrcd  and  eiglity-livc  acres  of  as  good  farming 
land  as  lies  in  the  township. 

In  1849  our  subject  returned  to  New  York  for  the 
young  lady  who  had  plighted  her  troth  to  him,  Miss 
MaryL.liarnett.daughter  of  Asa  and  IIannah(Lanip- 
son)  Barnett,  of  Essex  County,  and  their  marriage 
W.1S  solemnized  July  4,  1819.  Accompanied  by 
his  j'oung  bride,  who  had  left  fond  parents  to  cast 
her  fortunes  in  with  him  whom  she  loved  best  in 
all  the  wide  world  to  assist  him  in  building  up  of  a 
home,  our  subject  returned  to  Chaunahon.  They 
established  tlieir  dwelling  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  living  there  until  1878,  when  he  erected  his 
l)resent  line  residence  on  an  eminence  commanding 
a  beautiful  view  of  the  vallc}'  of  the  Desplaines 
River  and  also  of  the  DuPagc,  about  two  and  oue- 
half  miles  awa}-,  and  of  the  village  of  Channahon 
on  the  river.  In  the  management  of  his  extensive 
agricultural  affairs  Mr.  Glidden  has  shown  large 
enterprise  and  fine  business  and  executive  ability, 
which  traits  have  brought  hiia  wealth.  He  gener- 
ally votes  the  Republican  ticket,  but  takes  no  fur- 
ther part  in  elections  or  politics. 

September  12,  1887,  the  shadow  of  a  great  grief 
fell  over  the  household  of  our  subject;  Death 
crossed  the  threshold  of  his  home  and  removed  the 
wife  and  mother  from  her  loved  ones,  who  hold  her 
dear  memory  in  sacred  remembrance.  Sbe  was  a 
woman  of  a  beautiful  and  noble  character,  who 
met  the  grave  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life 
with  firmness  an<l  serene  patience,  and  fulfilled 
them  faithfully.  She  was  greatly  beloved  far 
beyond  the  limits  of  her  home  circle,  her  constant 
kindliness  of  disposition  endearing  her  to  all  who 
knew  her. 

••  Blessing  she  was;  (iod  made  her  so, 
And  deeds  of  week-daj' holiness  fell  from  her  noise 
less  as  the  snow." 

Kleven  children  were  born  of  the  marriage  of 
our  subject,  six  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  four 
of  whom  are  still  living:  Pamelia,  with  her  father; 
Sarah  Jane,  the  wife  of  Henry  Ilaviland.  of  Chan- 


nahon, now  a  resident  of  Kansas,  where  he  owns  a 

farm;  Melissa,  witii  her  fallier;  Harvv,  a  young- 
man  of  twenty-two,  who  lives  with  his  father,  and 
is  ably  managing  the  farm.  Since  the  mother  de- 
parted, the  family  has  been  ealled  to  mourn  the 
death  of  a  loved  one.  Ella  F.,who  had  just  blossomed 
into  womanhood,  died  February  24,  1888,  at  the 
age  of  twent3--two  years.  Adelbert,  a  young  man 
of  great  promise,  in  his  eighteenth  ^-ear,  was  the 
victim  of  an  accident  by  which  he  was  killed  De- 
cember 2,  1877.  While  on  a  duck  expedition  he 
threw  his  gun  into  the  boat,  and  the  hammer  strik- 
ing on  the  seat,  was  discharged,  the  shot  taking  ef- 
fect in  his  abdomen  and  he  lived  but  a  few  hours. 
We  reverently  believe  that  the  lives  thus  uncom- 
pleted have  but  "entered  upon  broader  fields  of  ac- 
tion and  duty,  where  nobler  sti-uggles  shall  task  the 
strength  and  more  precious  crowns  reward  the  vic- 
tor, where  the  hopes  and  dreams  of  earth  shall  be 
turned  to  sight  and  the  broken  circles  of  life  be 
rounded  to  the  perfect  orb." 


A\'ID  B.  GEISS.  In  this  county  are  to  be 
found  several  farmers  who  have  reached  a 
high  degree  of  prosperity  by  the  persistent 
pursuit  of  a  chosen  calling,  and  the  exercise  of 
prudence  and  foresight  in  the  conduct  of  their  af- 
fairs. Among  these  none  deserves  the  notice  of  the 
biographical  writer  more  than  the  gentleman  whose 
cognomen  forms  the  heading  of  this  sketch.  He 
began  his  career  in  life  with  but  the  talents  be- 
stowed upon  him  by  nature  and  the  knowledge  of 
milling  learned  from  his  father;  he  now  ranks 
among  the  wealthy  residents  of  Wilton  Township, 
where  he  owns  a  valuable  estate  and  is  enjo3'ing 
merited  repose  after  years  of  toil  and  activity. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  George  A.  and 
SusE\n  (Bright)  Geiss,  natives  of  Berks  County, 
Pa.,  who  died  in  Lebanon  Count}',  at  an  advanced 
age.  The  father  was  a  hard-working  man,  who 
made  milling  and  farming  the  work  of  his  life. 
The  father  belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church  and 
the  mother  to  the  Reformed  Church.  Their  fam- 
ily comprised  twelve  children — Mary,  Sarah,  Dan- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


399 


iel,  Elizabeth,  John,  George,  Davifl  B.,  Kate, 
Blatilda,  Peter,  Reuben  and  Susan.  Of  this  large 
family  there  survives  at  this  date  John,  George, 
Matilda,  Susan,  Kate  and  David  B. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  April  16, 
1812,  in  Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  and  reared  in  tiiat 
and  Berks  County,  his  time  being  spent  in  tlie  mill 
and  on  the  farm,  of  both  pursuits  gaining  a  knowl- 
edge in  early  life.  After  learning  the  trade,  he 
carried  on  the  milling  business  successfully  for 
twenty -five  years,  both  in  Berks  and  Center  Coun- 
ties. In  the  latter  he  made  his  home  twenty-two 
years.  After  a  quarter  of  a  century  devoted  to 
that  calling,  he  discovered  that  his  health  required 
him  to  adopt  some  occupation  that  would  keep 
him  in  tlie  open  air  much  of  the  time.  lie  there- 
fore tuiiicd  his  attention  to  farming,  and  in  1868 
came  to  Will  County',  111.,  and  bought  his  present 
farm.  It  consists  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-six 
acres  on  section  6,  Wilton  Township,  and  was  eon- 
ducted  successfully  by  the  owner  for  several  years. 
He  improved  it  until  it  is  raniied  among  the  finest 
estates  in  the  townsiiip,  and  is  a  home  of  which 
any  man  niiglit  well  be  proud.  Owing  to  his  ad- 
vanced age  and  feeble  health,  Mr.  (4 less  now  renis 
the  farm,  living  in  retirement  in  tlie  midst  of  tlie 
adornments  he  has  put  upon  tiie  face  of  Nature. 

Mr.  Geiss  has  lieen  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Sarah  Kerlin,  of  Berks  County,  Pa., 
who  shared  his  J03S  and  sorrows  until  December 
7.  18.5'.i,  when  death  took  her.  She  was  tlie  motiier 
of  eleven  childrfn.  Of  these,  William  F.  lives  in 
Ciiicago;  Alison  is  deceased;  David  lives  in  Cen- 
ter, Center  County,  Pa.;  Susan  is  deceased;  Daniel 
lives  in  Joliet;  Sarah  is  deceased;  Jacob,  Mary  J. 
and  Anna  C.  complete  tlie  circle  of  survivors,  and 
the  roll  of  the  dead  includes  two  infants  unnamed 
on  earth. 

For  his  second  companion  Mr.  Geiss  chose  Kath- 
arine, a  sister  of  I. is  first  wife,  with  whom  he  was 
united  October  4,  1860.  Prior  to  tliis  union  she 
had  been  twice  married,  her  first  husband  having 
been  William  Schretler,  by  whom  she  had  two  chil- 
dren— Mary  and  William.  After  his  death  she  mar- 
ried William  Ruukle,  by  whom  she  also  had  two 
eliildren — Sarah  and  Jacob.  Mrs.  Geiss  is  now  eighty 
years  of  age.     Her  life   Las   been  a  useful  and  up- 


right one,  and  she  merits  the  esteem  of  her  ac- 
quaintances and  the  "good  report"  that  follows  her. 
Mr.  Geiss  is  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  well- 
read  men  of  the  community,  and  in  his  conipan\- 
an  hour  can  ever  be  spent  in  a  iirolitable  mannei-. 
His  energy  of  character,  the  manner  in  which  he 
carved  out  a  fortune  from  adverse  surioundings, 
and  the  upright  life  that  has  been  led  by  him,  alike 
gain  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knovv  him,  and  all 
rejoice  in  his  prosperity,  lie  is  a  s'tanch  Democrat. 
Both  he  and  his  good  wife  hold  membership  in  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Geiss  has  twenty -six  grand- 
children and  two  great-grandchildren. 


(^i^^HOMAS    VARLKY.     Among  the    pioneers 
''■^=^    whose  names  are  identified    with    that    of 


Wheatland  as  its  builders,  none  occupy  a 
more  honorable  position  than  that  of  this  gentle- 
man, who  for  many  years  has  been  a  tiller  of  the 
soil  in  this  locality  and  'has  thereby  secured  a  com- 
petence, his  farm  on  section  28,  being  a  most  desir- 
able one  in  ever  respect. 

Our  subject  is  of  English  origin,  born  in  York- 
shire, June  27,  1824,  a  son  of  William  and  Mary 
Varley.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native 
country  and  has  been  em[)loyed  in  farming  pur- 
suits from  earl3'  bo>iiood.  He  had  but  a  rudimen- 
tary education  in  the  schools  of  England,  but  after 
ho  came  to  this  countrj'  he  attended  school  two 
winters  and  during  the  two  months  of  each  season 
applyed  himself  closely  to  his  books  and  rapidly 
improved  in  scholarship.  He  has  always  lieen  fond 
of  reading  and  aims  to  keep  well  posted  <^n  affairs 
of  general  interest.  In  18r>0,  in  the  prime  of  early 
manhood,  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in 
America,  and  taking  passage  to  Hull  on  a  sailing 
vessel, af'erj]a  voj'age  of  about  seven  weeks  landed  in 
New  York  Cit}'.  He  came  directly-  to  Will  County 
from  there  and  when  he  arrived  here  found  that  he 
had  but  two  shillings  left,  and  as  he  was  suft'eriug 
with  a  felon  on  his  hand  he  was  obliged  to  pa3-  C)ut 
that  money  to  have  it  removed.  He  thus  starred 
in  life  here  under  discouraging  circumstance.'  Noth- 
ing daunted,   however,   with  cliaracteristic   British 


400 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


pluck  anil  tenacity  of  purpose  he  iuunediately 
sought  work  and  soon  became  employed  as  a  farm 
hand.  He  saved  his  money  and  in  time  had  earned 
cnongli  to  send  for  his  wife  and  children,  wlio 
joined  liiin  in  18,')4.  After  the  arrival  of  his 
family  he  farmed  as  a  renter  for  about  four  years 
an<l  tlien  bouirht  land  in  Wheatland  Township.  He 
subsequently  purcliased  his  present  farm  in  1865, 
and  since  has  built  up  a  substantial  home  bj-  hard 
and  persistent  l«ibor.  aided  by  his  faithful  wife. 
The  two  Inindred  and  fortj'  acres  comprising  his 
farm  aio  under  excellent  cultivation,  and  neat  and 
conveniently  arranged  luiildings  adorn  the  place, 
and  everything  about  it  shows  the  care  of  the 
owner. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  England,  March  5, 
1 844,  to  Martha  Cravau,  a  native  of  that  country. 
Six  children  were  born  to  tiieir  union.  Margaret, 
John,  Charles,  Mar}-,  wife  of  Peter  Cheese,  of  Col- 
orado; Jane,  wife  of  Edward  Levee,  and  the 
mother  of  three  children — Harvey,  Frank  and 
Nelson;  and  Martha,  wife  of  Robert  Pennington, 
of  Kane  County,  111. 

May  23,  1878,  the  wife  who  had  been  our  sub- 
ject's lielpmate  for  so  nianj-  years,  departed  this 
life,  leaving  behind  her  a  wealth  of  love  and  affec- 
tion and  man}'  warm  friends  wlio  mourn  her  loss. 

"Her  work  is  compassed  and  done; 
All  things  arc  seemly  and  ready. 
And  her  summer  has  just  begun, 

"But  we  cannot  think  of  her  idle: 
She  must  be  a  home-maker  still; 

God  giveth  that  work  to  the  angels 
Who  fittest  the  t,isk  fulfill. 

"And  somewhere,  }'et,  in  the  hill  tops 
Qf  the  country  that  hath  no  pain 

She  will  watch  in  her  beautiful  doorway' 
To  bid  us  a  welcome  again," 

In  a  career,  honorable  alike  to  himself  and  to 
llie  communit}-.  Mr.  Varley  has  shown  those  val- 
uable traits  of  character  without  which  success  is 
unalt.iinable;  and  the  perusal  of  this  biographical 
sketch  leads  one  to  feel  that  he  is  a  man  of  sound 
intelligence  and  high  worth,  whom  his  fellow-citi- 
zens may  well  hold  in  respect  and  esteem.  He  is 
classed  among  the  oldest  pioneers  of  the  neighbor- 
hood and  while  witnessing  the  gradual  growth    of 


the  country  from  its  primitive  wildness  to  its  pres- 
ent high  state  of  cultivation,  he  has  done  much 
pioneer  work  to  ft)rward  its  improvement.  He  has 
served  .as  .School  Director  and  has  been  Road  Com- 
missioner of  the  township  for  several  years.  He 
long  since  identified  himself  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  remained  a  true  supporter  of  its 
principles. 


-^-4-^^ ^ 


^' OHN  G.  LONG.SHORE.  one  of  the  enter- 
prising farmers  of  Wilton  Township,  has 
demonstrated  the  fact  that  perseverance  and 
zeal  will  prevail  to  conquer  circumstances 
and  gain  a  competence  for  him  who  exercises  those 
qualities.  He  now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  fine  land  on  sections  28  and  33,  his  resi- 
dence being  on  the  former.  All  the  improve- 
ments— and  they  are  man}'  and  excellent — have 
been  made  b}-  the  present  owner  of  the  farm  and 
reflect  credit  upon  his  judgment  and  thrift.  Mr. 
Longshore  is  the  only  survivor  in  a  family  of  four 
children  born  to  Thomas  and  Jane  (Gain)  Long- 
shore, of  Bucks  County,  Pa.  He  is  the  second  on 
the  roll  which  includes  the  names  of  Sarah.  Mary 
and  .Snsau. 

In  the  county  that  w.is  the  birthplace  of  his 
worthy  parents.  John  Longshore  was  born  June  .9. 
1820.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  his  father  oper,a- 
ling  one  in  connection  with  work  at  his  trade  of  a 
wagon  maker.  In  1837  the  family  remoyed  to 
Reynoldsburg,  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  the 
parents  died.  There  our  subject  remained  until 
1849  when  he  came  to  Will  County,  111.,  and 
entered  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Wilton 
Township.  Since  coming  to  this  Slate  he  has 
followed  farming,  but  previously  he  worked  at  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  and  cabinet-maker  several 
years. 

Mr.  Longshore  h.is  been  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  fraternity  since  aoout  1847  and  holds  good 
standing  in  Lodge  No.  640,  at  Wilton  Center.  He 
h.as  held  some  minor  township  offices,  and  affiliates 
with  the  Republican  party,  in  the  principles  of 
which  he   firmly  believes.     An    honorable  man,  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


401 


■eliable  citizen,  and  a  kind  neighbor  and  father,  he 
vins  respect  from  his  associates  and  lias  many 
riends  throughout  the  vicinit}'  in  which  he  has  so 
ong  resided. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Longshore  was  spared  to 
lim  Init  five  months  when  the  Angel  of  Death 
ialled  her.  She  boie  the  maiden  name  of  Ann 
ran  Camp.  Miss  Sydney  Pugh  was  the  second 
dioice  of  our  subject  and  with  lier  lije  lived  happily 
leveral  years.  She  bore  eight  children,  of  whom 
lane,  Charley,  John  and  Eddie  are  now  living.  In 
lune,  1862,  Mr.  Longshore  was  again  married, 
making  as  his  companion  Miss  Matilda  Hurting,  of 
l\ockville.  Kankakee  County.  Tliis  worthy  woman 
^-as  born  in  Pennsylvania  about  1830,  and  is  still 
iving.  Her  father  was  Samuel  Hurting.  To  her 
ind  her  husband  six  children  have  been  born, 
lamed  respectively:  Henry,  Mary,  Samuel,  George, 
[da  and  Julius.  Henry  and  Mary  have  been  re- 
noved  from  their  sorrowing  parents  by  death. 


-■#•■:••# 


ANSON  E.  ROSS.  A  pleasantly  located 
and  fertile  tract  of  land  on  section  4,  Jolict 
Township,  is  owned  and  occupied  by  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  now  giving  his  atten- 
tion to  the  purchase  and  sale  of  real  estate.  His 
farm  being  just  northwest  of  Joliet,  combines  the 
|)leasant  features  of  town  and  farm  life  in  such  a 
proportion  as  to  be  pleasurabte  to  any  except  the 
most  fault-finding.  The  career  of  Mr.  Ross  has 
been  marked  by  a  careful  attention  to  the  matters 
lie  had  in  hand  and  the  exercise  of  tact  and  good 
judgment,  producing  a  favorable  effect  upon  his 
rinances  and  in  the  minds  of  those  with  whom  he 
lias  to  do. 

In  tlie  first  quarter  of  the  present  centur}'  Elijah 
Ivoss,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  Mary  L.  Houston, 
1  native  of  Delaware,  becrame  husband  and  wife. 
Their  first  home  after  marriage  was  in  the  Buck- 
eye State,  near  Springfield,  whence  they  removed 
to  the  vicinity  of  Piqua,  where  the  husband  closed 
liis  eyes  in  death.  The  widow  snbsequentlj'  became 
inmate  of  the  home  of  a  daughter  near   EJk- 


hart,  111.,  and  there  departed  this  life.  Their  fam- 
ily comprised  ten  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  skeii'li  is  the  seventh,  he  having  been 
born  in  Clark  County,  Ohio.  June  15,  18.32.  He 
was  an  infant  of  about  twrlve  months  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Piqua,  and  he  grew  to  manhood 
in  the  contiguous  village  of  Rossville,  which  was 
named  in  honor  of  his  father  and  uncle.  He  re- 
mained in  that  place  until  18uG,  when  he  came  to 
the  Prairie  State,  making  his  first  -  location  near 
Morris,  Grundy  County. 

After  a  residence  there  of  about  one  j-ear,  Mr. 
Ross  bought  land  in  Livingston  County,  and  set- 
tled down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer  in  Nevada  Town- 
ship. Some  nine  years  later  he  sold  tlie  farm  and 
engaged  in  the  grocery  and  hardware  business  in 
Dwight,  continuing  it  for  about  two  3'ears,  '.vhen  he 
sold  out  the  business  and  made  another  change  of 
base.  Coming  to  Joliet,  he  bought  llie  land  upon 
which  he  now  resides,  and  which  has  since  been  his 
home  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  spent  in 
Dakota. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Ross  was  celebrated  at 
the  home  of  the  bride,  in  Dwight,  the  lady  whom 
he  had  chosen  for  his  companion  being  Miss  Esther 
Thompson  She  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  possessed  many  good  qualities,  and  was 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  husband  .ind  chil- 
dren. The  union  was  blessed  liy  the  birtli  of  seven 
sons  and  daughters,  their  record  being  as  follows: 
Mary  L.  is  the  wife  of  William  Eaton;  Alma 
E.  married  Jolin  Belsly;  Marion  died  when  six 
months  old;  Frank  II.  is  in  the  nursery  business  in 
Joliet;  L.  Edgar  is  a  clerk  in  a  store  there;  Rob- 
ert W.  is  a  student  at  Jackson.  Mich.,  where  Jessie 
E.  is  also  studying.  The  mother  of  this  family  de- 
parted this  life  in  November,  1887. 

Mr.  Ross  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance, September  5,  1889,  the  marriage  ceremony 
being  performed  at  Marseilles,  La  Salle  Count}', 
and  the  biide  Miss^'anch  Gardner.  This  erlucated, 
cultured,  and  Christian  woman  was  born  in  Am- 
boy,  Lee  County,  July  11,  1843.  She  has  not  been 
content  to  sit  witli  folded  hands  since  the  studies  of 
her  girlhood  were  completed,  but  has  ever  been  on. 
the  alert  to  find  use  for  the  talents  which  have  been 
given   her,  and   in  her  own  womanly  wa}-   to  make 


402 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tbe  world  betlcr  for  her  presence  in  it.  Slie  finds 
an  outlet  for  Iilt  rclia:ious  n.itiire  in  tlio  work  :i!id 
worsliip  of  tlio  Methodist  i'',pisc'opal  C'luireii,  to 
wliioli  Mr.  Ivoss  also  belongs.  As  an.enihcr  of  so- 
ciety siie  is  liiglily  regarded,  wliilc  in  her  own 
liome  '"her  price  is  far  above  rul)ies."  Mr.  Ross 
formerly  aeted  wiih  the  Republican  party,  but  is 
iK)w  a  Prohibitionist.  \\'liile  living  in  Livingston 
County,  he  satisfactorily  discharged  the  duties  of 
Township  Treasurer  and  Sciiool  Commissioner. 


\f/OHN  McFADDEN,  .11!.  This  gentleman, 
who  is  proprietor  of  the  well-known  Mc- 
Fadden  Liver}-  on  Ottawa  Street,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leading  men  in  this 
business  in  -loliet.  lie  has  a  fine  outfit,  compris- 
ing some  of  the  best  horses  and  vehicles  and  enjoys 
the  patronage  of  a  large  portion  of  those  who  are 
dependent  upon  this  method  of  getting  over  the 
country.  He  has  a  life-long  interest  in  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  the  city  of  .loliet,  which  is  his  na- 
tive place.  He  w,as  born  April  17,  18oG,  and  is 
the  son  of  John  and  Bridget  (llafferty)  McFadden.  | 
who  came  hither  .nbout  1850.  The  parents  of  Mr. 
McFadden  were  natives  of  Ireland;  the  motiier  is 
deceased  and  the  father  resides  in  Joliet. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  received  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  city  schools  and  in  early  manhood  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Fire  Department,  driving 
tiie  first  steam  fire  engine  which  was  brought  into 
the  city.  lie  remained  connected  with  tiiis  for  a 
])eriod  of  si.K  years  and  then  in  1879,  established  his 
present  livery  business  on  Fast  \'an  Buren  Street 
from  which  he  removed  in  1883,  putting  up  his 
present  fine  barn  which  occupies  one  of  the  most 
desirable  locations  in  the  city,  being  just  west  of 
the  court-house  and  near  Hotel  Royal  and  the 
depot. 

In  addition  to  bis  livery  business  Mr.  McFad- 
den deals  quite  extensively  in  horses  from  which 
he  enjoys  profitable  returns.  While  having  ex- 
tensive business  interests,  he  hns  found  time  to  de- 
vote some  attention  to  city  politics,  in  which  he 


is  independent.  He  was  elected  to  represent  the 
Second  Ward  in  the  City  Council  in  18811,  and 
still  holds  the  otliee.  He  was  reared  in  the  Catholic 
faith  of  his  forefathers  and  is  prominently  con- 
nected witii  St.  Mary's  Church,  in  Joliet.  A  man 
upriglit  and  honest  in  his  transactions,  he  is  highly 
si)oken  of  liy  all  who  know  him.  He  commenced 
at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  in  life  and  has  accumulated 
a  fair  share  of  this  world's  goods  through  his  own 
unaided  efforts.  He  enjoys  the  acquaintance  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 

Mr.  McFadden  on  the  25tli  of  October,  1881, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  JIaria  Duggan.  Mrs. 
McFadden,  also  a  native  of  Joliet,  was  boin  in 
1857  and  was  the  daughter  of  Edward  and  Marj^ 
Duggan,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland  and  are  now 
residing  in  Joliet.  Of  this  union  there  were  born 
two  sons  and  one  daughter — Charles,  Frank  and 
Mary.  Mrs.  McFadden  departed  this  life  at  the 
family  residence  in  Joliet,  November  23,  1889. 

L«^^;r-*)HOMAS  CROWF,  Superintendint  of  tlie 
g\  Converting  Mill  of  the  Joliet  works  of  tlie 
Illinois  Steel  Company,  and  having  ids  head 
quarters  in  this  city,  forms  no  unimportant  factor 
among  its  industrial  interests.  The  works  give 
employment  to  four  hundred  men  in  that  depart- 
ment alone,  all  of  whom  are  under  the  supervision 
of  Mr.  Crowe.  He  is  ajjparentlv  well  fitted  by  na- 
ture and  training  for  the  responsibilities  which  he 
has  assumed. 

A  native  of  Toronto,  Canada,  Mr.  Crowe  was 
born  December  21,  1851,  to  William  M.  and  Mary 
(Mcllenrv)  Crowe,  who  are  also  natives  of  the  Do- 
minion and  are  both  of  Irish  extraction.  The 
father  was  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade  and* 
is  now  in  London,  Canada.  Thomas  acquired  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  citv  and  re- 
mained a  inember  of  the  parental  household  until 
a  young  man  of  twenty  years.  Then  repairing  to 
the  oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania  during  the  times  of 
the  greatest  excitement  there,  he  occupied  himself 
variously  in  tliat  region  until  April.  1872.  Thence 
he  emigrated  to  Chicago  and  engaged  nith  the  con- 


i'^J^W^e?!' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


405 


verting  department  of  the  North  Chicago  Mills,  for 
the  purpose  of  learning  tlio  busiuess.  He  started 
ns  ladleman  and  was  thus  employed  until  May,  1882, 
after  which  he  filled  various  positions  until  he  be- 
came foreman  of  the  mill.  By  this  time  the  works 
were  loeated  at  .South  C'hieago  and  Mr.  Crowe  was 
n|)pointed  Superintendent,  which  position  he  occu- 
pied until   the  latter  part  of   1884. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1885,  Mr.  Cro've  came 
to.Tolictand  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  jiresent 
[xisition  wliich  he  has  since  discharged  in  a  manner 
creditable  to  himself  and  satisfactory  to  all  con- 
cerned. He  is  a  man  generallj-  well  informed  and 
is  justly  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  has  always  voted 
the  straight  Rei)ul»lican  ticket.  Socially,  he  be- 
longs to  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Ancient  Free 
anil  Accepted  JLasons. 

Mr.  Crowe  was  married  July  3,  1880,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Chicago,  to  Miss  Mary  Gibbs.  This 
lady  was  born  ^Larch  1,  18/)."),  in  McHenry  County, 
111.,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Walter  and  Annie 
(Frisbie)  (!ibbs,  the  latter  of  whom  died  when  her 
daughter  Mary  was  but  two  years  old.  Mr.  (iibbs 
lemained  a  resident  of  McHenry  County  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1S75.  Of  this  union 
there  have  been  born  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters:  William  .lo-^eph,  Thomas  Edward. 
Nellie  and  Mamie.  The  little  family  occupies  a 
snug  home  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  city. 
Mr.  Crowe,  although  but  five  j-ears  a  resident  in 
this  count3',  has  fullj-  established  himself  in  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  its  people  and  is  num- 
bered among  its  most  relial)le  and  substantial 
citizens. 

-J^^ 


%3 ... 


^^EORGE  A.  Bl'CK.  The  city  of  Joliet  is 
tlicientl}-  large  to  afford  to  its  residents 
an  opportunitj'  for  every  reasonable  pleas- 
ure, congenial  companionship  and  comfort  which 
heart  can  desire.  To  it  have  been  attracted  man}- 
men  who,  after  years  of  industrious  labors,  have 
secured  a  competence  and  are  enabled  to  spend  their 
declining  years  in  merited  repose  and  the  enjoy- 
ment of  all  that  is  best  in  life.  Among  this  num- 
ber is  the  gentleman  above  named,  whose  portrait  is 


presented  in  connection  with  this  sketch,  and  who 
is  a  retired  farmer,  having  large  property  interests 
in  this  vicinity.  He  has  been  a  to^vnsman  since 
1883,  and  is  numbered  among  the  best  citizens  of 
the  city,  as  he  formerly  was  among  those  of  the 
adjacent  countr\'.  Li  politics  he  is  a  sound  Demo- 
crat. His  fitness  for  public  service  has  been  recog- 
nized b\-  his  fellow-men,  who  have  imposed  upon 
him  the  duties  of  various  ofiices.  Among  these 
were  the  positions  of  Town  Clerk,  Supervisor  and 
others,  the  last-named  odice  having  been  held  by 
him  five  terms. 

Tlie  old  B.ay  Stale  claims  Mr.  Buck  as  one  of  lier 
sons,  and  his  parents.  Asahel  and  Sophia  (Mason) 
Buck,  were  also  born  within  its  limits.  To  them 
were  born  six  children,  as  follows:  Achsah  and 
Sarah,  deceased;  George  A.;  Mrs.  Harriet  Linn, 
living  in  Manhattan  Township,  this  county;  Tru- 
man, whose  home  is  in  Omaha,  Xeb. ;  and  Laura, 
deceased.  The  father  departed  this  life  August 
16,  1880,  at  the  age  of  sevent3'-eight  years,  his 
death  taking  place  in  I'oultney,  Vt.  There  the 
widowed  mother  is  still  living,  having  now  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  eiglity-seven  years. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  biographical  sketch 
was  born  September  10,  1829,  at  Lanesborough, 
Berksliire  County,  Mass.  His  father  iiaving  been 
a  farmer,  his  early  years  were  spent  upon  a  farm 
in  acquiring  such  knowledge  of  its  man.agement  as 
is  alw.ays  secured  by  a  bright  lad,  and  in  obtaining 
as  good  an  education  as  the  schools  of  the  vicinity 
afforded.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  he  be- 
came a  merchant  at  Cheshire,  but  after  three  and 
one-half  years  spent  in  mercantile  pursuits  re- 
turned to  farming  as  an  occupation  more  congenial. 
In  1856  became  West  determined  to  make  a  home 
in  the  Prairie  State,  selecting  as  his  first  location 
Waukegan,  Lake  County.  There,  after  a  few  short 
months  of  happy  wedded  life,  his  companion  was 
lemoved  from  him.  breathing  her  last  April  16, 
1857.  Their  marriage  had  been  celebrated  May 
12,  of  the  previous  year,  the  bride  bearing  the  name 
of  Helen  C.  Wolcott.  Not  long  after  the  death  of 
his  wife  Mr.  Buck  came  to  this  county,  locating 
near  Five  Mile  Grove,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  he  abandoned  them  to  be- 
come a  resident  of  Joliet. 


406 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mr.  Buck  contracted  a  btcuud  matrimuniMl  alli- 
ance March  22,  1859,  taking  as  his  companion  Miss 
Sarah  II.,  daughter  of  Jariah  E.  and  Elmira  Baker, 
natives  of  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.  The  Baker 
family  became  residents  of  this  county  in  1856. 
Mrs.  Buck  posses.ses  all  the  qualities  of  a  motherly 
woman  and  is  devoted  to  her  husband  and  fam- 
ily. She  has  not,  however,  neglected  neighborly 
and  social  duties,  and  has  many  friends  throughout 
the  community. 

Of  the  family  of  Mi',  and  Mrs.  Buck  we  record 
the  following:  Helen  C,  born  December  4,  1850, 
is  now  living  in  York  County,  Xeb.,  and  is  the 
wife  of  John  Cockle;  Josephine  S.,  born  May  18, 
1861,  died  October  19,  1866;  Sophia  M.,  born  No- 
vember 28,  1862,  died  October  5.  1865;  Mrs. 
Laura  E.  Tenny,  whose  home  is  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
was  born  August  2,  1865;  George  A.,  Jr.,  born 
June  22,  1867,  died  June  30,  1870;  Werden,  born 
February  9,  1869,  is  at  home  and  engaged  in  tii(^ 
grocery  trade;  Jennie  T..  born  March  18,  1871,  is 
bookkeeper  in  her  brother's  store;  Kate  F.  was  born 
November  19,  1872;  Paul  Revere,  born  November 
12,  1875,  died  March  22,  1877;  Fred  A.,  born  May 
7,  1877,  passed  away  December  16,  1889;  Lucy 
Mason  was  born  February  19,  1882. 


ATRICK  V.  SCULLY  is  accredited  one  of 
the  solid  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Joliet 

^  and  owes  his  prosperous  and  honorable  posi. 
tion  entirely  to  his  own  industry  and  integ- 
rity. His  career  in  life  has  been  a  somewhat 
remarkable  one  and  the  example  he  has  set  of  per- 
severing pursuit  of  a  natural  bent,  is  one  worth}'  of 
being  followed  by  others  who  have  a  decided  pre- 
dilection for  a  certain  kind  of  work. 

Mr.  Scully  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  Febru- 
ary 15,  1845,  to  Edward  and  Elizabeth  Scully.  The 
former  died  about  1870  and  the  latter  afterward 
came  to  America  and  is  still  living  in  Joliet.  happj' 
in  the  possession  of  a  prosperous  and  dutiful  son, 
nut  the  least  of  whose  admirable  qualities  is  a  filial 
heart.  Patrick  Scully  early  in  life  evinced  marked 
inclination  toward  mechanics  and  at  the  remarkable 


age  of  eight  years  was  employed  in  light  work  in 
Sheffield,  England,  to  which  place  his  mother  had 
removed.  He  was  successively  |)romoled  in  that 
great  steel  center  until  he  was  recognizetl  as  one  of 
the  best  workmen  there. 

At  the  request  of  a  syndicate.  Air.  Scull}'  left 
England  and  started  into  successful  operation  the 
first  rolling-mill  in  Stecltown,  I'a.,  near  Harris- 
l)urgh.  He  remained  there  until  1871,  and  was 
then  engaged  for  a  brief  period  in  steel  works  at 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  thence  coming  to  Chicago,  111.,  to  act 
in  the  capacity  of  instructor  in  the  I'nion  Mills. 
In  187.3,  he  was  special!}'  requested  to  start  tlie 
rolling-mill  in  that  city,  from  which  has  grown  the 
Illinois  Steel  Company,  one  of  the  leading  plants 
of  its  kind  in  America,  and  since  that  date  he  has 
been  in  continuous  service  with  this  company. 

In  lS82-"83,  Mr.  Scully  sought  a  respite  from 
his  toil  inatiip  abroad,  and  traveled  over  the 
European  continent,  re-visiting  Sheffield,  the  scene 
of  his  early  labors,  and  enjoying  a  banquet  with 
liis  old  friends  und  associates  there. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  Europe,  in  June,  1883, 
Mr.  Scully  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Agnes 
D'Arcy,  a  daughter  of  a  prominent  Will  County 
family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scully  have  four  children, 
and  are  justly  proud  of  the  quartet,  who  are  named 
respectively:  Arthur,  Florentine,  Marguerita,  and 
George  T.  The  dwelling  occupied  by  Mr.  Scully 
on  the  West  Side  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1886, 
and  he  built  the  pleasant  residence  on  Collins 
Street,  in  which  the  family  now  dwell,  and  where 
the  tokens  of  the  presence  of  a  refined  womanhood 
are  manifest  to  all  who  enter. 

^^AY  M.  BRUNSON.  Joliet  is  the  home  of 
(||  (— -  many  young  men  of  fine  natural  abilities, 
^^^  thorough  education  and  business  energy, 
who  in  various  fields  of  industry  are  acquiring  fine 
reputations  and  building  up  successful  business  en- 
terprises. Among  these  Dr.  Brunson  deserves 
mention,  as  he  combines  the  intelligence,  energy 
arid  moral  character  which  merit  respect  and  win 
success.     He  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  dentistry 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


■107 


and  has  no  reason  to  complain  of  his  worldly  suc- 
cess, as  he  lias  built  up  a  fine  practice  iu  the  short 
time  since  he  opened  his  otHce. 

The  sulijcct  of  this  sketcli  is  tiie  youngest  son 
and  child  of  CyuslM.  and  I'letliyunai  L.  ((lay) 
IJrunson,  the  other  niendiers  of  the  family  circle 
being  Eugene  K.  lirunson,  ISI.  I).,  who  is  practicing 
his  profession  at  Ganges,  Allegan  County,  Mich., 
and  Dora  E.,  wife  of  Dell  D.  Smith,  of  .Toliet.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Yates  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
was  brought  to  the  Prairie  State  in  1833,  when  a 
boy  of  thirteen  years, Grandfather  Brunson  locating 
about  eight  miles  north  of  .loliet,  on  the  Chicago 
road,  when  the  country  was  yet  a  wilderness. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  P^ebruary  23, 
ISOK,  and  he  was  born  in  this  county,  receiving  his 
early  education  iu  the  district  schools  which  he  at- 
tended until  fbout  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  spent 
the  next  two  winters  in  attending  the  Lockport 
High  School,  .assisting  his  father  in  tlie  intervals  of 
si udy,  and  next  spending  the  greater  part  of  two 
\  curs  at  the  Northwestern  College  in  Naperville,  Du 
I'.ige  County.  Still  unsatisfied  with  his  attainments 
lir  entered  the  institution  at  Lombard,  and  three 
\i.irs  later  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '84, 
liM\  Ing  taken  the  Latin  Scientific  Course. 

\Vc  next  find  young  Brnnson  studying  medicine 
in  Bennett  Medical  College,  Chicago,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1886,  and  where  he  won  a  life- 
scholarship  bj'  having  the  highest  standing  in  the 
qualiPcations  required  for  that  gift.  Subsecjuently 
he  was  offered  a  professorship  in  this  institution 
but  his  heart  was  set  on  dentistry,  and  after  a  shoit 
time  spent  in  the  practice  of  the  medical  profession 
he  began  to  fit  himself  for  that  which  he  chose  to 
follow.  Going  to  Philadelphia,  he  entered  the 
Dental  College,  and  after  his  graduation  located  at 
once  in  Joliet,  where  he  has  already  become  well 
established  as  a  tiiorough  workman  and  holds  a 
high  place  as  a  gentleman  of  broad  culture  and 
most  worthy  character. 

Dr.  Brunson  belongs  to  various  societies,  chiefly 
college  fraternities,  among  them  being  the  Delta 
Tau  Delta  and  the  Erosophian  Literary  Society,  in 
both  of  which  at  various  times  he  occupied  each 
of  the  Chairs.  In  church  work  he  is  an  active 
participant  and  during  the  three  years  in  which  he 


I  has  been  Supeiintendent  of  the Universalist  Sunday- 
school,  he  has  awakened   the  interest  and   built  up 

J  the  school  to  one  of  goodly  numbers.  On  Novem- 
ber fi.  1889,  Dr.  Brunson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  JIlss  Rose  Pilcher  Stopp,  of  Philnlicld,  who 
presides  with  charming  grace  over  his  cozy  home 
at  1204  Western  Avenue. 


^/AMES  B.  KINTl  is  a  jirominent  citizen  of 
Dul'agc  Townshi[i,  where  for  nearly  forty 
^years  he  has  been  actively  engage<l  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  and  to  his  sturdy  enter- 
prise Is  it  greatly  indebted  for  its  present  substan- 
tial [irosperity.  He  was  born  September  17,  1820, 
amid  the  pleasant  scenes  of  the  pretty  New  En- 
gland town  of  Benson,  Rutland  County,  Vt.  He 
came  of  sterling  New  England  stock,  his  ancestore 
having  come  from  old  England  to  that  part  of  the 
country  in  early  Colonial  times.  His  parents,  Eli 
and  Eliza  (Johnson)  King,  were  natives  of  New 
England,  and  his  paternal  grandfather,  Eli  King, 
bore  an  honorable  part  iu  the  Revolution  that  set 
the  Colonies  free  from  the  mother  country,  serving 
through  the  entire  war,  and  tlie  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  also  a  patriotic  soldier  in  that  contest. 

Our  subject  was  the  oldest  son  of  a  family  of  five 
children,  and  was  reared  to  man's  estate  on  a  farm 
among  his  native  hills.  He  received  his  early  ed- 
ucation in  the  district  schools,  and  by  careful  read- 
ing has  added  to  it,  and  tod.ay  is  an  exceedingly 
well-informed  mail.  He  began  his  career  in  the 
calling  to  which  he  had  been  bred  on  his  native 
soil.  In  1854  he  embraced  the  fine  opportunity 
offered  him  to  locate  on  the  farm  where  he  is  now 
living  to  better  his  fortunes.  Here  he  and  his 
wife  have  a  wcll-ai)pointcd  farm,  supplied  with  a 
substantial  set  of  commodious  buildings,  with 
farming  machinery  of  the  most  approved  manu- 
facture, and  the  whole  place  bears  an  air  of  neat- 
ness and  thrift  that  m.ake  it  attractive,  and  show 
that  it  is  under  the  management  of  a  master  hand 
and  mind. 

Mr.  King  was  mari-icd  October  28,  1840,  in  his 
native  State,  to  Diana  Branch,  who  bore  him  two 


408 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


(huighters:  Kliza.  wife  uf  li.  A.  Bartoo,  of  Iniliana; 
ami  Afl'a,  wife  of  (ioorge  Dunlap,  of  Phiinlielil, 
111.  ISIr.  Kiiii;  inan-ied  for  his  second  wife  Laura 
Branch.  They  had  no  children.  Our  subjf'ct  was 
nnuried  a  third  lime,  November  3,  1856,  taking 
for  his  wife  Miss  Mary  A.  Alden. 

Mrs.  King  is  a  native  of  tiiis  eounty,  born  June 
•24.  1839,  a  d.-uigiiter  of  P^benczer  and  Mary  Alden, 
who  w'ere  of  good  old  New  PjUgland  stock,  and 
were  natives  of  M.assachusetts,  and  she  is  a  descen- 
dant of  the  famous  John  Alden,  the  scholar  of  the 
"Mayflower,"  who  was  a  successful  rival  of  Miles 
Standish  m  his  courtshii).  Mrs.  King's  father  was 
a  prominent  pioneer  of  this  county,  coming  here 
in  the  fall  of  l.'^:>2.  Mrs.  King's  mother  did  not 
come  until  tlie  spring  of  1835.  Mr.  Alden  squat- 
ted on  the  land  before  it  was  in  the  market  and 
when  the  land  sale  occurred  he  secured  a  i)atent 
from  the  Government,  which  parchment  is  still 
owned  by  Mrs.  King  and  was  signed  by  President 
Tyler.  Her  |)arcnts  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  DnPage  Township,  and  at  the  time  he  came 
here  the  country  w.as  in  a  very  wild  condition. 
Indians  were  still  living  here  ami  a  [)orlion  of  the 
farm,  on  vvliich  Mr.  King  now  resides,  was  cov- 
ered with  Indian  mounds  or  graves,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  an  old  Indian  battle  ground. 
They  had  to  endure  many  of  the  hardships  of  pio- 
neer life  and  to  live  without  the  enjoyment  of 
many  things  thej^  had  thought  to  be  necessaries 
in  their  old  home,  but  by  years  of  toil  and  strug- 
gle, the}-  succeeded  in  accumulating  a  comfort- 
able property  and  at  the  time  of  his  deat'n,  INIr. 
Alden  left  an  estate  of  three  hundred  and  eight- 
een acres.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  of  con- 
sumption, his  death  occurring  October  17,  1850, 
and  the  mother  dying  Februar}-  28,  1857.  They 
were  the  i)arents  of  six  children,  two  of  whom 
are  now  living,  Mrs.  King,  and  Martha,  wife  of 
O.  8.  Smitli,  of  Cheboygan  Count}-,  Mich.  Their 
other  children  were  Franklin,  Judson,  Ilattie  and 
Angelia.  Mrs.  King's  father  was  a  sincere  Chris- 
tian and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  In  his 
death  the  county  lost  one  of  its  most  enterprising 
pioneers,  who  was  doing  his  full  share  to  promote 
its  growth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King's  wedded  life  has 
been  blessed  to    them    by    the    birth   of    one  son. 


Charles.  The}'  have  also  an  adopted  daughter, 
Ilattie.  whom,  in  the  kindness  of  their  hearts,  they 
have  taken  to  their  home  and  are  giving  her  every 
advantage  as  if  she  were  of  their  own  flesh  and 
blood. 

Mr.  King  came  here  in  pioneer  days,  and  it  may 
be  ins  priile  tliat  he  h.as  h.ad  a  hand  in  shaping 
the  i)rosperity  of  the  eounty.  He  is  a  sagacious 
far-seeing  man,  of  excellent  business  capacity,  is 
friendly  and  obliging  in  his  relations  with  his 
neighbors,  and  is  in  every  way  a  man  of  irre- 
|)roacli.'il)le  character.  His  fellow  citizens,  fully 
cognizant  of  his  worth,  have  called  him  to  office 
at  various  times,  and  he  has  served  as  Supervisor 
of  Dul'age  Township  two  terms,  and  has  l)een 
district  School  Director  for  a  number  of  ye.ars, 
and  as  a  public  official  shows  himself  to  be  honest 
and  progressive.  In  his  political  attiliations  be  is 
a  Republican.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  Clunch  at  Xa|)erville,  and  are 
identilied  with  its  every  good  work.  They  are 
people  of  high  social  standing,  and  their  home  is 
the  center  of  that  true  hosi)itality  where  host  and 
hostess  vie  with  each  other  in  entertaining  and 
making  comfortable  all  who  cross  its  tlircsliliold, 
he  they  friends  or  strangers. 


ILLIAM  GLOVEB  is  a  fine  type  of  the  na- 
tive-born citizens  of  this  State,  who  have 
since  attaining  manhood  stepped  ft)rward 
to  aid  in  carrying  on  the  work  so  well  begun  by 
their  fathers,  in  developing  and  sustaining  the 
great  agricultural  interests  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  He  is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing on  the  very  farm  that  his  father  evolved- from 
the  wild  prairies  in  the  early  settlement  of  this 
region. 

Our  subject  was  born  here  May  3,  1846,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Harriet  (Robey)  Glover,  na- 
tives of  England.  His  father,  now-  a  resident  of 
Naperville,  was  formerly  a  well-known  pioneer  of 
this  township.  He  emigrated  from  his  native  land 
in  early  manhood  and  coming  to  Illinois  identified 
himself  with  the   early  settlers  of  DuPage  County. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


409 


He  rented  a  farm  there  for  two  years  and  then 
coming  to  this  count3',  settled  in  what  is  now  Du- 
Page  Township,  on  tlie  farm  now  occupied  by  our 
subject.  It  was  then  in  a  wikl  uncultivated  con- 
dition, with  the  escej>tion  of  four  acres  that  were 
l)roiven.  He  toiled  busil}'  early  and  late  in  culti- 
vating and  improvino'  the  place  and  nuide  of  it  a 
choice  farm.  He  was  a  man  fairl3'-woll  educated 
aird  during  iiis  residence  here  was  looked  upon  with 
respect,  and  was  often  solicited  to  take  otiice,  but 
never  cared  to  do  so,  although  he  favored  all  tlie 
schemes  for  public  improvements.  He  is  a  sturdy 
Democrat  in  his  political  faith.  He  is  in  his  six- 
ty-eiglith  year,  and  still  retains  his  mental  and  phy- 
sical faculties  in  a  marked  degree.  His  wife  did 
not  come  from  England  until  after  lie  came.  By 
her  death  in  1887  he  sustained  a  great  loss.  She 
was  a  truly  good  woman  and  a  consistent  memiier 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  She  bore  him  live 
children,  as  follows:  William;  .Sarah,  a  resident  of 
Nfiperville;  Mary,  wife  of  John  INI urr  of  DuPage 
Township;  Tames,  living  in  Missouri,  and  Ada, 
wife  of -lulius  Highland. 

William  Glover,  of  whom  tiiis  biographical 
sketch  is  written,  was  about  two  years  old  when 
his  parents  l)rought  him  to  this  county',  ai-.d  here  he 
was  reared  under  the  influences  of  pioneer  life  and 
has  been  an  eye  witness  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
growth  of  the  county  fron\  its  primitive  condition. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
tliis  township,  which  at  that  earl}'  daj' did  not  offer 
the  children  of  the  pioneers  the  fine  educational  priv- 
Icges  that  the  children  of  the  present  generation 
enjoy.  He  was  a  diligent  scholar,  however,  and 
gained  all  the  knowledge  possible  in  school,  and 
since,  by  reading  and  observation  has  added  to  it 
so  that  he  is  now  a  well-informed  man.  He  de- 
votes himself  to  the  management  of  his  land  which 
comprises  one  hundred  and  forty-three  and  fortj'- 
four  one-hundredths  acres  of  land,  mostly  under 
cultivation  and  supplied  with  comfortable  Iniild- 
ings,  and  every  needed  improvement. 

iMr.  Glover  is  a  man  of  upright  habits  and 
sound  prinx'iples,  and  is  sagacious,  careful  and 
thrifty  in  the  management  of  his  affairs.  He  has 
thus  placed  himself  amongst  the  solid  men  of  the 
township,  and  his  traits  of  character  are  such  as  to 


command  the  respect  and  regard  of  his  fellow  cit- 
izens. In  his  political  views  he  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  p<jliey  promulgated  by  the  Democratic  party 
and  is  a  faithful  sui^porter  of  its  principles.  All 
things  that  will  in  any  way  improve  township  or 
county  meet  with  his  cordial  favor.  He  has 
served  acceptably  as  School  Director  in  District 
No.  3  for  two  3-ears.  Mr.  Glover  was  married 
March  !),  1885,  to  Mrs.  Matilda  Butstround,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Burgess,  a  native  of  Englani). 
By  her  union  with  Mr.  Glover  she  is  the  mother 
of  one  sou  named  John.  By  her  first  man  iage  she 
has  one  daughter  and  one  son,  Elizabeth  and  Al- 
bert. 


ydLLIAM  CAMPBELL  STAtiE.  This  gen- 
tleman was  born  in  Morris,  Grundy 
WW  County,  III,  December  11,  1858,  but  be- 
came a  dweller  in  Joliet,  in  boyliood.  His  father, 
William  Stage,  was  born  in  Indiana,  December  19. 
1831,  and  his  mother,  Ruth  Ann  Smart,  in  Day- 
ton, Ohio.  The  latter  was  descended  from  old 
Knickerbocker  stock.  In  1856,  Mr.  Stage  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  contracting  and  building 
in  Morris,  and  during  the  decade  following  con- 
structed man}'  of  the  most  noted  buildings  of  that 
city.  Among  them  are  the  Streeter  Block,  the 
high-school  building  and  the  engine  houses.  He 
was  also  engaged  in  farming  at  the  same  time,  his 
farm  being  five  miles  north  of  the  cit}'. 

When  Joliet  was  having  a  boom,  Mr.  Stage  saw 
a  ciiance  to  exercise  his  power  and  he  therefore 
in  1808,  commenced  to  operate  here  but  still  made 
his  home  in  Morris  until  1882.  He  was  immediately 
engaged  to  superintend  the  building  of  the  Steel 
Works.  After  the  great  fire  in  Chicago  he  put  up 
some  of  the  well-known  buildings  of  that  city,  one 
of  which  is  the  Batchelor  &  Whiting  Block,  cor- 
ner of  Randolph  and  Clark.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  the  following  children:  Will  C,  Hat- 
tie,  Alexander,  George  IL,  Charles  B.,  Clara,  May 
and  Maggie.  Hattie,  Alexander  and  Maggie  are 
now  deceased. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  William  Cani[)licl! 


410 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Stage  continut'd  the  conlracting  business  at  which 
he  was  very  successful.  In  l.S.s"),  he  embarked  in 
tiic  luanut'actuie  of  wire,  liul  tlie  business  not 
|ii'i>\ini;'  pi'utitable,  lie  returned  to  cuntraelinj;  and 
building  in  stone  and  niasoniy,  which  suited  the 
natural  bent  of  his  life.  In  a  brief  time  he  has 
shown  that  he  is  a  true  son  of  his  father.  He  has 
recently  pureiiased  an  extensive  quarry  two  and 
one-half  miles  west  of  Joliet.  whirli  euntains  stone 
of  nnsur[)assed  quality. 

Mr.  Stage  was  eihicated  tirsl  in  the  schools  of 
Morris,  afterwards  taking  a  course  in  theComnier- 
•  cial  College,  at  Dayton.  Oliit).  and  is  therefore 
well  versed  in  practical  knowledge.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  Lodge  ^>o.  4"2.  of  Joliei.  and 
is  a  most  devoted  Republican.  In  religions  faith 
he  is  a  Jletliodist.  He  is  universally  esteemed 
and  looked  upon  as  a  rising  man,  his  energy  in  bus 
iness  giving  promise  of  a  high  degree  of  worldly 
success  and  his  traits  of  character  making  him  one 
of  the  most  i)o|inlar  members  of  society.  He  has 
an  extremel}' cozy  home,  among  its  many  improve- 
inents  being  an  artesian  well,  three  humlred  and 
forty -six  feet  deep. 

The  pleasant  dwelling  is  presided  over  b}-  a 
capable  and  loveable  woman  who  became  the  wife 
of  our  subject  .lanuaiy  14.  1880.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Julia  Lnella  ^IcCowan,  and  be- 
longs to  a  family  which  is  classed  among  the  pio- 
neers of  Will  County.  The  happy  mai  riage  has 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children:  IS'ettie 
Kmma,  born  in  1S»0;  Alfred  Campbell  in  1883; 
Alma  Ethel,  in  18S5;  and  Jesse  W.  in  188'J.  They 
form  a  In-ight  groiq)  in  whose  growing  intelligence 
the  parents  take  great  delight  and  the  older  son  al- 
ready evinces  musical   talent  of  a  high  order. 


,:..&. .'..ill.:. 


DAM  DRUMM,  coming  to  Plainfield 
Township  a  (piarter  of  a  century  ago,  and 
il'  placing  himself  among  its  sturdy,  practical 
and  wide-awake  farmers,  has  managed  its 
agricultural  interests  with  such  success  that  he  ac- 
quired a  handsome  competence  and  was  enabled  to 


retire  from  active  business  when  scarcely  past  the 
meridian  of  life.  He  is  of  foreign  birth,  born  in 
(icnnany,  near  the  River  Rhine,  June  .5,  18:31. 
His  father,  Adam  Drumm,  was  from  the  same 
place,  and  his  grandfather,  also  bearing  that  name, 
w.as  born  in  the  same  Province.  He  was  a  miller 
b}'  trade,  and  spent  his  entire  life  there.  The 
father  of  our  subject  learned  the  trade  in  his 
father's  mill,  luit  after  marriage  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  and  always  followed  that 
occupation,  spending  his  entire  life  in  the  land  of 
his  nativity.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Sarah  liaum,  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of  the 
same  i)lace  as  himself.  Tuey  had  four  children,  of 
whom  our  sLd)ject  was  the  only  son,  and  the  only 
member  of  the  family  who  ever  came  to  America. 

Mr.  Drunim  received  a  solid  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land,  which  he  attended 
steadily  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  He 
then  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  remained 
an  inmate  of  the  parental  household  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  old.  At  that  age  he  started  out  in 
the  world  to  make  his  own  living,  and  ambitious 
to  see  what  life  held  for  him  in  America,  he  turned 
his  face  toward  this  countr3',  and  setting  sail  from 
Havre  the  loth  of  June,  18.33,  on  the  good  slii|) 
'•Isabella,"  landed  at  New  York,  after  a  long  voy- 
age of  fifty-three  days.  He  went  directly  to  Ohio, 
and  when  he  arrived  at  his  destination  found  that 
he  had  but  =<o  in  his  pocket,  and  as  he  was  :tn 
entire  stranger  and  had  no  knowledge  of  the  Eng- 
lish language,  his  prospects  were  discouraging. 
Xotliing  daunted,  he  sought  employment,  and 
soon  engaged  to  labor  on  a  farm  at  $10  a  month, 
and  w.as  thus  employed  for  two  years.  In  18.")5he 
took  an  important  step  in  life,  as  in  that  year  he 
came  to  this  county,  to  take  up  his  residence  in 
this  region.  AVith  wise  economy  while  working 
on  a  farm  here  he  saved  his  earnings,  and  finally 
was  enabled  to  become  more  independent  by  rent- 
ing land.  He  did  so  well  in  its  management  that 
in  186.")  he  had  enough  to  buj'  land  and  make  a 
purchase  of  forty  acres  on  section  17.  Three  years 
later  he  sold  that  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  32.  This  was  wild 
prairie  land,  though  it  was  fenced  and  a  few  acres 
were  broken.     Mr.  Urumra  completed  a  house  that 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


411 


was  partiall}'  built,  and  later  erected  a  substantial 
barn,  corn-cribs  and  otiier  needed  buildings,  and 
was  assiduously  engaged  in  tilling  the  soil  until 
1885,  when  he  rented  the  farm,  and  coming  to 
Plainfleld,  has  since  lived  retired  in  one  of  its  at- 
tractive homes. 

In  1857  Mr.  Druram  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Esther  Arter,  a  native  of  Cumberland 
Count}',  Pa.  Her  father,  John  Arter.  was  a  native 
of  the  same  State,  while  his  father,  Philip  Arter,  is 
thought  to  have  been  born  in  Germany,  though 
he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Cumberland 
County.  Mrs.  Drumm's  father  was  reared  and 
married  in  the  Ke3Stone  State,  and  subsequently 
moved  from  there  to  Stark  County,  Ohio.  In 
1854  he  left  that  State,  ami  coming  to  this  county, 
he  bought  a  farm  in  Plaiufield  Tjwnshi[),  on  wliicli 
he  lived  some  3'ears,  and  then  came  to  tlie  village 
where  he  has  since  lived  retired.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Kllen  King,  and  she  w.as  born 
in  England,  and  died  on  the  farm  in  Plaiufield 
'l\)wiisliip.  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Drumm  have  had  four 
eliililien,  as  follows:  William  II.;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Edward  Huffman;  Jessie  N.  and  George  E.  The 
great  grief  in  an  otherwise  happ}-  wedded  life  has 
been  in  tlie  death  of  their  daughter  Jessie,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years. 

Mr.  Drumm  has  a  keen,  resolute  nature,  and  b^- 
prompt,  systematic  methods  and  other  excellent 
business  habits,  has  acquired  a  valuable  property, 
and  is  one  of  tiie  mone3ed  men  of  the  place.  He  is  a 
man  of  earnest  religious  feeling,  and  in  him  and 
his  worthy-  wife,  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
has  two  of  its  most  active  members. 


^^ 


i,  AVH)  G.  WHITSON.  Manhattan  Town- 
'^  ship  contains  many  rural  homes,  where 
comfort  abounds  and  man^'ofthe  luxuries 
of  life  may  be  found,  among  them  that  of 
David  G.  AVhitson  on  section  18.  The  owner  is 
an  early  settler  of  Will  County,  which  has  been 
his  home  since  he  was  twelve  years  old,  and  much 
information  can  be  obtained  from  him  regarding 
the  growth  of  this  section,  and  indeed  of  the  en- 


tire State,  as  he  is  well  informed  and  possesses  the 
happy  faculty  of  conversing  well.  His  nature  is  a 
genial  and  energetic  one,  the  latter  quality  being 
well  proven  by  his  financial  success  and  equally 
well  b\'  the  services  which  lie  rendered  his  country 
during  the  late  war. 

Mr.  Whitson  is  the  fourth  in  a  family  of  nine 
children,  whose  parents  are  mentioned  at  length  in 
the  biography  of  his  brother,  John  H.  Whitson, 
found  elsewhere  in  this  Album.  He  was  born 
April  7,  1841,  in  Lawrence  County,  where  the 
first  twelve  vears  of  his  life  were  chiefly  spent. 
His  surroundings  were  such  as  were  common  to 
most  farmers'  sons,  and  even  in  his  boyhood  he 
was  given  his  share  in  the  duties  of  the  home, 
acquiiing  skill  in  various  lighter  labors  of  the 
farm.  His  school  pi ivileges  were  somewhat  lim- 
ited, as  the  s^'stem  then  in  vogue  was  that  of  sub- 
scription schools  which  were  open  but  a  portion 
of  the  year.  The  temiile  of  learning  was  an  old 
fashioned  log  building,  with  a  large,  open  fire- 
place, puncheon  floor,  slab  benches  and  small 
windows.  One  of  his  ?arly  recollections  is  of  a  trip 
to  Iowa,  whicli  was  made  with  teams, 'the  Missis- 
sii)pi  River  being  crossed  at  Burlington;  this  oc- 
curred when  he  was  ten  years  old. 

The  family  sojourned  in  Iowa  about  a  year 
and  then  returned  to  their  former  home  where, 
not  long  after,  our  subject  and  his  brother  Will- 
iam were  left  in  charge  of  some  forty  head  of 
cattle,  while  the  father  carne  with  the  rest  of  the 
famd}-  to  Will  Count_y.  Two  months  after  their 
removal  the  brothers  drove  the  cattle  to  the  new 
home,  our  subject  taking  a  man's  place  upon  the 
farm.  During  the  winter  he  attended  school,  ad- 
ding tcf  his  store  of  knowledge,  and  at  other 
times  becoming  more  and  more  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  agricultural  life. 

When  he  had  reached  man's  estate  Mr.  Whitson 
began  life  for  himself  upon  rented  land,  in  Kan- 
kakee County,  near  Rockville.  He  began  his  Li- 
bors  there  in  the  spring  of  18G2,  but  in  August, 
not  being  able  longer  to  continue  peaceful  pur- 
suits while  his  country's  needs  cried  to  him  fur 
the  strength  of  his  right  arm.  he  left  valuable  ma- 
chines standing  in  the  field  and  dro|)ping  everything 
entered  the  arm}-.  He  was  enrolled  in  Company  I, 


41-2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Seventy  sixth  Illinois  Infantiy,  mustered  in  at 
Knnkakee  Cit}-  and  sent  Soulli,  two  months  later 
becoming  a  Corporal.  From  Cairo  tiie  troops 
went  to  Coliimljus,  K3'.,  where  for  a  short  time 
Uiey  were  in  camp  .-md  whither  the}'  took  their 
way  to  Bolivar,  via  Ilolley  Springs,  engaged  in 
skirinishing  daily.  They  were  next  sent  to  Jlem- 
phis  and  on  the  way  thither  were  engaged  in 
skirmishes,  several  of  which  amounted  really  to 
battles.  Our  subject  was  at  this  time  acting  as 
Sergeant  over  thirt\'-six  men,  doing  provost  and 
patrol  work  under  Gen.  Hall,  Commander  of  the 
Second  Brigade.  Foiirlli  Division,  Seventeenlli 
Army  Corps. 

At  Memphis  the  troops  took  boats  for  Yicks- 
bnrg.  landing  at  Young's  Point,  around  which 
they  marched  to  bear  their  part  in  the  famous 
siege.  Mr.  Whilson  had  the  good  fortune  to  see 
Gen.  Grant  receive  the  sword  of  Gen.  Pemberton 
when  llie  latter  surrendered.  The  next  heav}-  en- 
gagement in  which  he  took  part  was  the  battle  of 
Jackson,  following  which  was  that  of  Clinton,  a 
return  to  Vicksburg  and  the  Yazoo  expedition. 
Tlie  Red  River  expedition  soon  followed  and  then 
the  removal  to  New  Orleans,  where  they  camped 
at  Sedgwick  Hospital.  Only  those  who  are  famil- 
iar with  arm}'  life  can  fully  realize  the  danger  and 
toil  which  filled  the  intervals  between  the  battles 
and  expeditions  mentioned,  and  know  all  that  the 
boys  in  blue  endured  on  tented  field,  in  weary 
marches  and  in  the  heat  of  battle. 

Breaking  camp,  the  troops  of  which  our  subject 
formed  an  integral  part,  embarked  on  the  "Pea- 
body"  with  Gen.  Hall.  The  boat  was  disabled  on 
account  of  the  rudder  chain  being  broken  by  the 
force  of  the  breakers,  and  it  became  necessar}'  to 
throw  three  hundred  and  fifty  mules,  twenty-five 
horses,  all  the  provisions  and  many  other  stores 
overboard,  in  order  that  the  boat  might  be  able  to 
reach  New  Orleans,  to  which  they  were  obliged  to 
return.  They  then  took  the  Lake  Pontchartrain 
train  to  Pensacola,  where  they  were  in  camp  four 
weeks,  marching  thence  to  Spanish  Fort  which  they 
captured,  thence  proceeding  to  besiege  Ft.  Blakely. 
Here  Mr.  Whitsoa  received  a  serious  wound  which 
necessitated  his  being  sent  to  the  hospital  and  re- 
maining there  three  mouths.     After  he  had  gotten 


inside  of  the  rifle  pits  a  shell  struck  the  back  of  his 
right  shoulder,  taking  off  the  fiesii  and  injuring  the 
shoulder  blade.  At  Clintoo  he  had  received  a 
slight  scratch  from  a  musket  ball,  which  passed  be- 
tween his  first  and  second  fingers.  At  Sedgwick 
Hospital,  Sei)tember  6,  18G5,  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service  and  honorably  discharged  after  a 
valiant  army  life  of  over  three  years. 

Returning  to  his  home  Mr.  Whitson  again  en- 
gaged in  farming,  the  following  year  traveling 
through  Iowa,  Kansas  and  Nebraska  with  teams. 
Returning  again  to  the  parental  home  he  farmed 
his  father's  place  until  1868,  when  he  purchased 
eight}-  acres  of  raw  land,  at  ?33  per  acre,  and  loca- 
ted upon  it.  He  placed  it  under  thorough  cultiva- 
tion and  excellent  improveneut,  and  it  now  forms 
a  part  of  his  fine  estate.  In  1876  he  paid  ^46  per 
acre  for  the  eighty  belonging  to  his  brother  John, 
and  putting  up  a  house  removed  to  that  part  of 
his  land.  Tiie  entire  quarter  section  is  tillable,  is 
divided  by  good  fences  into  fields  of  convenient 
size,  is  beautified  and  made  more  valuable  by  a 
good  orchard  and  all  the  buildings  necessar}-  for 
the  proper  housing  of  crops  and  stock  and  the 
convenience  of  the  dwellers  upon  it.  A  modern 
barn,  46x46  feet,  was  buili  in  1889.  Good  grades 
of  Clj'desdale  horses  and  Poland-China  swine  are 
kept,  and  in  addition  to  those  raised  upon  the 
place  Mr.  Wiiiison  feeds  at  least  a  car  load  of 
swine  per  ^-ear. 

The  lad}'  who  for  a  number  of  years  ably  [)re- 
jided  over  the  home  of  Mr.  Whitson.  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Etter,  and  became  his  wife 
in  Joliet,  February  24,  1869.  She  was  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  State  and  member  of  a  ""amily  of 
which  further  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of 
John  H.  Whitson,  occii|iying  another  page  in  this 
Album.  She  was  removed  from  the  scenes  of  time 
in  April,  1883.  leaving  behind  her  a  sorrowing- 
household  and  friends  whose  name  is  legion.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitson  eight  children  were  born, 
named  respectively,  E.  Charles,  Elizabeth.  Laura, 
Louis,  Mary,  Edith.  Arthur  and  AYilliam. 

Mr.  Whitson  has  been  an  ellicient  laborer  in  the 
cause  of  education,  and  has  been  called  upon  to  serve 
as  School  Director  during  nearly  all  of  his  mature 
years.     He  still  occupies  that  position.      He  is  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


'Ill 


devoted  adherent  of  the  principles  of  Republican- 
ism, lias  served  his  party  as  a  delegate  to  county 
conventions  and  been  appointed  to  reiiresent  tlie 
interests  of  tliis  section  in  a  State  convention,  al- 
tliongli  lie  did  not  attend  this  meeting.  He  has 
sat  upon  both  grand  and  petit  juries.  He  sup- 
ports and  attends  the  Metliodist  P^piscopal  Churcli. 


•^^^ 


^^-^ 


jTn\)EN.IAMIN  SIIAFFNER.  A  career  of  plod- 
L>v  ding  industry  followed  through  many  years 
|/<^)]l;  has  placed  Mr.  Shaffncr  in  a  position  of 
^~^  independence  tniauci:Ul3',  and  he  is  now 
living  retired  from  active  business  amid  the  com- 
forts of  a  pleasant  houie  in  the  city  of  -Jolict.  He 
was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  November 
11),  182.5,  and  is  a  son  of  .John  Shaffner,  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Keystone  State.  The  mother  bore  the 
miiden  name  of  Susanna  Bowei'S,  and  after  mar- 
riage the  parents  settled  on  a  farm  in  their  native 
State. 

Sojourning  in  Pennsylvania  until  182G,  the  pa- 
rents of  our  subject  then  Ujok  up  their  line  of 
inarch  for  Ohio,  locating  in  what  was  then  Stark 
but  now  Summit  County,  where  they  sojourned  for 
a  peiiod  of  twenty  years.  Thence  they  removed  to 
New  Lennox  Township,  Will  County-,  where  the 
father  constructed  another  home  and  there  spent 
the  closing  years  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty -one.  The  mother  survived  her  hus- 
band five  years. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  seven  children. 
Mr.  Shaifncr  remained  a  member  of  his  father's 
h(]uschold  until  twenty-one  years  old  and  then 
took  unio  himself  a  wife  and  helpmate,  being  wed- 
ded .lanuary  20,  ISiVi,  to  Miss  Caroline  Larkin. 
This  lady  was  born  in  Cranbrook,  Kent,  England, 
May  18,  1832,  and  came  to  America  with  her  pa- 
lenls,  .lesse  and  Sophia  Larkin,  when  about  seven- 
teen years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaffner  after  their 
marriage,  settled  on  a  farm  in  .lackson  Townshi[), 
where  they  sojourned  until  1862.  Removing  then 
to  .I(jliet  JSIr.  Shaffner  engaged  in  carriage  and 
wagon-making  and  also  in  carpentering.  Later  he 
cniliarked  in  the  grocery  and  coal  trade    and  gave 


his  attention  to  the  coal  business  for  fourteen  years, 

abandoning  the  grocery  dei)artmcnt  soon  after  en- 
gaging in  it.  In  the  meantime  he  had  associated 
with  him  his  son  and  they  operated  together  five 
years  under  the  tirm  name  of  15.  Shaffner  &  Son. 
Mr.  Shaffner  retired  from  the  cual  trade  in  May, 
1884. 

By  a  course  f)f  uprightness  and  honesty,  together 
with  courteous  treatment  of  his  customers,  Mr. 
Shaffner  built  up  an  extensive  patronage  and  ac- 
cumulated a  competence,  lie  has  a  line  home  at  the 
intersection  of  Mound  and  Sherman  Streets,  and 
also  owns  a  share  in  the  Shaffner  Block,  on  Wash- 
ington Street,  also  a  half  interest  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness of  E.  L.  Shaffner,  his  son,  who  is  I'cpresenled 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  coal-yard  is  amply 
e(piipped  with  sheds,  a  large  ice-house  and  a  good 
sized  office,  and  lies  between  the  Chicago  it  Alton 
and  tiie  Santa  Fe  Railroad  tracks,  on  W'ashington 
Street. 

Mr.  Shaff'ner,  politically,  votes  witli  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Besides  the  two  children  Ijorn  to  him 
and  his  estimable  wife, they  have  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter, Miss  Carrie,  a  maiden  of  twenty  years.  Eph 
L.  is  one  of  the  promising  business  men  of  the  city 
of  Joliet;  Eldon  P.,  a  moulder  b}'  trade,  has  held 
the  same  position  with  the  Rolling  I\Iill  for  the 
long  (leriod  of  fifteen  \'ears — which  is  a  sufficient 
indication  of  liis  worth  and  ability. 

.lesse  Larkin,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Shaffner,  only 
lived  three  months  after  coming  to  .loliet,  surviv- 
ing his  wife  only  three  days,  and  they  left  a  family 
of  seven  children  among  strangers  in  a  strange  land. 
A  short  time  [irior  to  this  the3r  had  emigrated  to 
America  from   Cranbrook,  Keni  County,  England. 

The  reader  will  recognize  in  the  portrait  of  INIr. 
Shaff'ner,  which  appears  on  another  page,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
.loliet. 


[(j_^  ARPER  BOVEE,  of  Wilmington  Township, 
came  to   tliis  section  of  country   about  the 
year     1870,    an<l    in    due    time     purchased 
one  hundred    and  sixty   acres  of    land  on 
section   14,  Wilmington  Township,  where  he   lias 


41fi 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


siiici'  g^ivuii  his  aUention  to  tlie  various  pursuits  of 
farm  life,  llis  laud  is  mostly  prairie,  easily  tilled 
and  highly  produetive.  and  there  is  an  air  of  eoni- 
fort  about  the  premises  which  gives  iudication  of 
the  oversight  of  a  man  enterprising  and  indiistii- 
ous — one  who  has  surrounded  himself  and  his  fam- 
ily with  all  of  the  comforts  of  life,  and  who  has 
accumidated  a  sutiiciencj-  of  this  world's  goods  to 
insure  him  against  want  in  his  old  age. 

A  native  of  Wyoming  County ,N.Y., the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born  June  25,  1825,  and  is  a  son  of 
Harper  and  Lydia  (Nichols)  Bovee,  who  were  na- 
tives of  New  England  and  the  father  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  The  latter  emigrated  to  New  York 
State  earl}'  in  life,  where  he  spent  manj-  j'ears  as 
a  resident  of  Wyoming  County,  coming  West  about 
1850.  He  died  of  cholera  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in 
1852.  Although  uot  a  mouey-getter,  he  provided 
eomfortalily  for  his  family  and  was  a  man  esteemed 
in  his  community,  being  prominent  in  local  affairs, 
and  holding  the  minor  offices.  After  his  death  the 
family  lemoved  to  Kockville,  Kankakee  County, 
this  State,  and  the  mother  came  to  Wilmington 
with  her  family  and  died  there. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  comprised 
the  following  children:  The  tw^o  eldest,  Roby  and 
Norman,  both  died  after  marriage  and  left  fami- 
lies; Mary  is  the  wife  of  Solon  Billings,  of  Spring- 
field, Erie  County,  Pa.;  Harmon  is  farming  in 
Washington;  Harper,  our  subject,  was  the  fifth 
child;  Olivia  died  in  childhood;  Alexander  is  farm- 
ing in  Union  County,  Dak. ;  .lohn  is  farming  in  Wil- 
mington Township,  this  county;  Charles  died  after 
his  marriage  in  Peoria.  llar|)er,  our  subject,  was 
reared  to  man's  estate  in  his  native  county,  whence 
he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Chautauqua 
County,  and  later  to  Erie  County,  Pa.  His  early 
years  were  spent  uneventfully  under  the  home 
roof,  obtaining  such  education  as  was  afforded  in 
the  common  school  and  assisting  his  father  and 
brothers  around  the  farm.  He  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania until  1870,  coming  that  j-ear  to  this  county. 

New  Year's  Day,  1873,  was  appropriately  cele- 
brated by  Mr.  Bovee  in  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Lora  Tilden,  who  was  then  a  resident  of  Custer, 
this  county,  Mrs,  Bovee  was  born  March  5,  1839, 
in    Williamstown,  Orange   Count}',   Vt.,  and    is  a 


daughter  of  Martin  F,  and  Sarah  A.  (Kimball) 
Tilden,  who  weie  likewise  natives  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State.  They  emigrated  to  St.  Lawrence 
■County,  N.  Y.,  in  1840,  where  they  lived  nine 
years,  then  moved  on  further  westward  to  this 
count}',  settling  in  Custer  Township.  The  father 
secured  a  farm  and  is  still  living  there.  The 
mother  died  at  the  homestead  about  1883.  The 
six  children  of  the  parental  family  were  named 
respectively:  Lora,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  .Sarah,  _ 
w'ho  is  a  widow  and  living  at  hoir.e  with  her 
father;  JIartha;  Lewis  and  Hannah  deceased; 
Martha  (2d),  also  deceased. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bovee  have  no  children.  This  is 
the  second  marriage  of  our  subject,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Miss  Marietta  Linn,  a  native  of  Craw- 
ford County,  Pa.  Of  that  union  there  was  born 
one  child,  a  son,  Odel.  who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs. 
Marietta  Bovee  died  about  1856  or  1857,  in  Penn- 
svlvania. 


«;  MIL  HAASS,  M.  D.  The  confidence  which 
is  bestowed  by  the  people  of  Frankfort  and' 
vicinity  upon  this  gentleman  is  not  mis- 
pKaced,  as  he  is  thoroughly  skilled  in  the  medical 
profession,  is  well  read  in  general  topics,  has  been 
a  keen  observer  of  life  in  its  varions  phases,  and 
has  borne  himself  ,as  a  man  of  breeding  and  fine 
character  in  all  the  scenes  through  which  he  has 
passed.  He  opened  his  office  at  Frankfort  Station 
in  the  fall  of  1877  and  was  not  long  in  securing  a 
large  practice  which  includes  a  wide  extent  of  ter- 
ritory in  Will  and  Cook  Counties.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  alleviating  suffering,  and  well 
deserves  the  honor  which  he  receives  as  a  member 
of  a  profession  which  is  exceeded  in  its  benefits 
only  by  that  of  the  ministry,  and  which  in  many 
respects  stands  siile  by  side  with  the  priestly  calling. 
The  family  of  which  Dr.  Haass  is  so  worthy  a 
member  has  given  the  world  professional  and  busi- 
ness men  of  high  standing,  and  women  of  great 
intelligence  and  worth  of  character.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  Prof.  George  Haass,  a  native  of 
Alsace,  France,  and   a  graduate  of  the  Strasbourg 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


417 


Seminaiy.     He  engaged  in  the  profession  of  teach- 

in<;  until  the  first  French  Revolution,  when  he 
removed  to  Baden,  remaining  there  until  his  deatli, 
which  occurreil  at  the  ripe  age  of  eiglity-finiryears. 

The  fatlicrof  liim  whom  we  write  was  also  called 
George  and  was  born  in  Baden,  (Jernianj'.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  famous  university  at  Heidel- 
berg and  became  a  minister  of  tlie  Evangelical 
Cluirch,  having  a  pastorate  at  Bishopsheim  and 
later  at  Milheini.  At  the  latter  place  he  became 
Deacon  antl  had  the  supervision  of  tlie  ministers  of 
the  district,  a  position  of  high  authority  in  the 
Church.  He  entered  into  rest  in  1805,  at  the  age 
of  sixty -five  years.  He  was  twice  married,  the  lirst 
union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  three  cliildren: 
Charles,  who  died  in  New  York;  Sopiiia  who  died 
of  yellow  fever  at  Memphis,  Teun.;  and  Emil. 

The  mother  of  these  children  was  Caroline 
Masque,  vvho  was  born  in  Strasbourg  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Conrad  Masque.  The  latter  was 
burn  in  France,  studied  the  profession  of  medicine 
and  practiced  in  Strasbourg  until  his  death.  His 
daughter  received  a  fine  education  and  taught  in 
the  royal  families  of  the  Duchess  Amelia  of 
Cdburg,  the  Princess  of  Baden,  and  other  branches 
(if  the  nobility  prior  to  her  marriage  to  the  Rev. 
(ieorge  Haass.      Her  death  took  place  in  1829. 

The  second  marriage  of  the  father  of  our  subject 
was  blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom 
we  note  the  following.  The  oldest  son,  (ieorge, 
entered  the  ministry  and  labored  faithfully  in  the 
Master's  vineyard  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  Cicimany.  Maximillian  came  to  America  and 
during  the  late  Civil  War  was  Adjutant-general 
in  Sherman's  aimy  under  Gen.  Oslerhaus;  he  is 
now  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Mendota,  111. 
Tlioodore  is  a  millionaire  and  owner  of  a  castle  at 
P.aden-Veiler,  in  the  Duohy  of  Baden.  Matilda 
resides  in  Amsterdam,  Holland. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  opened  his  cj'es  \o  the 
light  of  day  in  Strasbourg,  (ierniany,  August  5, 
1827.  Soon  after  his  birth  his  father  removed  to 
the  I3uchy  of  Baden  and  the  lad  was  reared  to  the 
age  of  eleven  years  in  Bishopsheim.  He  then 
went  to  live  with  an  uncle  in  Paris,  France,  and 
there  attended  the  Academy  Royal  until  1844.  He 
next  entered  tlie  world-famous  university  at  Heidel- 


berg and  after  a  year  in  that  institution,  went  to 
Freiburg,  where  heeontinued  his  studies  until  ISKJ. 

The  following  spring  he  returned  to  the  French 
capital,  entering  the  medical  department  of  the 
Academy  Royal  and  continuing  his  studies  there 
until  the  schools  were  closed  on  account  of  the 
Revolution  of  1848,  when  Louis  Philippe  was 
dethroned,  a  Republic  instituted  and  Louis  Napo- 
leon Bona[)arle  made  President.  The  young 
student  remained  in  the  capital  during  the  Reign 
of  Terror  but  as  soon  as  it  was  possible  to  leave 
the  city  he  returned  to  Baden.  About  the  time  of 
his  return  to  the  parental  home  an  attempt  was 
made  by  German  Revolutionists  to  found  a  Repub- 
lic in  Baden,  and  the  ardent  young  man  joined  the 
forces,  taking  an  active  part  in  speechmaking  and 
other  efforts  to  accomplish  their  purpose.  He  was 
associated  wMi  Charles  Shutts  and  other  leaders 
whose  names  and  deeds  are  historical.  He  held 
the  position  of  Assistant  Surgeon  in  the  Revolu- 
tionist army,  and  being  captured  with  the  others 
when  they  were  overpowered  by  the  Royalists,  he 
was  court-martialed  and  sentenced  to  six  years 
labor  in  the  fortifications  or  to  banishment. 

Accepting  the  latter  alternative  Mr.  Haass 
returned  to  Paris  and  completed  his  medical  course ; 
being  graduated  in  December,  1849.  After  prac- 
ticing a  couple  of  weeks  at  Lauchemaux,  near  the 
capital,  he  made  arrangements  to  come  to  America. 
From  his  mother  he  liad  inherited  some  property 
which  was  luckily  in  France  and  could  not  be  con- 
fiscated by  the  German  Government,  and  this  he 
disi)Osed  of.  His  father  also  sold  some  property  in 
Germany  and  the  young  man  therefore  had  a  small 
capital  with  which  to  embark.  About  the  middle 
of  December,  1849,  he  left  Havre,  France,  on  the 
sailing  vessel  "Gallia,"  and  after  a  pleasant  voyage 
of  three  weeks  landed  in  New  York  City  January  6, 
1850. 

One  of  the  faculty'  in  the  academy  at  Paris  hail 
given  Dr.  Haass  a  letter  of  introduction  and  recom- 
mendation to  a  physician  in  Philadelijhia  and  to 
that  city  he  at  once  went.  After  consultation  with 
the  gentleman  to  whom  he  had  lieen  introduced,  he 
concluded  to  begin  his  practice  in  the  countr}-  and 
therefore  located  at  Plainfield,  where  he  sojourned 
nearly  atwelvetnonth.     While  in  that  town  he  was 


418 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


one  of  the  commiltee  appointed  to  receive  tlie 
Swedisli  songstress,  Jenn}'  Lind,  wiieii  slie  visited 
the  place.  The  Doctor  had  previously  heard  her  in 
Europe,  as  he  iiad  other  famous  singers  of  that 
period.  The  Doctor  hits  a  decided  taste  and  love 
for  opera,  whieli  he  accjuired  while  making  his 
home  in  Paris. 

After  a  coni|):uativ«;ly  short  sojourn  in  the  Key- 
stone State,  Dr.  Haass  removed  to  Illinois,  his  first 
location  being  at  Peru,  where  he  practiced  for  two 
years.  He  then  removed  to  Mendota,  of  whicli  he 
was  one  of  the  first  practicing  physicians  and  where 
he  not  onl^-  worked  up  a  fine  business,  but  was  also 
engaged  in  the  drug  trade.  In  1860  he  determined 
to  remove  farther  west  and  selected  Booueville, 
IMo.,  as  the  scene  of  his  future  labors.  He  was  a 
strong  Abolitionist,  but  realizing  that  it  was  not 
politic  to  announce  his  views,  he  kept  them  to  him- 
self during  the  period  immediatelj'  preceding  and 
following  the  breaking  out  of  tiie   Civil  War. 

However,  as  a  strong  Union  man  lie  helped  to 
"Organize  the  Home  Guard  and  after  Gen.  Lyons 
had  defeated  the  rebels  at  Jefferson  City,  thej'  were 
mustered  into  the  service  b}-  Gov.  Jackson  and  the 
baid,  two  hundred  strong,  became  attached  to 
Lyons'  force.  Dr.  Haass  held  the  double  position 
of  First  Lieulcnant  and  Surgeon,  and  with  his  com- 
r.ades  participated  in  many  skirmishes  and  the 
s|)ecies  of  warfare  known  as  bushwhacking,  during 
the  ensiling  six  months.  The  Home  Guards  were 
then  disbanded,  some  to  join  the  Fifth  Cavaliy, 
and  our  subject  was  ordered  to  take  charge  of  the 
post  hospital  at  Booneville  as  heail  surgeon,  lie 
performed  the  duties  of  that  ollice  until  the  hos- 
pital was  abandoned,  and  he  was  mustered  out  and 
honoralily  discharged  in  Jul}'.  1863. 

We  next  find  Dr.  Haass  sojourning  again  for  a 
short  time  in  Mendota,  111.,  whence  he  removed  to 
Morris,  Grundy  County,  and  with  that  eity  as  his 
headquarters,  successfully  labored  at  his  i)rofession 
until  1877.  in  the  fall  of  which  year  he  came  to 
Frankfort  Station.  Ilex'e  he  has  added  to  his  iiro- 
fessional  reputation  and  h.as  m.ade  hosts  of  friends, 
everyone  having  a  gocjd  word  for  him.  He  has 
been  useful  in  the  niuiiiripal  aff.'urs  of  the  vill.age, 
serving  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  four  years  and 
now  filling  the  position  of  President  of  that  body 


for  the  second  year.  He  belongs  to  the  Evangel- 
ical Lutheran  Church  of  this  place.  He  belonged 
;  to  the  Odd  ?\'llows  lodge  at  Mendota  but  is  not 
now  identified  with  that  fraternit}-.  In  politics  he 
is  independent. 

Dr.  Haass  has  a  fine  residence  and  lots,  his  liome 
being  sufficiently  commodious,  convenient  and  well 
fuinished,  displaying  evidences  of  good  taste  in  all 
its  arrangements,  but  without  ostentation.  It  is 
particularly  well  supplied  with  the  literature  of  the 
day  and  the  best  works  of  classical  writers,  ^\'hile 
living  in  the  French  capital.  Dr.  Haass  had  every 
advantage  to  observe  life  in  its  various  phases  and 
he  there  made  the  acquaintance  of  members  of  the 
different  professions  and  leading  ligiits  of  the  day. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  converse  with  him  and  to  hear 
him  relate  incidents  of  his  meetings  with  men  in 
the  different  walks  of  life,  and  describe  the  scenes 
through  which  he  passed  during  the  Reign  of 
Terror  and  the  revolution  in  his  own  land.  He  is 
indeed  a  man  whom  anj-  comnmnit^'  m.ay  be  proud 
to  claim  as  a  citizen. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Haass  and  Miss  Eliza  Hess 
was  celebrated  at  the  home  of  the  bride's  mother  in 
Mendota,  April  2.5,  1855.  Mrs.  H.aass  was  born  in 
Neider-Eckenheiin,  Baden,  Germany.  Maj-  -26^  1833, 
to  John  and  Anna  B.  (Volmer)  Hess.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  the  same  duchy  and  her  father  was 
a  farmer  in  excellent  circumstances.  He  died  in 
his  native  land  and  the  widowed  mother  with  lier 
tiaughter  came  to  America  in  18.53,  dying  in  Men- 
dota in  18()1.  The  parental  family  consisted  of 
three  cliildri'ii — Marie,  John  and  Eliza,  ihe  latter 
being  the  only  one  now  living.  John  participated 
in  the  Revolution  in  Batlen  and  being  compelled  to 
leave  the  country,  emigrated  to  America,  settling 
in  Pennsylvania  and  subsequently  sending  for  his 
mother  and  surviving  sister.  The}'  crossed  the 
ocean  on  the  •■'William  Tell"  and  after  remaining 
in  the  Keystoue  State  a  year,  took  up  their  residence 
in  Illinois. 

Mrs.  Haass  received  excellent  home  training, 
was  well  educated,  and  grew  to  womanhood  with  a 
chaiacter  whieh  won  for  her  many  friends  where- 
ever  she  was  known.  She  is  a  model  housekeeper, 
a  sympathizing  companion,  and  a  kind  and  consid- 
(   crate  mother,     Her  happy  union  has  been  blest  by 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


419 


the  birth  of  seven  children,  viz:  Erail  who  died 
ill  Morris;  Charles  who  is  ernplo3'ed  in  tlie  grain 
elevatoi'  in  Frankfort;  Emma.  Maximillian.  George, 
Alice  and  Albert,  all  of  whom  still  aliide  under  the 
parental  roof.  George  is  the  tonsorial  artist  at 
Frankfort.  All  the  children  are  bright  and  prom- 
ising, well  advanced  for  their  years  and  are  all 
that  parental  love  could  desire. 


►^♦IN^^- 


/P 


APT.  IKA  W.  SMITH,  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Custer  Township,  proiu'ietor 
of  one  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  countj', 
was  an  otiicer  in  the  late  war,  in  which  he  won  a 
distinguished  record  for  bravery,  superior  tact,  and 
cool  daring,  and  showed  other  high  soldier)}'  qual- 
ities as  a  leader  that  gained  him  an  enviable  repu- 
tation in  niilitarv  circles. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  who  bore  the  same 
name  as  himself,  vvas  of  New  England  origin  and 
birth,  a  native  of  the  State  of  Vermont.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  also  of  the  same  name,  was  a  sol- 
dier both  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
War  of  1812.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Louisa  lieckwith,  was  also  of 
\'ermont  birth.  She  was  married  to  the  father  of 
our  subject  in  their  native  State,  and  thence  they 
removed  to  Ohio  in  pioneer  days  and  sulisequently 
came  to  Illinois  in  the  month  of  November,  1844, 
and  cast  their  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  this 
county.  His  father  became  much  prospered  there 
and  inqiroved  a  good  farm  which  remained  his 
home  until  his  death  in  1872.  His  wife  died  in 
1847.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  five 
of  whom  are  now  living. 

Our  subject  was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  he 
was  born  in  Huron,  Loraine  County,  (Jhio,  Novem- 
ber 27,  1882.  He  attended  school  Ijut  ten  months 
before  his  twenty-tirst  j'ear.  He  was,  however,  a 
lad  of  naturally  good  mental  ca[)acity,  was  fond  of 
his  studies  and  he  managed  to  improve  his  educa- 
tion, working  hard  and  obtaining  money  by  wliicli 
he  was  enabled  to  attend  Oberlin  College.  He  was 
a  student  there  for  nine  months  and  by  constant 
attention  to  his  books  he  acquired  more  knowledge 


in  that  time  than  many  a  student  who  pursues  a 
full  course.  He  had  not  money  enough  to  take 
him  through  college,  and  he  came  liack  to  Illinois 
and  found  emi)l()yment  by  the  day  and  month  until 
1857.  In  that  year  he  engaged  with  his  f.itheras 
superintendent  of  his  farm.  The  breaking  out  of 
the  war  fmuid  him  thus  employed.  He  had 
watched  with  great  interest  the  progress  of  affairs 
that  led  u|)  to  the  Rebellion.  an<l  as  soon  as  he 
could  manage  it,  he  offered  his  services  to  his  coun- 
trj',  enlisting  September  26.  18(1 1,  in  Company  1), 
Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry,  as  a  private.  He  served 
three  years,  then  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  in  the 
company  known  as  the  A'eteran  Battalion  of  Illi- 
nois, commanded  by  Maj.  A.  T.  Search.  This 
company  was  afterward  consolidated  with  the 
Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry  under  Col.  Ilasbrook  Da- 
vis, afterward  General.  Our  subject  proved  him- 
self to  be  especially  ada|)ted  for  a  soldier,  and 
his  valor  and  able  services  won  him  deserved  i)ro- 
niotion,  and  he  rapidly  passed  through  all  the 
(grades  until  he  w.as  finally  the  ranking  Captain  of 
the  Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry.  His  nerve  and  un- 
daunted courage  |)ointed  him  out  t<)  his  superiors 
as  one  who  would  make  a  good  scout  and  heserveil 
for  seventeen  months  in  that  capacity. 

Our  subject  took  an  active  part  in  the  following 
Ijattles:  skirmish  at  Columbus,  Ky. ;  was  present 
at  the  siege  and  capture  of  Fts.  Henrj-  and  Don- 
nelson;  engaged  at  Savannah,  and  he  was  atShiloh 
l)oth  days.  His  troop  was  the  first  to  receive  the 
enemy's  fire  the  night  before  the  battle  of  Island 
No.  10,  and  was  in  the  front  at  Ft.  Pillow  and  at 
Memphis.  Capt.  Smith  took  part  in  (Grant's  raid 
down  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railw.ay,  and  he  did  gal- 
lant service  before  Vicksbnrg.  While  on  detached 
service  as  a  scout  he  operated  from  Columbus, 
Ky.,  to  New  Orleans,  on  both  sides  of  the  Missis- 
si  |)pi  River.  He  crossed  the  State  of  Mississippi 
six  times  and  the  length  of  it  tvvice.  He  collected 
the  data  for  the  Engineering  Department  to  con- 
struct maps  of  West  Tennessee.  Kentucky,  Mis- 
souri and  the  Southern  pait  of  Arkansas  to  the  foot 
hills.  This  was  a  very  laborious  service  and  re- 
quired especial  tact  and  ability  to  get  all  the  facts 
about  the  roads,  etc.  The  Captain  was  relieved 
from  scouting  at  his  own  request  in  1 80.5,  and  then 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


rejoined  his  regiment  and  remained  with  it  until  I 
liis  disebarge.  In  1864,  during  the  raoiitiis  of  July 
and  August,  he  was  in  sixt^^  sl<iiniislies.  At  the 
hatlle  of  Chanii)ion  Hills,  his  company  of  forty- 
eiglit  men  lost  at  one  vollcj'  twelve  of  th.eir  num- 
her.  Our  suljject  was  wounded  three  lime.s  and 
had  three  horses  killed  under  him  and  two  wounded. 
At  one  time  he  made  a  desperate  charge  witii  eight 
men  into  a  rebel  ambush  and  one  of  his  men  fell 
dead,  pierced  witli  seven  bidlets.  and  his  horse  was 
completel3'  riddled.  The  other  seven  men  did  not 
escape  unscathed,  but  had  twenty-four  wounds 
amongst  them  and  their  horses  were  also  .equally 
wounded.  Their  gallant  Captain  cut  his  way 
through  the  enemy  and  got  back  to  the  Union 
lines  unharmed.  He  served  under  the  following 
Generals:  McPherson,  -lohn  A.  Logan,  Davis, 
Ashboth,  Wilson,  Griersou  and  Bragman.  Our 
gallant  Captain  had  the  honor  of  serving  as  esiort 
to  Gen.  Grant  at  Vicksburg,  and  he  was  also  with 
him  at  Yazoo  City.  His  Last  service  was  in  Texas 
and  he  was  mustered  out  December  15,  1865,  hav- 
ing been  in  the  army  four  years  and  four  months. 
Returning  to  his  old  home  he  has  since  been  en- 
gaged on  his  pi'esent  farm,  tilling  the  soil  and  rais- 
ing stock.  He  owns  one  of  the  largest  farms  in 
this  section  of  the  country,  comprising  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres,  all  lying  in  a  bod3%  of  as  fine 
farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  this  locality. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  June.  1866,  to  Jliss 
Klla  Hanson.  Her  father,  David  Hanson,  was 
a  member  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Infantr}', 
and  was  killed  near  Richmond.  !Mrs.  Smith  was 
born  in  1842,  and  received  the  advantages  of  a 
good  common-school  education.  She  is  the  mother 
of  six  children,  of  whom  the  following  three  are 
living:  Frank,  aged  nineteen  years;  Katie,  four- 
teen j-ears  old;  and  Ira  AV.,  four  years  old.  Mrs. 
Smith  and  her  children  are  members  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Capt.  Smith  is  very  systematic  in  all  that  he  does 
and  manages  his  extensive  farm  after  improved 
methods,  and  its  man}'  acres  of  fertile  soil  make  it 
a  very  desirable  piece  of  propert)-.  During  the 
late  war.  the  worth  of  Mr.  Smith's  citizenship  was 
thoroughlj-  proved,  and  his  course  since  then  as  a 
private  citizen  has  sustained  his  well-earned    repu- 


tation for  loyalty,  truthfulness  and  honor,  and  Cus- 
ter Township  holds  him  as  one  of  her  best  citizens. 
He  has  taken  )jart  in  the  public  life  of  the  place, 
has  been  a  Director  of  this  district  and  is  now 
Highway  Commissioner.  He  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can and  has  always  l)een  a  hard  worker  for  his 
parly.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  last  State  Con- 
vention, but  received  injuries  from  the  kick  of  a 
horse  so  that  he  was  unable  to  attend.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  '.o  Blue 
Lodge  Chapter  and  Commander}'.  In  remembrance 
of  his  array  life  he  is  identified  with  Bowen  Post, 
No.  17,  (i.  A.  R..  of  Wilmington. 


-^  HESTER    H.    MARSHALL.      Among    tlie 
'^l   leading  families  of  New-   Lenox  Township 

Si/  may  be  properly  mentioned  Mr.  Marshall 
and  his  amiable  and  accomplisiied  wife,  both  of 
whom  take  an  active  interest  in  all  of  the  progres- 
sive movements  of  the  day.  They  are  readers  and 
thinkers,  more  than  ordinarily  intelligent  and  well 
informed,  and  have  one  of  the  pleasantest  homes  in 
the  township  where  often  gatiier  for  social  inter- 
course the  friends  whom  they  have  drawn  around 
them  by  their  genial  natures  and  kindl}-  hospitalit}-. 
They  stand  high  in  social  circles  and  are  active  in 
church  work.  They  are  numbered  among  the 
chief  pillars  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Hadlej',  of 
which  Mrs.  Marshall,  who  is  possessed  of  rare  mu- 
sical talents,  has  been  organist  for  twenty-five 
years. 

The  immediate  progenitor  of  our  subject  is  the 
well-known  Deacon  Rollin  Marshall,  who  was  boin 
in  Camillus,  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  The  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Burrill,  and  she  was 
a  native  of  the  same  county  as  her  husband  where 
they  were  married.  Thence  they  came  to  this 
count}'  in  1834,  and  settled  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship, where  the  father  built  up  a  good  homestead, 
and  where  the  mother  died  about  1842. 

Deacon  Rollin  Marshall,  after  the  death  of  his 
wife  continued  to  live  for  a  lime  in  New  Lenox 
Township  and  then  removed  to  Jlokena,  whidi  is 
still  his  home.     He  was  married  a  second  time  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


421 


Mrs.  Belinda  'IngersolO  Parker,  widow  of  Silas 
Parker,  who  died  in  Plain  field,  this  connt3',  many 
j-ears  ago.  Of  the  first  marriage  of  Deacon  Mar- 
.sliall  there  were  born  three  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom. 
George  N.,  entered  the  I'nion  Ami}-  during  the 
late  war  as  a  member  of  Compan}*  JI.  Fourth  Michi- 
gan Cavalry.  He  went  to  the  front  with  his  regi- 
ment, was  cn|)tured  by  the  enem3%  and  suffered  the 
horrors  of  Andersonville  prison,  within  which  he 
died  about  18G1.  Chester  H.,  our  subject,  was  the 
second  born.  Jacob  B.  went  to  California  after 
reacliiug  manhood  and  was  killed  l)j'  a  snow-slide 
in  the  mountains. 

Deiicon  Marshall  was  a  man  ambitious  and  ener- 
getic during  his  j'ounger  j-ears  and  iirominent  in 
the  afifairs  of  liis  community.  Ele  contributed  his 
full  quota  to  the  growth  and  development  of  his 
adopted  townsliip,  was  strictly  honest  in  his  trans- 
actions witli  his  fellow-men,  a  kind  man  in  his  fam- 
ily and  much  respected  by  his  neighbors.  His 
name  will  be  held  in  high  remembrance  long  after 
he  has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers.  He  is  now 
eiglitj-four  years  old.  By  his  second  marriage 
there  was  one  child,  Adal'ue,  who  is  single  and  at 
home. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  onl^'  surviving 
child  of  his  father's  family  by  his  first  marriage. 
He  was  born  in  New  Lenox  Township,  October  18, 
1835,  and  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
within  its  limits.  He  acquired  a  practical  educa- 
tion in  the  common  school,  together  with  those 
habits  of  industrj'  and  frugality  which  have  con- 
tributed to  ids  success  in  life.  He  was  married  at 
the  residence  of  John  M.  Reynolds  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  November  10,  1859,  to  Miss  Clara  M., 
daugliter  of  Mr.  Rej'nolds,  a  sketch  of  whom  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Marshall  was 
born  at  the  farm  where  she  now  resides,  October 
29,  1840.  In  conuection  with  her  studies,  which 
she  prosecuted  in  the  common  schools,  she  began 
receiving  musical  instruction  at  an  early  age  and 
evinced  more  than  ordinary"  talent  as  a  singer  and 
performer.  She  has  proved  in  all  respects  the  suit- 
able companion  and  helpmate  of  her  husband  and 
with  him  enjoys  the  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of 
acquaintances.  Mr.  Marshall  votes  the  Republican 
ticket  and  always  keeps   himself  posted   upon  the 


march  of  public  ovenls.  He  has  ofBciated  as  Road 
Commissioner  and  School  Trustee,  also  as  a  Clerk 
in  the  Hadley  Baptist  Church.  In  1884,  he  was 
elected  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  office  he  has 
held  to  the  present  time.  For  a  period  of  sixteen 
years  he  was  Secretary  of  the  New  Lenox  Fire  In- 
surance Company,  and  managed  the  affairs  of  the 
company  in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself  and 
satisfactory-  to  all  concerned. 


^^,j,  ATHIAS  L.  COOK,  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Bennett  &  Co.,  liverymen,  makes  liis 
t  headquarters  at  No.  408  Van  Buren  Street, 
Joliet,  and  holds  a  good  position  among 
the  business  men  of  the  city.  He  is  a  veteran  of 
seventj'-three  3'ears,  having  been  born  September 
2,  1816,  and  is  a  native  of  Morris  County,  N.  J. 
He  comes  from  a  good  family,  being  the  son  of 
Jabez  and  Sarah  (Burett)  Cook,  who  were  natives 
of  New  Jerse3\  and  spent  their  last  years  in  that 
St.ate.  The  parental  family  consisted  of  six  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  grew  to  mature  years 
in  his  native  place,  and  when  approaching  man- 
hood began  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  probably  until  1837. 
When  ajoung  man  of  twenty-three  years  he  deter- 
mined upon  seeking  his  fortunes  in  the  Great  West, 
and  making  this  county  his  objective  point,  arrived 
in  Joliet  in  the  fall  of  1839.  Two  3'ears  later  he 
became  interested  in  the  liver3'  business  in  com- 
l)any  with  O.  W.  Stillman,  and  they  established  the 
first  enterprise  of  the  kind  in  the  embr3'0  town. 
Mr.  Cook  had  his  first  stable  on  Benton  Street. 
He  was  successful  from  the  start,  and  has  contin- 
ued so  up  to  the  present  time,  covering  the  long 
period  of  over  fift3-  3'ears.  In  the  meantime  he  has 
dealt  quite  extensively  in  horses,  and  is  perhaps  as 
good  a  judge  of  the  equine  race  .as  can  be  found  in 
this  part  of  theconntr3'. 

After  having  established  himself  fully  in  busi- 
ness Mr.  Cook  took  unto  himself  a  wife  and  help- 
mate, being  married  in  November,  1843,  at  the 
Ijride's  home    in    Joliet,    to    Miss  Flavilla  Seeley. 


422 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


This  l:i(ly  was  l)oni  in  11^2  1.  in  Siisi|iifliaiiiia 
County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  (huigiiter  of  .lustin  and 
Mrs.  fSeelc}-,  who  were  natives  of  I'ennsylvania. 
Mr.  Secle}-  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Illinois 
about  183(>,  and  thereafter  occupied  himself  in 
millwriiiht  pursuits.  He  had  learned  millwrighl- 
ing  in  early  manliood,  which  lie  followed  until 
18G0.  The  parental  family  consisted  of  two  chil- 
dren; the  |)arcnts  spent  their  last  years,  the  mother 
in  Illinois,  and  the  father  in  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Cook  attended  the  common  schools  dur- 
ing her  girlhood,  and  was  trained  by  a  careful 
mother  to  all  useful  liouseQold  duties.  She  I'e- 
raained  under  the  parental  roof  until  becoming 
mistress  of  her  own  home.  Of  her  union  with  our 
subject  there  were  born  three  children,  only  one 
of  whom  is  living,  a  son,  Oscar,  who  is  now  in 
Topeka,  Kan.  Mrs.  Cook  dei)arted  this  life 
April  11,  1884. 

Mr.  Cook  cast  his  first  Presidential  vole  for  Van 
Buren,  and  maintains  his  allegiance  to  the  Demo- 
cratic part3\  lie  has  been  somewhat  prominent  in 
local  affairs,  serving  heretofore  as  a  meml)er  of  the 
City  Council  in  the  old  Fourth  AVard,  but  is  now 
.Alderman  from  the  Second  Ward.  lie  owns  and 
occupies  a  comfortable  home  in  the  central  part 
of.  the  city,  and  enjoys  an  extensive  acquaintance 
among  its  leading  residents. 


=iO^' 


^^  HARLES  BE8EKE.  An  excellent  exami)le 
[l(  _  of  the  results  of  frugality,  persevering 
^^^  industry,  and  prudent  management,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  life  of  the  above-named  gentleman, 
who  is  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  farmers  of 
Washington  Townshi[).  He  is  the  owner  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  and  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  20,  in  that  township,  together 
with  ten  acres  of  good  timber  land  in  Yello'v  Head 
Township,  Kankakee  County,  and  one  hundred  and 
sixtj'  acres  in  Jackson  Count^',  Minn.  All  this  has 
been  accumulated  by  him  since  he  came  to  this 
county  in  1863  and  established  himself  on  his  first 
farm  on  section   20.     The   land  of  which   he  then 


took  possession  was  in  its  priniilivr  condition  but 
is  now  one  of  tlie  most  productive  estates  in  the 
county,  marked  with  all  needful  improvements,  as 
is  the  farm  on  section  29. 

.Mr.  Beseke  came  to  this  county  from  DuPage 
County,  in  which  he  had  lived  for  seven  years  and 
in  which  he  began  his  life  in  America  >as  a  farm 
laborer  at  ^90  i)er\'ear.  His  earthly  possessions  at 
that  time  consisted  of  his  clothes  and  ^\b  in  money. 
With  this  capital  and  the  education  and  training 
which  he  had  received,  he  began  the  career  which 
has  resulted  in  the  attainment  of  the  property 
noted  above  and  an  assured  standing  in  the  finan- 
cial circles  of  the  county. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Hanover  the  eyes  of  our  sub- 
ject opened  to  the  light  of  day  October  18.  1825. 
He  began  life  for  hiniielf  when  about  of  age  and 
in  1856  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  New 
World,  which  he  thought  afforded  better  opportu- 
nities for  an  energetic  young  man  of  small  means. 
Taking  pa.ssage  at  Bremerhaven  on  a  sailing  vessel, 
he  spent  eleven  weeks  and  three  da\-s  on  the  broad 
Atlantic  and  after  this  tedious  voy.age  landed  in 
New  York  City.  He  at  once  came  west  to  Chicago, 
and  securing  employment  in  DuPage  County  took 
up  the  labors  whose  result  is  so  inspiring  to  otheis 
who  are  compelled  to  depend  upon  their  own 
efforts  for  worldly  success. 

The  ))arents  of  Mr.  Beseke  spent  their  entire  lives 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  living  to  quite  a  good  old 
.age.  Their  family  comprised  four  sons,  Charles 
being  the  only  one  who  came  to  the  I'nited  St.ates. 
The  others  are  3et  living  in  their  native  land  where 
they  have  acquired  considerable  property.  One  of 
them  is  an  old  soldier  and  an  oflicer  of  rank. 

In  DuPage  County,  111.,  Mr.  Beseke  led  to  the 
hymeneal  altar  I\Iiss  Laura  Wagoner,  an  estimable 
3'oung  lady  who  was  born  in  B.aden,  Germ.any,  in 
the  fall  of  1837.  but  was  quite  j-oung  when  her 
parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  They 
settled  in  DuPage  County  in  early  days,  but  after 
some  years  removed  to  Will  County  where  they 
died  when  near  the  age  of  four-score.  The  two 
daughters  born  to  them  are  now  living  in  Will 
County. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  eleven  children  have 
been  born.     l'"ive  died   in   infancy  and  a   daughter 


Residence  OF  Michael  BiNZEN  .ONEMiLE SOUTH  OF  JoLitT,   III. 


*  J.^^^^a^.^^a-My«-^gg;;-i;s^^g>^wa^£^^wyt^^^ 


,  t^>  — ..a — v^ .!■»>. i.'^. 


Residence  OF  Charles  Beseke, 5ec. 20.  Washington  Tp.Will  Co. III. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


425 


Ellen  after  her  marriage.  The  living  members  of 
the  family  are  Conrad,  who  married  Ellen  Land- 
grader  and  lives  in  Yellow  Head.  Kankakee  County, 
where  he  carries  on  a  mercantile  establishment; 
Lena,  wife  of  Louis  Kerhoph,  a  merchant  and 
farmer  of  tlie  same  town ;  Charles,  George  and 
Henry,  who  still  reside  under  the  parental  roof. 

In  connection  with  this  personal  sketch  of  Mr. 
Beseke,  we  present  a  view  of  his  pleasant  home- 
stead to  which  we  invite  the  readers'  attention. 
Within  h's  cozy  residence,  the  many  friends  to 
whom  years  of  close  intercourse  have  bound  him 
self  and  wife,  are  frequenlh-  entertained  and  are 
always  sure  of  a  hospitable  welcome. 


ICHAKL  BINZEN,  Highway  Commissioner 
at  Joliet,-w-as  in  the  spring  of  1890,  elected 
for  the  second  time  to  the  position  which 
he  li Us  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  the 
L-oramunity.  In  politics  he  is  a  decided  Democrat 
ind  is  recognized  as  a  great  worker  in  the  r?.nks. 
lie  belongs  to  the  social  and  benevolent  order  of 
Ddd  Fellows  and  has  man}'  friends  b}-  whom  he  is 
iiighlj-  regarfled.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Januar}- 
2;).  183G,  being  a  son  of  John  and  Annie  (Hirs- 
:-hen)  Binzeu.  His  father  was  a  cooper  and  distil- 
er,  and  became  expert  in  distilling  grapes,  iihims, 
juniper  berries  and  cherries,  a  business  which  he 
followed  many  years.  Of  the  children  born  to 
lim  there  are  now  living  three  sons.  .Toseph  re- 
sides in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  is  engaged  in  the  manu- 
'acture  and  sale  of  shoes,  employing  fifteen  men; 
Facob  and  Michael  reside  in  Joliet. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  came  to  Amer 
ca  in  1><.52,  making  his  first  stop  at  Albany.  X.  Y., 
vhere  he  found  employment  in  a  brewery.  We 
lext  find  him  in  Hudson,  where  with  a  brother-in- 
aw  lie  opened  a  brewery,  which  was  destroyed  by 
ire  in  1868.  Thence  he  went  to  Pittsfield,  Mass.. 
vhero  he  engaged  in  the  liquor  traftic,  coming  West 
n  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  and  after  re- 
naining  a  yer.r  in  Chicago,  taking  up  his  abode  in 
'oliet.  For  the  first  two  vears  of  his  residence 
lere  he  worked  in  a  browerv,  after  which  he  again 


engaged  in  the  liquor  traffic.  A  few  years  thereaf- 
ter, in  1881,  he  purchased  a  farm  which  he  h.as 
since  successfully  managed. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Binzen  and  Miss  Catherine 
Meyer  was  celebrated  January  23,  1856.  Mrs.  Bin- 
zen is  a  well-informed  woman  with  many  useful 
accomplishments  and  is  a  notable  housewife.  The 
happy  union  h.as  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  eight 
children,  named  respectively:  Mary,  wife  of 
James  Cushing;  Joseph,  Michael,  .Ir.,  John.  Cato, 
Emma  and  George  (twins),  and  William. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch,  is  given  a  lith- 
ographic view  of  ^Ir.  Binzeu's  ple.asant  homestead. 


-^^ 


fv^ 


■  OHN  H.  DOIG,  the  occupant  of  a  snug  farm 


|i    on   section    4,  New    Lenox   Township,  was 


} 

l(  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  March  13,  1844. 
(^^  He  is  of  Scotch  parentage,  his  parents  being 
Andrew  and  Isabella  (Fife)  Doig,  representatives 
of  honorable  families  in  Farfarshire  and  Fifeshire. 
A  history  of  their  lives  will  be  found  in  the  sketch 
of  Thomas  Doig,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  whose 
biograph}'  is  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Tlie  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  scarcely 
more  than  an  infant  when  his  parents  took  up  their 
abode  in  this  county,  where  he  received  his  early' 
education.  When  about  seventeen  years  old  he 
went  to  Chicago,  remaining  in  that  city  until  the 
spring  of  1890.  when  he  returned  hither,  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  Maple  Street,  and  is  now 
numbered  among  the  agriculturists  of  New  Lenox 
Township. 

While  living  in  the  (^ueen  City  of  the  Lakes, 
he  was  engaged  in  a  music  store,  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  the  sale  of  real  estate,  and  in  building. 
His  whole  business  career  has  been  marked  with  a 
high  degree  of  the  "go  ahead"  spirit,  so  character- 
istic of  dealers  in  Chicago  and  men  of  affairs  in 
other  communities,  and  he  has  been  identified  with 
men  of  similar  public  spirit  in  various  movements 
which  would  benefit  mankind  and  add  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  section  in  which  ho  lived. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Doig  took  place  in  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.,  March  21,  1872.  the  bride  being 
Miss  Jemima  Macdonald.     This  lady  is  a  daughter 


426 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  Alexander  anil  Caroline  (Porteous)  Macflonald, 
the  former  of  whom  died  in  Chicago,  July  5,  1881. 
She  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  April  1,  1851, 
and  grew  to  womanhood,  possessing  such  noble 
qualities  of  character,  such  intelligence  and  good 
breeding,  and  so  thorough  a  knowledge  of  useful 
arts  as  to  deserve  tiie  love  which  she  has  won. 
The  first  part  of  her  life  was  spent  in  the  city  of 
New  York  and  the  latter  part  in  Chicago.  She  is 
a  member  of  the  E|3iscopal  Church.  She  has  borne 
lier  husband  one  son,  a  bright  lad,  who  bears  the 
name  of  Alvin  H. 

\\l^^^  UGH  M.  BOLTON,  who  is  a  representative 
||  of  the  native-born  citizens  of  this  county, 
sons  of  its  stalwart  pioneers  v;hv  are  now 
important  factors  in  carrying  on  the  work 
so  well  begun  by  tlieir  fathers  in  developing  its 
resources,  is  successfully  engaged  in  farming  in 
Plainfield  Township,  the  pla(^e  of  his  birth.  He 
was  born  here  A\n-i\  3,  18-18,  his  father,  Hugh 
Bolton,  being  an  early  settler  in  this  region.  The 
latter  is  a  native  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  his  father  of 
the  same  name,  also  having  been  born  there,  a 
descendant  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  was  reared  on 
his  native  isle,  came  from  there  to  America  to 
spend  his  last  j^ears  with  his  children  in  New  Jer- 
sey, and  died  there  at  the  remarkable  age  of  one 
hundred  and  nine  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  passed  the  early  jears  of 
hi.s  life  in  the  land  of  his  birth  and  in  the  prime 
and  vigor  of  active  manhood  came  to  this  country, 
seeking  to  better  his  condition.  He  localed  in 
New  Jersey  and  was  there  employed  on  a  farm  until 
his  return  to  Ireland  three  years  later.  AVhile 
revisiting  that  country,  lie  was  married,  taking  as 
his  wife.  Miss  Eliza  Miller,  who  was  born  in  the 
same  localitj-  as  himself.  After  he  was  wedded  he 
came  back  to  America  with  his  bride  and  again 
look  up  his  residence  in  New  Jersej-,  remaining 
there  until  1847.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Illinois, 
and  bought  a  small  place  near  Plainfield  on  which 
he  lived  a  few  years,  and  then  purchased  the  farm 
which  our  subject  now  occupies,     lie  was  actively 


engaged  thereon  many  years,  constantly  improving 
it  and  from  tilling  the  soil  acquired  a  comfortable 
competence,  and  now  lives  in  retirement  in  Joliet, 
making  his  home  with  his  daughter.  In  December 
1887,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  the  good  wife 
who  had  shared  with  him  the  hardships  and  pri- 
vations of  a  pioneer  life  and  lived  to  enjo}'  pros- 
peritj-  with  him.  Of  their  happj'  wedded  life  five 
children  had  been  born,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living,  as  follows:  Nanc}-,  wife  of  Thomas  II. 
Ilutchings,  of  Joliet;  Archie,  who  lives  in  Cherokee 
County,  Iowa,  and  our  subject. 

The  latter  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and 
obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  since  attaining  manhood  has  devoted  himself 
exclusively  to  farming.  This  farm  which  is  located 
on  section  24,  of  Plainfield  Township,  contains  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  under  excellent 
cultivation  and  good  improvement,  is  provided 
with  substantial  buildings  and  all  necessary-  machin. 
ery  for  operating  it  to  the  best  advantage. 

Mr.  Bolton  enjoys  the  comforts  of  a  pleasant 
home  and  to  the  lady  who  presides  over  it,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  in  1874.  Mrs.  Bolton's  maiden 
name  was  Jane  Snider,  and  she  is  a  native  of  Tenn- 
essee. Her  marriage  with  our  subject  has  brought 
them  three  children— William,  John  and  Jarvis. 

Mr.  Bolton  is  a  practical  farmer,  tilling  the  soil 
after  the  most  desirable  methods  so  .as  to  gain  the 
best  results,  and  managing  his  affairs  with  the  thrift 
and  prudence  that  will  ultimately  place  him  among 
the  most  solid  men  of  the  township.  He  is  well 
regarded  in  this  community  where  his  entire  life 
has  been  spent,  as  he  is  fair  in  his  dealings  and 
upright  in  his  character. 


ARMON  R.  BURLINGAME,  contractor 
\)  and  builder  in  Joliet,  has  a  business  which 
is  all  that  he  can  handle,  his  contracts 
sometimes  running  as  high  as  |!50,000  a 
year.  He  makes  a  specialt_y  of  dwelling  houses  and 
has  built  a  large  number  of  the  best  homes  in  the 
city.     He  is  himself  a  pnctical  builder   and  there- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


427 


fore  the  more  competent  to  take  charge  of  work, 
anil  being  a  man  of  honor  his  business  is  conducted 
in  a  reliable  and  straiglitforn-aid  manner,  and  his 
word  ma}'  be  relied  upon  in  matters  pertaining 
to  it. 

Ira  Burlingame.  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
professor  of  music  in  New  England.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  Whipple,  and  to  them  on  August  11, 
18-28,  the  son  was  born  whose  life  it  is  our  purpose 
to  outline.  As  a  boj-  the  lad  was  handy  with  tools, 
and  he  early  made  choice  of  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter, which  he  learned  in  his  native  Green  Mountain 
Siate.  In  18r)5,  he  came  to  Illinois,  first  locating 
at  Lockport,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1865,  when  he  became  foreman  of  an  establish- 
ment for  the  manufacture  of  organs.  In  the  fall  of 
18GS  he  removed  to  Sterling,  Whiteside  County, 
and  four  years  later  came  to  Joliet  and  entered 
upon  his  life  work  of  contracting  and  ^luildmg, 
witii  the  result  mentioned  above. 

In  Lockport  Mr.  Burlingame  served  as  Town 
Clerk  two  terms.  He  has  been  urged  to  accept 
various  nominations  that  at  different  times  have 
been  tendered  him,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  office.  His  judgment  concurs'in  the  principles  of 
the  Uepiiblican  party,  which  he  therefore  supports 
on  all  occasions.  He  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
intelligence,  combining  in  his  manners  the  energy 
of  the  Yankee  and  the  good  breeding  of  the  cos- 
mopolitan gentleman.  In  his  domestic  relations  he 
is  kindly  and  consider.ate,  in  society  a  pleasing 
com|)anion,  and  in  all  his  dealings  with  manki]id 
both  just  and  generous. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Burlingame  was  celebrated 
■Tune  17,  1850,  his  bride  being  Miss  Olive  Corlestia 
Ames,  of  the  widely-known  Ames  famih'  of  New 
Enoland.  She  is  an  educated  and  loveable  woui:;n, 
regarded  with  the  most  reverent  affection  in  her 
own  liome  and  looked  upon  with  deep  respect  far 
lieyond  the  family  circle.  She  has  borne  her  hus- 
band two  daughters — Mrs.  Amy  French,  now  of 
Channahan,  this  county,  and  Lettie  L. 

Miss  Lettie  L.  Builingame  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  the  only  female  representative  of  the  legal 
profession  in  Will  County.  She  was  graduated 
from  the  .loliet  schools  in  1879,  after  which  she  en- 
"■awed  in  teaching  three  years,  lalioring  in  the  inter 


mediate  and  high  school  departments  in  this  place. 
Choosing  the  law  as  her  field  of  labor  in  life,  she 
studied  with  the  firm  of  Fithian  &:  Avery,  and  then 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  JMichigan  Uni- 
versity at  Ann  Arbor.  She  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  '86  and  permission  to  practice  her  |U'o- 
fcssion  was  granted  liy  the  Supreme  Court  of  Mich- 
igan. She,  however,  did  not  at  once  assume  her 
legal  work,  but  remained  at  Ann  Arbor  a  year, 
taking  a  special  course  in  order  that  she  might  be 
still  better  prepared  for  her  vocation.  In  May, 
1S88,  she  opened  an  office  where  she  is  still  lo- 
cated, and  is  securing  a  fair  practice.  She  has 
taken  quite  a  prominent  part  in  the  cause  of  wo- 
man's suffrage  of  which  she  is  an  ardent  advocate. 
She  also  manifests  considerable  interest  in  tem- 
perance work  but  declines  to  enter  upon  it  as  a 
party  measure,  believing  that  the  cause  can  be  best 
suliserved  when  work  is  done  independent  of  polit- 
ical affiliations.  Were  the  right  of  suffrage  hers, 
her  ballot  would  be  cast  with  the  llepublican  party. 


^ILLIAM   W.  STEVENS,  editor  and    pro- 
\\\  ,-,  //'    i)riet(>r  of  the  Joliet  Record,  assumed  the 


JJ7  V/  duties  of  his  present  position  in  the  spring 
of  1880,  at  which  time  he  purchased  the  business 
and  plant  of  the  Uv<;ord,  which  was  established  in 
1870.  The  Record  is  a  bright  and  newsy  paper, 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  this  county,  is  intelli- 
gently conducted  and  has  unqucstiouably  become  a 
permanent   institution. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Maine, 
and  was  born  in  Oxford  County,  July  \A.  1832. 
His  parents  were  Bernard  C.  and  Esther  A.  (Luf- 
kin)  Stevens,  and  the  father  was  born  in  Salis- 
bury, N.  H.,  which  was  the  birthplace  of  Daniel 
Webster,  and  with  whom  he  attended  school  in 
his  boyhood.  The  father  uf  our  subject  was  born 
in  18U0,  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  reaching  his  majority.  He  was  the  son  of 
Jonathan  Stevens,  an  early  pioneer  of  that  part  of 
thr  Grnnite  Sl.ate  Upon  lenvii.ig  hoiiii>  lie  went  U> 
Ruuiford,  Oxford  County,  where  he  met  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Esther  A.  Lufkia,  in   1825.      They  set- 


428 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lied  upon  a  farm  and  Mr.  Stevens  confined  his  at- 
tention to  agrieultural  pursuits  until  1831.  He 
then  removed  to  Dover,  and  subsequently  to 
Springlield.  X.  II..  where  his  death  took  place  in 
October,  1874.  AVilli  the  exception  of  a  short 
time  spent  in  Maine,  he  passed  his  entire  life  in 
his  native  Stale. 

Five  children  were  born   to   the    parents  of  our 
subject,  three  of  whom  are  still  living:  James  I), 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Mexican  War,  and    was   Idlkd 
in  1847,  at  tiie  storming  of  Chapultepcc,  Mexico; 
the  eldest,  Mary,  is  the  wife  of  Dudlej'  Folansbee, 
of  Joliet;  AVilliam  W.  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth; 
Reuben  V.  is  also  a  resident  of  Joliet;    Vina,  the 
first  wife  of  Dudley  Folansbee,  died  in  1880.     The 
wife  and  mother  was  born  in    1793,  and    was  the 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Lufkin,  a  Revolutionar}-  sol- 
dier who  received  an  honorable  wound  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Bunker  Hill.      Mrs.  Esther   A.  Stevens  died 
April  19,  1849,  at  her  home,  in  Springfield,  N.  II. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  with  his  pa- 
rents in  Dover  and  Springfield,  N.  II.,  until  a  man 
of  twenty-three  j'ears.       He  received  a  good  edu- 
cation, completing  his  studies  in  Andover  Acad- 
emy in  the   class  of  1854.      Subsequentlj^  he  en- 
gaged in   teaching   three  3"ears,  in    the  meantime 
having,  in  October,  1855,  emigrated  to  Joliet,  III., 
where  he  taught   two  j-ears.     In   March,  1857,  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Parks  it  Elwood,  of  Jol- 
iet, and  confined  his  attention  to  the  study  of  law 
until   admitted    to    the  bar  in  1860.      Soon  after- 
ward   he  associated    himself    in   partnership   with 
Benjamin  Richardson  and  the\-  practiced   together 
for  three  j'ears,  after   which   3Ir.  .Stevens   followed 
his  profession  singly  and  alone.     In  the  meantime, 
in  18G3,  he  was  elected    City  Attorney,  and   held 
the  office  several   terms  by   re-election.      lie  also 
operated  as  an  insurance  agent  from  18G8  to  1873, 
•when  he  sold  out  the  business  which   he   bad   built 
up  in  this  line,  and  thereafter  devoted  his  time  and 
attention  exclusively    to    his   law    practice    until 
1880.  when  he  turned   his  attention   to  newspaper 
work. 

While  keeping  himself  thoroughly  posted  upon 
current  events,  ^Ir.  Stevens  has  never  been  an 
offlcs-seeking  politician,  although  filling  many  po- 
sitions of  trust  and   responsibility.      For   three  or 


four  years  he  officiated  as  School  Inspector,  at  the 
same  time  being  Secretary  of  the  School  Board, 
and  exercised  a  perceptible  influence  in  the  en- 
couragement of  educational  matters.  In  185G  he 
idunlified  himself  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
for  six  years  was  Master  of  Mt.  Joliet  Lodge;  he 
is  also  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  having  been  High 
I'riest  of  the  Chapter  for  six  years,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  Joliet  Commander}-  No.  4.  In  the 
Comraandery  he  has  held  most  of  the  offices,  being 
Prelate  for  ten  years  altogether. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1859.  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Althea  H. 
Hawley.  and  they  are  the  parents  o£  seven  chil- 
dren, all  living.  Ada  H.  became  the  wife  of 
C.  M.  Becker,  who  died  leaving  one  child,  a 
son,  Claude  W;  Kate  E.  is  at  home;  Will  II.  is 
Route  Agent  on  the  Chicago  <fe  Milwaukee  Rail- 
road; Ella  y.  is  the  wife  of  Will  S.  Hanim,  of  Chi- 
cago; Jennie  M.,  Frank  M.  and  Winnie  Wallace, 
remain  under  the  home  roof. 

Mrs.  Althea  (Hawley)  Stevens  was  born  in  this 
county  just  outside  the  citj-  limits  of  Joliet,  April 
13,  1839.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Judge  O.  L. 
Hawley,  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  this  count}' 
and  who  came  here  about  1834.  Judge  Hawley 
was  one  of  the  prominent  men  in  the  early  days, 
presiding  over  the  county  court.  He  is  now  de- 
ceased, having  died  November  8,  1861.  Miss 
Hawley  was  given  a  good  education,  completing 
her  studies  in  Lombard  University,  at  Galesburg, 
and  remained  with  her  parents  until  her  marri.age. 
Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancj-  A. 
Burdge,  and  she  was  born  in  Chautauqua  County, 
N.  Y.,  August  18,  1819.  The  Judge  was  a  native 
of  New  York  State,  and  was  born  in  Schoharie 
County,  in  1809.  He  w.as  the  son  of  Lj'man  Haw- 
ley. who  came  to  Illinois  in  1835,  and  subse- 
quently laid  off  the  town  of  West  Lockport,  build- 
ing the  stone  gristmill,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  this 
region.  He  engaged  in  milling  and  farming  until 
resting  from  the  active  labors  of  life.  Judge 
Hawley  assisted  his  father  in  the  mill  during  his 
early  manhood  and,  in  1849,  was  elected  County 
Clei-k,  when  he  removed  to  Joliet,  discharging  the 
'  duties  of  this  office  two  terms.  He  wiis  next 
I   elected  Judge  of  the  Probate  Court,  which   office 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


429 


he  held  until  his  death.  The  mother  of  Mis.  Ste- 
vens was  his  first  wife.  Of  this  in aniage  there 
were  two  children,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Stevens,  and 
Martin  .1.,  a  resident  of  Bloomington,  III.  The 
two  children  of  the  second  marriage  are  Alice  C. 
and  Antonia  E.,  who  are  now  residents  of  Lock- 
port,  111..  Judge  Hawle3'  was  a  member  of  the 
Tniversalist  Church,  and  for  many  years  prior  to 
his  decease,  was  identified  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  after 
the  abandonment  of  the  old  part3',  wheeled  into 
the  Republican  ranks,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death.  Mr.  Stevens,  politically,  is  a  Democrat, 
and  the  liecord  uaturallj-  reflects  his  political  senti- 
ments. He  is  ably  assisted  by  h.'s  wife,  Mrs.  Ste- 
vens, who  is  associate  editor,  and  who  gives  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  general  make  up  of  the  pa 
per. 


\Y(  AJIES  S.  BOYD  is  the  owner  and  occupant 
of  a  well-tilled  farm  on  section  28,  Joliet 
Township.  A  visitor  to  the  pleasant  estate 
1^^'  would  find  upon  it  a  full  line  of  excellent 
improvements  which  include  all  necessary  and  con- 
venient buildings,  fences,  fruit,  etc.,  and  would  at 
once  conclude  that  the  owner  possesses  an  energetic 
spirit,  industrious  and  prudent  habits,  and  an  in- 
telligent appreciation  of  the  needs  of  the  home. 
Such  a  conclusion  would  be  in  no  sense  amiss,  and 
a  personal  acquaintance  with  Jlr.  Boyd  would  de- 
velop the  further  ficts  that  his  intelligence  and  en- 
terprise are  not  exjiended  upon  his  own  home,  but 
lead  him  to  participate  in  movements  for  the  good 
of  the  communit}'  and  display  in  behalf  of  his  fel- 
low-citizens a  large  amount  of  [)ublic  spirit. 

Two  fine  Irish  families  are  represented  b}'  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  his  parents  having  been  of 
old  Count}'  Antrim  stock.  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
Boyd  were  married  and  first  settled  in  their  native 
county,  whence  the}' emigrated  to  America  in  18o0, 
taking  up  their  abode  in  the  Keystone  State.  In 
18C4,  they  came  to  this  county,  and  some  time 
afterward  died  at  the  residence  of  our  subject. 
Their  family  comprised  four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  James  S.  was  the  seventh  in  order 


of  birth.  The  maternal  grandmother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  Mary  McKeen,  a  native  of  County  Antrim, 
who  lived  to  be  nearl}'  one  hundred  years  of  age. 
Slie  belonged  to  the  sturdy  old  Presbyterian  stock, 
which  a  few  centuries  ago  left  Scotland  on  account 
of  religious  persecutions,  and  settled  in  the  North 
of  Ireland,  whence  many  of  their  descendants 
have  come  to  America  and  are  numbered  among  the 
l)est  citizens  cif  t)ur  free  soil.  Mary  McKeen  had 
a  brotlier  Thomas,  who  in  the  eighteenth  century 
became  a  citizen  of  the  Colonies  and  received  a 
captain's  commission  from  Gen.  George  Washing- 
ton. Subsequently  Andrew  Jackson  bestowed  upon 
him  a  Colonel's  commission.  His  last  vote  was 
east  for  James  Bnehauan  in  the  old  court  house  in 
Easton,  Pa.,  that  was  built  by  King  George  in 
17bi.  The  McKeeus  were  second  cousins  to  the 
poet  .Tames  Montgomery. 

In  Count}' Antrim,  Ireland,  July  22, 1836,  James 
S.  Boyd  first  saw  the  ligiit  of  day.  His  native 
country  was  his  home  until  April  18,  18.52,  when 
he  came  to  America  and  taking  up  his  residence  in 
Northampton  County,  Pa.,  attended  school  two 
and  a  half  years.  He  then  learned  the  trade  of  a 
tinsmith  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  then  coming  to  Joliet, 
was  employed  by  W.  S.  Brooks  four  years.  He 
then  became  foreman  for  W.  F.Barrett,  filling  that 
position  eight  years,  after  which  he  re-entered  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Brooks  and  for  about  eight  years 
acted  as  a  salesman  of  agricultural  implements  for 
that  gentleman. 

Mr.  Boyd  has  traveled  for  four  dift'erent  firms  as 
a  salesman  and  was  also  engaged  with  his  brother, 
T.  C.  Boyd,  in  the  plumbing  business  in  Chicago. 
He  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  in 
March,  1868,  and  for  some  time  has  devoted  himself 
entirely  to  agricultural  work.  In  this  em[iioyment 
he  simply  carries  out  the  motto  which  epitomizes 
his  earlier  efforts  in  otiicr  lines  of  business — '•  what 
is  worth  doing  is  wortii  doing  well." 

On  ^lay  6,  1S61,  in  Fairfield,  Herkimer  County, 
N.  Y'.,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated  between 
our  subject  and  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  James 
and  Nellie  (Peacock)  Young.  The  bride  w.as  born 
in  the  town  in  which  her  marriage  toc>k  place, 
March  28,  1840,  and  is  the  tenth  in  a  family  con- 
sisting of  eight  sons  and  three  daughters.     Like 


430 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


her  husband  she  has  in  her  veins  the  blood  of  old 
families  from  Northern  Ireland,  her  parents  having 
tieen  natives  of  County  Antrim,  wiiencc  they  emi- 
grated to  America  in  an  early  ilay.  After  havinj;; 
lived  many  years  in  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  they 
came  to  the  Prairie  Slate,  locating  in  SteiJhenson 
County,  where  both  breathed  their  last. 

]\Irs.  Boyd  possesses  the  natural  .abilities  of  the 
race  from  which  she  sprung,  and  has  had  them 
strengthened  and  developed  Uy  careful  home  train- 
ing and  good  educational  advantages.  IShe  is  there- 
fore a  woman  of  ripe  intelligence,  well  skilled  in 
useful  domestic  arts  and  litte<l  for  a  sphere  of  use- 
fulness. She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Cliurch  and  has  carefully  instilled  into  her  children 
the  principles  of  right  living.  Ilcr  family  includes 
the  following  living  children:  Alexander  C,  Mar- 
garet W.,Estclla  M..  Nellie  J.,  J.  Harry,  Elizabeth, 
Fred  C,  Mary  M..  Lee  E.  .and  Belle  C.  L.  One 
child  is  deceased.  Kstella  ^I.  is  now  the  wife  of 
Charles  Scharf.  of  Joliet. 

In  politics  Mr.Bo3-d  is  a  strong  Republican,  firndy 
convinced  that  the  principles  of  that  party  are  best 
■fitted  to  the  needs  of  American  citizens,  and  ever 
ready  to  support  them  with  his  ballot  anil  his  en- 
deavors to  convince  others  that  his  views  are  cor- 
rect. He  h.as  held  the  office  of  School  Director,  in 
which  his  intelligence  and  good  judgment  have 
benefited  the  schools.  His  reputation  is  on('  of 
which  an\'  man  might  well  be  proud,  providing,  .as 
in  his  case,  the  char.acter  is  equal  to  the  opinions 
of  men. 

MASA  RICHARDSON.  This  venerable 
iyuli  gentleman  has  for  many  years  been  asso- 
ciated with  the  farmers  and  stock-growers 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  the  up- 
building of  the  thriving  farming  township  of  Wes- 
le)-.  Associating  himself  with  the  pioneers  of  the 
count}'  in  1856,  while  aiding  them  in  the  work  of 
developing  its  resources,  he  has  acquired  a  com- 
fortable propert}',and  now.  astheshadows  of  a  long 
and  busj'^  life  are  falling  around  him,  he  can  take 
his  ease,  free  from  the  cares  and  burdens  that  he 
bore  in   the   heat  of  the  day,  in   his  cozy  home  in 


the  enjo3'ment  of  the  companionship  of  her  who 

assisted    him    in    fitting  it  up  and    who  is  still  the 
home-maker  .and  devoted  helper. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  II.  Kichard- 
son,  was  a  native  and  a  farmer  of  A'ermonl.  His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Marj-  Starke,  and 
who  was  a  niece  of  Gen.  Starke  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  was  also  a  native  of  that  State,  and  there 
she  and  her  husband  spent  their  entire  lives. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  was  the 
oidy  child,  and  he  was  born  June  23,  1805,  among 
the  pleasant  hills  of  Vermont.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools,  and  atthe3'outh- 
ful  age  of  twelve  3'ears  began  to  care  for  himself. 
He  worked  out  by  the  mouth  for  others  until  he 
was  twenty-three  j'ears  old,  and  then  began  his 
independent  existence  as  a  farmer  on  his  own  ac- 
count, buying  at  that  time  a  farm  in  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.  He  operated  it  until  185(5,  and 
then  riglith-  thinking  that  he  could  do  better  still 
on  the  rich  virgin  soil  of  Illinois,  he  came  to  this 
county  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  The  land,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres,  ten  of  which  was  in  timlier, 
was  alreadj'  under  cultivation  when  he  purchased 
it,  and  he  has  since  added  manj'  improvements, 
making  it  a  valuable  estate,  with  its  neat,  well- 
kept  buildings,  productive  fields  and  general  ap- 
pearance of  good  management. 

I  ^Ir.  Richardson  and  Miss  Martha  Goodwin 
united  their  lives  and  fortunes  in  August.  1828, 
and  have  had  a  peaceful  and  ha))py  wedded  life  of 
more  than  three-score  yeais.  Mrs.  Richardson's 
parents  were  Joseph  and  Olive  (Hatsell)  Goodwin, 
natives  respectively  of  New  Hampshire  and  Yev- 
mont.  They  married  and  settled  in  New  York 
State,  where  they  resided  until  death  closed  their 
mortal  career,  she  dyino  in  1828.  and  he  d3ing 
some  years  afterward.  They  had  a  family  of  nine 
children,  two  of  whom  are  now  living.  .Mrs. 
Richardson  was  born  November  15,  1810,  in  New 

i  York.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine  chihiren,  six  of 
whom  are  now  living — William,  Levi,  Hiram,  Al- 
fred, Mar3-and  Franklin,  William,  a  law\er.  married 
Addis  Westcott,  .and  thev  make  their  home  in  Kan- 
kakee City,  and  have  one  child;  Levi,  a  resident  of 
Iroquois,  married  Laura  Cosett,  and  thc3-  have  three 


PORTRAIT  AhD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


431 


cliildreu;  Hiiaui  is  a  Iaw\'er  in  Kanlialiee;  Mary 
is  tlio  wife  of  Henr}'  Kaliler,  of  Florence  Town- 
ship, and  tiie3'  have  eigrht  children.  Their  son 
Lewis  and  dauglitcr  Olive  are  deceased,  the  former 
d^-iny  in  Dakota.  One  son,  Joseph  W.,  gave  up 
his  life  for  his  country  in  the  late  war.  He  was 
First-Lieutenant  in  the  Thirt^-nintli  Illintiis  in- 
fantry', was  a  brave  and  elHcient  otlicer,  and  his 
death,  November  17,  18G1,  of  typhoid  fever,  at 
Williams|)ort,  Jld.,  where  he  lies  buried,  was  a  loss 
to  the  service.  Two  of  their  sons  manage  the  farm. 
Mr.  and  iNIrs.  Richardson  have  led  useful  lives, 
whose  record  entitles  tliem  to  the  great  res))ect  and 
affection  in  which  they  are  held  by  all.  lu  their 
labors  they  have  not  been  too  busy  to  be  unmind- 
ful of  their  duties  to  others,  and  in  their  thought- 
ful kindness  .they  have  often  extended  help  and 
sympathj-  to  the  needy  and  attiicted.  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson has  been  School  Director  for  years,  and  for 
twent}'  three  years  has  acted  as  .Justice  of  the 
Peace.  He  has  taken  but  little  part  in  politics,  but 
the  last  few  j-cars  has  given  his  sup[)ort  to  the 
K'epublican  party. 


<ft" 


HARLES  CLFMEXT  WILCOX,  City  and 
111  '  Town  Clerk  of  Joliet,  was  born  June  2^ 
^^(/  1861,  being  a  son  of  Edmund  and  .Sarali 
M.  (Green)  Wilcox.  On  another  page  of  this 
volume  will  be  found  a  biographical  notice  of  his 
father,  from  which  the  ancestry  may  be  learned. 
SufDce  it  say  in  this  connection  that  no  more  hon- 
orable familj'  IS  known  in  Joliet  than  that  from 
which  our  subject  sprang.  Young  Wilcox  was 
educated  in  the  Joliet  High  School,  and  began  his 
business  career  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  finding 
his  first  employment  witli  G.  iMonroe  &  Sons,  whole- 
sale and  retail  grocers,  with  whom  he  remained 
two  years.  The  three  succeeding  j'ears  he  spent  in 
connection  with  Wilcox  Brothers,  dealers  in  lum- 
ber, and  while  in  this  connection  he  established  a 
trade  in  carriages,  from  which  has  grown  a  deposi- 
tory whose  attractions  draw  a  colossal  trade. 

In    1884  Mr.  AVilcox    became  a  member  of    the 
firm  of   Smith   it    Wilcox,  jobbers   in  oil.     For  a 


brief  period  the  energetic  30ung  man  was  with  a 
Chicago  firm.  He  was  then  brought  before  tlie 
people  as  a  candidate  for  Collector  of  Internal 
Revenue,  and  after  a  vigorous  contest,  in  wliicli  hi.s 
opponents  were  some  of  the  most  popular  men  in 
the  district,  he  received  the  votes  which  placed 
him  in  office.  At  the  end  of  two  years  he  turned 
over  his  books  to  his  successor  with  an  unsurpassed 
record  for  ellicicncy  and  honest}'  in  the  duties  con- 
nected with  his  public  trust.  In  the  spring  of 
1889  he  was  elected  Cit>'  and  Town  Clerk  against 
a  strong  opposition,  his  majority  being  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-f(tur.  In  the  city  his  majority 
was  five  hundred.  The  spring  election  of  1890 
found  him  so  strongl}'  intrenched  in  the  confidence 
of  the  peo()le  that  no  opposition  was  offered  to  his 
re-election  as  Town  Clerk. 

The  handsome  West  Side  residence  of  Mi'.  \\'il- 
cox  is  presided  over  by  a  charming  lady  of  high 
culture  and  estimable  character.  She  was  formerly 
known  as  Miss  Ida  M.  Weelvs,  is  a  daughter  of 
George  Weeks,  Esq.,  of  this  city,  and  a  niece  of 
Judge  Weeks.  She  became  the  wife  of  our  subject 
in  the  fall  of  1882,  the  fruit  of  the  union  being  a 
beautiful  daughter,  now  about  fifteen  months  old, 
who  has  been  christened  Evaleen.  Mr.  Wilcox  is 
a  Democrat  of  the  best  type,  and  a  total  abstainer 
from  intoxicants  of  all  kinds.  He  abounds  with 
life  and  energy',  and  bids  fair  to  reach  a  still  higher 
place  in  business  and  political  circles  than  that 
to  which  he  has  already  attained. 


1^  AVID  FRY.  The  fine  farming  country  em. 
J)  braced  in  Wheatland  Township  has  ever  been 
an  attraction  to  the  eye  of  the  solid,  prac- 
tical farmer  and  stock-raiser,  and  fortunate  is  he 
considered  who  owns  one  of  the  rich,  fineh-  im- 
proved farms  tliat  may  be  seen  on  every  hand. 
The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  is  the  fort-- 
uuate  owner  of  one  of  these,  his  fine  farm  Ij'ing  on 
section  27. 

iMr.  Fr3'  is  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
born  December  7,  1850.  He  is  a  son  of  .lacob  and 
Catherine  Fr^'.     His   mother  departed  this  life  in 


432 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


llic  month  of  Kebniaiy,  1H8G,  at  a  ripe  old  age. 
His  father  is  now  in  iiis  seventj-fouitli  3  ear.  Both 
lie  and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Pennsylvaiii.i.  ;uiil 
were  pioneer.s  of  tliis  count}-,  coming  here  in  l.H.'jo. 
Tlicj-  Ijecame  early  settlers  of  Wlieatland  Town- 
ship, bix  children  were  born  of  their  marriage,  of 
whom  the  following  four  are  living:  Jacob,  /aeli- 
ariali,  jSIartin  and  David.  Mr.  Fry  is  a  sturdy  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  partj-,  and  religiously, 
he  is  connected  with  the  Lutheran  Church  as  one 
of  its  most  faithful  members.  He  has  sought  in 
whatever  .vay  he  could  to  advance  the  moral,  edu- 
entional  and  material  interests  of  the  township. 
He  is  a  man  of  some  education  and  has  a  good 
command  of  both  the  English  and  German  lan- 
guages. 

David  Fry,  of  this  sketch,  was  scarcelv  three 
yi'ars  of  age  when  his  parents  brought  Lira  to  this 
county,  and  here  he  was  reared  and  educated,  at- 
tending the  local  district  school  in  AVheatland. 
He  has  devoted  his  time  principally  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  occu|)ies  an  honorable  place  among 
the  farmers  and  stock- raisers  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Fry  was  married  the  first  time,  in  1871,  to 
Miss  Amelia  Frannhoof.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
present  wife  to  whom  he  was  united  December  19, 
i  873,  was  Maria  IJupp.  Of  their  pleasant  wedded 
life  five  children  have  been  born:  Katie  M.,  George 
J.,  Martin,  William  and  Samuel  D. 

Our  subject  pcjssesses  many  sterling  traits  of 
character  that  make  him  worthy  of  the  esteem  that 
is  accorded  him  as  a  man  and  a  citizen.  He  is  in- 
dustrious, shrewd  and  thrifty,  and  has  managed 
his  affairs  wisely  so  that  he  now  Las  a  goodly  bit  of 
propert3^  In  him  the  Democratic  party  finds  a 
a  zealous  follower.  Religiously,  he  is  identified 
with  the  Lutheran  Church  as  one  of  its  leading 
members. 


♦ — •^ — 


-7-iK^-~v     '-> — '" 

lACOB  S0LTP:RMAN.  If  a  man's  true 
character  may  be  determined  by  the  opinion 
of  those  around  him,  that  of  Mr.  Sollerman 
is  irreproachable.  By  his  h.abits  of  indus- 
try and  prudence  he  hiis  built  up  a  good  home  for 
himself  .and  family  and  acquired  a  competence  for 


his  declining  years.  He  is  progressive  in  his  ideas, 
liberal  and  pulilic-spiritcd,  and  is  blest  with  an  in- 
telligent family,  his  wife  being  a  most  estimable 
anil  worth}-  lady  and  his  children  unusually  bright 
an<l  interesting.  In  noting  his  surroundings  and 
the  resjicct  in  which  he  is  held  in  this  community, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  he  is  in  the  possession  of 
a  large  share  of  all  that  makes  life  desirable. 

A  native  of  the  Province  of  Alsace,  then  be- 
longing to  France,  but  now  to  Germany,  Mr.  Sol- 
terman  was  born  October  15,  1820,  and  is  the 
elder  of  two  cliildron.  the  offspring  of  Joseph  and 
Anna  M.  (Gertzler)  Solterman.  who  were  likewise 
natives  of  that  Province.  Thej-  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica about  1828.  and  settled  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y., 
where  the}'  spent  the  remainder  of  their  da3S. 
Jacob  lived  with  his  parents  until  1838  and  then 
sought  his  fortune  in  the  Prairie  State,  settling  on 
the  canal,  and  being  employed  on  the  canal  for 
about  three  years.  Later,  he  engaged  in  farming 
near  Palos,  III.,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
1850.  The  California  gold  excitement  then  drew 
him  to  the  Pacific  (Joast,  and  locating  there,  he  was 
engaged  in   mining  for  about  seven  years. 

Upon  coming  back  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Solterman 
commenced  farming  on  the  laud  wiiicb  he  had  pur- 
chased in  1853,  returning  in  the  meantime  partl3' 
for  this  purpose  and  partly  with  the  object  of  tak- 
ing unto  himself  a  wife  and  helpmate.  This  latter 
was  accomplished  Januar3'  3,  that  year,  the  bride 
being  Miss  Mary  E..  daughter  of  Richard  :ind 
Jane  M.  (Wilson)  McCalaughary.  Afterward  he 
returned  to  California,  where  he  remained  until 
1857,  then  came  back  to  Homer  Townshi|i  and 
gave  his  undivided  attention  to  the  development 
of  his  farm.  This  comprises  two  hundred  and  fif- 
teen acres  of  good  laud,  which  through  the  careful 
man.agement  of  the  proprietor  has  become  valu- 
able. 

To  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  there 
have  been  born  nine  children,  viz:  Jane,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  nine  and  one-half  years;  Charles  II., 
Delos  C.  Matthew  S.,  Mary  E.,  Melissa,  Catherine 
A. ;  Jacob,  who  died  when  about  two  years  old,  and 
Clara  E.  Mr.  Solterman  afflliates  with  the  Demo- 
cratic part3'.  He  does  not  seek  public  office,  but 
prefers  to  confine  his  attention  to  his  farming  in. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


435 


terests,  avoiding  tlie  responsibilities  of  olBce,  al- 
though he  is  ever  ready  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  those  projects  caleulate<l  for  the  gen- 
eral good  of  tlie  community. 

Mrs.  SolteruiMu  was  liorn  in  Onondaua  County, 
N.  Y  ,  August  5,  18-33.  Her  i^rents  were  also  n;i- 
tivcs  of  that  State.  The  fatlier  died  in  Palos,  111., 
aliout  18oJ.  The  mother  subsequently  came  to 
Homer  Townshi[).  where  her  death  took  place  in 
1858. 


E  LI  AS  L.  STEVENS.  The  rural  districts  of 
Illinois  are  dotted  with  attractive  homes, 
'  vvhicli    in    architectural    design,    neat   and 

tasteful  surroundings,  and  thriftj'  management;  are 
models  of  comfort  and  homelikeness.  One  of  this 
class  is  located  just  outside  the  limits  of  the  flour- 
ishing city  of  Joliet,  and  was  for  some  years  tlie 
home  of  the  recently  deceased  Elias  L.  Stevens. 
That  gentleman,  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  was 
c.Tp:ible  of  designing  a  dwelling  which  combined 
an  attractive  exterior  and  a  convenient  interior, 
while  his  wife  possessed  the  housewifely  skill  and 
prudence  without  parsimouiousuess,  that  insured  to 
its  inmates  all  the  comforts  of  life  in  a  true  home. 

The  natal  day  of  Mr.  Stevens  was  April  28, 
1828,  and  his  birthplace  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y. 
When  about  twelve  years  of  age  he  went  to  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  which  State  he  grew  to  manhood, 
and  completed  his  education.  In  Sturbridge  he 
wooed  and  won  for  his  wife  Miss  Pamelia  Childs, 
of  that  place,  wdiere  their  marriage  was  celebrated, 
he  having  first  made  her  acquaintance  in  Hol3'oke, 
Mass,  where  he  learned  his  trade.  In  a  short  time 
however,  they  removed  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in 
the  vicinity  of  Kilbourne,  where  Mr.  Stevens  en- 
gaged in  farming.  The  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War,  roused  him  from  the  peaceful  pursuits  of 
that  occupation  to  a  desire  to  assist  in  upholding 
the  Union,  and  he  left  his  home  for  a  life  on  the 
tented  field. 

I'hc  name  of  I'^llas  L.  Stevens  was  placed  uijoii 
the  muster-roll  of  Company  E,  Twelfth  Wisconsin 
Infantry,  and  until  the  cruel  war  was  over  he 
served  faitiifully  and  gallantly,  patiently  enduring 


the  hardships  of  campaign  life  and  the  separation 
from  those  he  loved.  When  his  services  were  no 
longer  needed  by  his  country  in  contest  with  her 
enemies,  he  returned  to  his  home  and  to  civil  life. 
Ere  liing  he  removed  to  the  Prairie  State,  some 
time  being  spent  in  Morris  and  Henry,  and  then  a 
settlement  being  m.adc  in  .loliet. 

A  residence  was  erected  by  Mt.  Stevens  on  Un- 
ion Street,  which  was  his  home  for  several  years, 
and  until  his  removal  to  the  beautiful  place  before 
mentioned,  outside  the  city  limits.  He  engaged  as 
a  contractor  on  the  Kock  Island  Railroad,  after- 
ward taking  other  contracts  and  continued  in  that 
line  of  business  until  his  death.  He  erected  sev- 
eral blocks  in  .loliet.  among  them  being  the  Ste- 
vens Block  on  Chicago  Street.  Besides  attending 
to  many  large  contracts  on  the  Rock  Island  Road, 
Mr.  Stevens  found  time  to  attend  to  a  few  large 
contracts  for  masonry  on  other  railroads.  In  the 
fall  of  1883,  in  partnership  with  George  Alexander, 
of  Blue  Island,  he  contracted  to  build  seven  im- 
mense piers  for  a  bridge  over  the  Ohio  River  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  for  the  Chicago,  Louisville  &  New 
Albany  Railroad  Compauj-.  The  average  height 
of  the  piers  was  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet,  and 
it  required  seventeen  thousand  cubic  yards  of  solid 
masonry.  The  great  floods  in  the  spring  of  188-t 
interfered  with  the  work  somewhat,  but  in  1885  it 
was  completed.  The  cost  of  the  masonry  alone 
was  §300,000.  Subsequently  Mr.  Stevens  had  large 
contracts  for  changing  the  tracks  and  rebuilding 
the  bridges  on  the  Rock  Island  Road.  These  con- 
tracts extended  from  the  main  line  to  many 
branches,  and  cost  the  company  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion dollars.  He  secured  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  his  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens,  his  dealings 
with  maidiiud  ever  being  honorable  and  straight- 
forward, and  his  personal  habits  such  as  to  entitle 
him  to  their  good  opinion.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity-,  and  the  B.  M.  A.,  of  Joliet. 
The  loss  which  his  own  family  suffered  when  he 
was  called  hence.  September  11,  1889,  can  only  be 
estimated  by  those  who  have  had  a  similar  be- 
reavement. 

Mrs.  Pamelia  Stevens  died  at  their  home  in  Jol- 
iet, in  iNIarc'h,  1870,  leaving  a  daughter,  Jessie  F. 
who  is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Dillman.      In    1880,  thy 


436 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


widdwer  conUai-toil  a  secoml  alliance,  celtbraf.ing, 
ill  .U)lic't,  his  iiiaii-iage  to  Mrs.  Fraiiccs  Leaniaril,  a 
sisliT  of  his  lirst.  wife.  This  lady  was  born  in  Slur- 
liridne.  Mass.,  and  was  married,  in  BiooUfield,  to 
\\' .•liter  I.eaniai'd.  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  old 
Bay  Stale.  The  union  icsnlted  in  the  liiith  of  one 
son,  Guy  M.,  vvho  is  now  a  book-keei)er  for  the 
.lolift  Stone  Coinpany.  In  187G,  Mrs.  Learnard 
U'fl  her  Kaslern  home,  and  :\.  few  years  later  be- 
came the  wife  of  our  subject,  to  whom  she  bore 
one  son.  Roland  E.  Mrs.  Stevens  still  occupies 
the  home  in  which  her  lately  deceased  husliaiid 
died.  She  possesses  more  than  ordinaiy  intelli- 
gence, is  amiable  and  comi)anionable,  and  in  the 
management  of  household  and  business  affairs  dis- 
plays the  prudence  which  miuht  be  expected  of  one 
born  and  bred  in  New  England.  She  has  many 
friends,  in  whose  companionship  she  finds  relief 
from  the  sorrows  and  cares  of  life,  though  her 
chief  delight  is  in  the  rearing  of  her  young  son, 
and  the  society  of  the  older  members  of  her  fam- 

il.v. 

A  portrait  of   the  late  Mr.   Stevens   appears   in 
connection  with  this  sketch. 


ILLIAM  STELLWAGEN.  One  of  the 
A//  most  attractive  locations  in  (ireen  (iarden 
VtW  Township  is  occupied  by  the  farm  of  the 
gentleman  above  named.  The  mistaken  townsman 
who  believes  that  country  life  is  devoid  of  attrac- 
tions will  Find  conclusive  proof  to  the  contrary  on 
this  estate,  which  is  beautiful  to  behold,  the  source 
of  a  fine  income,  and  the  scene  of  a  happy  home 
life. 

I'hilip  J'ti'llwageii,  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany,  and  a  shoemaker  b}-  trade,  came  to 
America  in  1840.  He  found  employment  in  the 
Keystone  State  and  practiced  frugality  until  lie  had 
saved  money  enough  to  bring  his  family  to  this 
country,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  land  for 
them.  Again  crossing  the  broad  Atlantic,  he  lo- 
cated in  Wilkesbarie,  Ta.,  in  1842,  and  spent  two 
years  at  his  trade.  He  then  started  out  to  buy 
laud  in  the  West,  thinking  to  make  Wisconsin  his 


future  home,  but  when  he  reached  Northern  lUi-- 
nois  he  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  country  that 
he  deteriiiliied  to  locate  here.  His  journey  had 
been  made  with  a  team  and  he  had,  therefore,  been 
able  to  form  wise  conclusions  regarding  the  couii- 
lr3'  through  which  he  passed. 

Buying  eighty  acres  of  (iovernment  laud  in 
Frankfort  'I'ownship,  this  county,  Mr.  Slellwagcn 
|)ut  up  a  log  li(.)use  and,  as  fast  as  possible,  made 
other  imiirovements  on  the  place.  He  was  success- 
ful in  the  new  career  in  which  he  had  embarked  and 
accumulated  two  hundred  and  fort}"  acres,  which 
he  o|)erated  until  his  death,  November  20,  1889, 
when  he  was  near!}'  eighty  five  3ears  old.  He  was 
strong  in  his  belief  in  the  principles  of  Democracy, 
and  was  an  equally  devoted  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Churcii.  He  was  twice  married,  his  lirst 
wife  being  Einil}-  .Jacob,  a  native  of  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, who  died  in  Frankfort  Township  in  1846. 
She  was  the  mother  of  four  children,  viz:  Mathias, 
who  died  in  1888;  Jacob,  whose  home  is  in  South 
Englewood,  Cook  County;  William,  of  whom  we 
write;  and  Philip,  a  harness-maker  at  Mokena. 
The  second  marriage  of  Philip  Stellwagen  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  two  sons — Henr}-  and  Adam,  both 
now  deceased. 

The  gentleman  whose  life  history  forms  the 
subject  of  these  brief  paragraiihs  was  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  December  13,  1838. 
He  has  no  recoliectiou  of  the  land  of  his  birth,  as 
he  left  it  in  the  spring  of  1842,  sailing  with  his 
parents  from  Bieinen  to  the  United  States.  Eleven 
weeks  were  spent  ui)0ii  the  ocean,  but  the  tedious- 
ness  of  the  voyage  made  no  impression  upon  the 
little  lad.  During  the  two  \'ears  in  which  the  fam- 
ily remained  in  Pennsylvania  he  spent  some  little 
time  in  school.  The  journey  to  their  Western 
home  being  made  with  teams  and  the  partj'  camp- 
ing out  every  night,  it  was  almost  a  continual  pic- 
nic to  the  boj',  who  enjoyed  the  out-door  life  and 
continual  change  of  scene  as  onl}'  careless  child- 
hood can.  In  crossing  the  mountains  eight  days 
were  consumed  in  making  the  ascent,  and  seven 
weeks  of  travel  covered  eleven  hundred  miles  on 
their  journey. 

'I'he  new  home  was  in  the  midst  of  a  wild  prai- 
rie, twelve  miles  from  the  nearest  house,  and  deer 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


437 


and  wolves  were  aljuiidant  and  rattlesnakes  plenti- 
ful. Our  suliject  Imiiled  some  and  was  early  set 
to  work  on  the  farm,  also  attend inu'  seliool  as  soon 
as  one  was  opened  in  the  old  fasliioned  log  school- 
hoMse  which  was  at  that  time  llie  temple  of  learu- 
irig.  He  learned  to  drive  oxen,  five  yoke  of  which 
were  attaclied  to  tin;  breaking  [)l()w,  and  by  means 
of  wliieh  also  goods  were  haided  to  and  from  Chi- 
cago and  .loliet,  whieli  were  the  market  towns. 

INIr.  Stellw.agen  remained  an  inmate  of  the  i)ar- 
ental  home,  working  for  liis  father,  nntil  he  was 
twenty-seven  years  old,  when  he  set  up  his  own 
household  in  Rockville  Township  on  a  rented 
farm.  For  two  years  he  operated  four  hundred 
accres  of  land,  raising  both  grain  and  stock,  and 
then  purchased  eighty  acres  in  the  nortlieastern 
corner  of  Frankfort  Townshii).  U|)on  tliat  farm 
he  remained  until  1872,  at  which  time  lie  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  partly-im- 
proved laud,  which  forms  a  portion  of  his  pi'esent 
estate.  Here  he  continued  the  improvement  which 
iia<l  been  begun  by  breaking  the  virgin  soil,  and 
ere  long  added  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  ad- 
joining, making  up  the  amount  wiiich  he  now  owns 
and  operates. 

The  estate  includes  eighty  acres  on  section 
21,  eighty  acres  on  section  20,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  on  section  10,  all  tillable  laud. 
It  has  l)ecn  tiled  wherever  under  drainage  would 
be  beni^ficial  and  is  fenced  with  wire  and  hedge, 
the  latter  being  kept  neatly  trimmed,  and  so  add- 
ing to  the  beauty  of  the  land.  Mr.  Stellwagen  has 
set  out  groves  and  orchards,  has  erected  a  cozy  and 
attractive  tlwelling,  and  a  barn,  TOx.'JG  feet,  to- 
gether with  other  adeipiate  outbuildings,  and  he 
lias  likewise  put  up  a  windmill  and  tank,  by  means 
of  which  water  is  couve^'cd  wherever  it  is  needed. 
The  principal  crops  which  he  raises  are  corn  and 
oats,  and  his  stock  includes  high-grade  cattle,  road- 
sters and  draft  horses.  Of  the  latter  he  generally 
has  from  twenty  to  thirty  head,  while  three  teams 
are  needful  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  estate. 

The  estimable  woman  who  presides  over  the 
household  economy  of  our  subject  was  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  iSIiss  Louisa  Neckrauer.  She 
was  born  in  Rayren,  Germany,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica with   her  parents  in    IH-Kj.      llcr  father,  .Jacob 


Neckrauer,  is  a  shoemaker,  who  worked  at  his  trade 
in  his  own  land,  and  in  Frankfort  'I'ownship,  this 
county,  but  in  later  3X'ars  engaged  in  farming.  He 
is  now  living  at  Frankfort.  The  wedding  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stellwagen  took  place  at  the  liride's 
home,  March  25.  1805,  and  their  happily  married 
life  has  therefore  extended  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  'i'liey  are  the  parents  of  two  children — • 
Philip,  who  still  remains  at  home,  and  K.atie,  who 
married  (!.  .1.  Lankenau,  a  farmer  in  Green  Garden 
Townshi[i. 

Mr.  Stellwagen  has  been  School  Trustee  for  the 
township  and  is  now  Director  of  his  district.  He 
is  independent  in  politics,  voting  for  the  best  man 
or  for  the  principle  which,  in  iiis  judgment,  is  the 
prominent  issue  during  any  campaign.  He  has 
served  on  both  grand  and  petit  juries,  where  his 
intelligent  understanding  of  the  cases  preeented 
and  his  keen  sense  of  right  and  justice  make  him 
useful.  He  belongs  to  the  Evangelical  Church,  at 
Frankfort,  and  by  the  other  members  of  the  con- 
gregation, as  well  as  by  the  citizens  in  general,  he 
is  respected  as  his  good  qualities  deserve. 


'^Yl' AMES  FELL,  Postmaster  at  Green  Garden, 
is  a  substantial  and  enterprising  farmer, 
whose  estate  on  section  30,  bears  every  mark 
'^*/y  of  careful  and  intelligent  tillage  and  con- 
stant imi)rovement.  The  farm  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  sixt3'  acres  of  tillable  land  which  is 
divided  into  convenient  fields  by  well-kept  hedge 
and  other  fencing,  and  wliicli  is  supplied  with  a 
full  set  of  farm  buildings  and  a  comfortable  resi- 
dence. The  land  is  fertilized  ]>y  living  water  and 
both  grain  and  stock  aie  raised  to  advantage. 
Prob;U)ly  the  most  noticeable  featuie  of  the  estate 
is  the  garden  in  which  the  owner  takes  great  de- 
light and  which  is  by  far  the  finest  and  best  kcjit 
in  the  township.  It  has  proved  the  source  of  a 
considerable  revenue  since  this  branch  of  horticul- 
ture was  undertaken  by  Mr.  Fell.  A  fine,  largo 
orchard  also  adds  to  the  value  of  the  farm. 

Appleby,  Jjincolnshire,  England,  was   the    birth- 
place of  our  subject  and  also  of  his  father,  John 


438 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Fell,  who  was  a  farm  laborer.  The  latter  was 
twice  iiiarrieil,  his  second  wife  being  Mary  Houst, 
a  native  of  liie  same  shire  and  danghter  of  Jona- 
than Houst,  a  shoemaker  in  Ludington.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  England  and  the 
father  was  brought  to  Canada  by  his  son,  breathing 
his  last  in  the  Dominion  in  1860  when  three-score 
and  ten  j'ears  old.  Of  the  children  born  to  this 
worth}'  couple  he  of  whom  we  write  is  the  onlj' 
survivor.  Jonathan.  John  and  Mary  A.  are  de- 
ceased. 

The  natal  day  of  James  Fell  was  September  8. 
182().  He  was  reared  in  his  native  village  with 
but  limited  school  advantages  which  consisted  of 
an  uncertain  attendance  during  some  three  years. 
The  English  Testament  was  his  reading  book. 
When  eight  years  old  he  began  the  labors  of  life 
by  being  emplo3-ed  to  keep  sparrows  and  other  ; 
birds  out  of  grain  fields.  He  received  seventy-five 
cents  per  week  for  his  labor,  and  as  he  grew  older 
took  up  farm  pursuits,  boarding  at  home  until 
thirteen  years  old,  when  he  hired  out  by  the  3'ear. 

The  opportunities  affonled  a  farm  laborer  in  Eng- 
land were  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  ambition  of 
you'ig  Fell,  and  he  determined  to  emigrate  to 
America,  hoping  to  better  his  condition.  He  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age  when,  in  April,  1851,  J 
he  left  Hull  on  the  sailer  "Meteor."  .Smallpox 
broke  out  on  the  vessel  and  upon  reaching  Quebec 
it  was  quarantined  a  week.  Mr.  Fell  had  had  the 
disease,  but  in  a  very  light  form,  and  as  soon  -is  a 
landing  could  We  made  he  was  able  to  begin  work. 
He  labored  at  different  occupations  in  Canada  and  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for  some  lime,  among  his  em- 
ployments being  that  of  a  teamster  for  a  store 
keeper.  In  18.53  he  removed  to  Chatham,  County 
Kent,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  where  he  op- 
erated a  farm  for  eleven  jears.  Following  this 
were  various  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood  until 
March  !>,  1866,  when  he  located  near  Joliet.  III. 

There  Mr.  Fell  operated  a  rented  farm  a  year, 
after  which  he  bought  forty  acres  in  Green  Town- 
ship, section  19,  and  putting  up  asmall  house  made 
it  his  place  of  abode.  He  cultivated  his  own  land 
and  rented  adjoining  acres  several  years,  finallj' 
purchasing  eighty  acres  of  his  present  estate.  This 
was  improved  land  to  wliicli  he  subsequently  added 


eighty  acres  adjoining,  bringing  up  iiis  landed  es- 
tate to  two  hundred  acres,  from  which  he  subse- 
quently sold  fort}-. 

Six  years  since  Mr.  Fell  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  Postmaster,  and  he  is  still  the  incundjeut 
of  tiie  olBce.  For  three  3-ears  he  proved  his  effi- 
cieucj-  as  a  School  Director,  He  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Flpiscopal  Church,  and  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party  he  is  ever  found 
read}-  to  cast  his  vote  for  its  candidates.  He  has 
served  on  the  grand  and  petit  juries.  As  a  citizen, 
interested  in  the  true  welfare  of  the  community,  as 
a  farmer  of  energy  and  progressive  ideas,  and  as  a 
man  of  high  principle,  he  is  alike  respected  by 
those  who  enjoy  his  acquaintance. 

The  lady  who  presides  over  the  pleasant  home 
of  Mr.  Fell  was  born  in  Gresby,  Lincolnshire, 
May  11,  1820,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza- 
beth Uamthorp.  The  ceremony  which  made  her 
Mrs.  Fell  was  performed  in  England.  January  21, 
1851.  The  happy  union  has  been  blest  by  the 
birth  of  nine  children,  of  whom  we  note  the  fol- 
lowing: John  and  Hubert  each  operate  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  Manhattan  Township,  this  county,  the 
furmer  making  his  home  in  the  village;  Thomas  is 
farming  at  Blue  Hill,  Neb. ;  George  is  working  out 
in  the  same  State;  James,  Jr.,  is  assistant  Postmas- 
ter under  his  father;  Edward  resides  at  home  and 
operates  the  farm ;  Mary  A.  married  Cornelius 
Fcnnick,  a  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Odessa  is  the  Vrife 
of  Dr.  Goodrich,  of  Peolone;  Ann  still  remains 
under  the  parental  roof. 


EN 


UNGO  PATTERSON  is  a  typical  repre- 
sentative of  the  hardy,  industrious,  intelli- 
gent Scotch  pioneers  of  Will  County  who 
have  been  so  useful  in  developing  its  rich 
agricultural  resources.  Coming  here  in  the  early 
days  of  the  settlement  of  Wheallsnd  Township,  he 
identified  himself  with  its  farmers  and  stock-raisers, 
and  is  still  living  on  the  farm  he  then  bought 
from  the  Government  when  it  was  a  tract  of  wild 
land. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  born    in   Dumfrieshire,  Scot'" 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


439 


land,  September  22,  1814.  He  was  a  son  of  John 
and  .Jane  (Hall)  Patterson,  natives  of  Scotland.  He 
is  the  oldest  sou  of  his  father's  family'  and  has  two 
brothers,  .James  and  Daniel,  living  in  Wheatland 
Township.  Our  subject  passed  his  earl}^  life  on  his 
native  heath  and  gained  his  education  in  the  local 
school.  In  1841,  desiring  to  make  more  of  life 
than  he  could  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  taking  passage  at  Liverpool, 
and  after  an  ocean  voyage  of  six  weeks  landed  in 
the  great  metropolis  of  this  country.  From  there 
he  proceeded  to  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
spent  the  ensuing  years  until  the  spring  of  1844, 
when  he  made  his  way  to  Illinois.  He  came  to 
this  county  and  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government,  paying  there- 
for 11.25  per  acre.  '  He  settled  on  it  before  there 
was  a  furrow  turned  or  anj-  improvements  had 
been  made.  It  took  many  years  of  hard  and  per- 
sistent labor  to  bring  it  to  its  present  fine  condi- 
tion, with  its  well-tilled  fields  and  ample  buildings, 
and  all  things  necessar\-  for  its  successful  manage- 
ment. He  has  added  to  its  acreage,  and  it  now 
contains  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  valuable 
land. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  married  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  in  1842,  taking  unto  himself  for  a  wife  Miss 
Agnes  Clow,  who  was,  like  himself,  born  in  Scot- 
land. Her  father,  Robert  Clow,  was  an  early  set- 
tler of  Wheatland  Townshij).  By  liis  marriage  our 
subject  became  the  father  of  six  children,  of  whom 
the  following  five  are  still  living:  .John,  in  Indi- 
ana; Robert,  in  Du  Page  Township;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Robet  Wightman.  in  Wheatland  Township;  Will- 
iam, in  Du  Page  Township,  and  Adam,  in  Wheat- 
land Townslii[). 

In  January,  1890,  Mr.  Patterson  met  with  a 
great  loss  in  the  deatb  of  his  wife,  who  had  been 
his  devoted  wife  and  com|)anion  for  nearly  half  a 
century.  She  was  a  woman  of  high  character,  whose 
great  kindness  of  heart  and  otiier  sterling  qualities 
gained  her  the  warm  affection  and  the  sincere  re- 
spect of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  her,  and 
many  mourn  the  loss  of  that  lovable  woman. 

Mr.  Patterson  has  not  been  an  idle  spectator  in 
watching  the  growth  of  the  count}',  but  has  done 
his   full  share   of  the  pioneer    labors  necessary  to 


redeem  it  from  the  hand  of  Nature.  The  wear}' 
days  of  toil,  privation  and  hardship  that  he  then 
endured  long  ago  came  to  an  end.  and  now,  in  the 
ileeline  of  life,  he  is  reaping  his  reward  in  the  com- 
fortable home  th.at  he  has  established  and  in  tlie 
enjoyment  of  the  ample  competence  th.athis  shrewd 
management  of  his  interests  has  brought  him.  He 
inherited  in  a  large  degree  the  excellent  traits  of 
character  for  which  the  Scotch  are  noted,  and 
these  have  made  him  a  good  citizen,  and  a  kin  1 
neighbor,  and  have  made  his  domestic  relations 
felicitous.  A  tndj'  religious  man,  whose  life  is  an 
exemplification  of  his  Christian  views,  he  is  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  Presb}'terian  Church  and  is  es- 
teemed by  all  who  know  him.  Mr.  Patterson  has 
served  as  a  School  Director  and  has  done  what  be 
could,  in  various  ways,  to  promote  the  educational, 
moral  and  material  well-being  of  Wbe.atland  Town- 
ship. In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican and  has  long  affiliated  with  that  part\'. 


WiILLARD  WOOD,  founder  of  Crete,  bears 
the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  oldest 
„  ^  settlers  in  this  part  of  Will  County.  Me 
came  to  this  region  about  1836,  and  first  secured 
the  southeast  eight}-  acres  on  section  8,  and  llie 
southwest  eighty  acres  on  section  9,  which  is  now 
all  included  in  the  village  limits  and  he  likewise 
purchased  other  land.  He  encouraged  people  to 
emigrate  hither  by  free  donations  to  private  parties 
and  gave  a  lot  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  and  the 
Congregational  Churches,  besides  assisting  in  erect- 
ing tlie  church  buildings.  He  has  been  interested 
in  the  growtii  and  development  of  the  town  since 
its  organization  and  li.as  proven  no  unimportant 
factor  in  promoting  its  material   interests. 

Mr.  Wood  assisted  in  building  the  first  school- 
bouse  in  Crete  Township,  and  officiated  .as  the 
first  pedagogue  in  this  township,  in  the  year  18.38. 
He  served  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  from  1838  un- 
til sometime  in  the  '.50s  and  has  been  for  the  last 
four  years  a  Police  Justice,  serving  as  sucli  since 
the  incorporation  of  the  town  in  1884.  For  fifty 
years  he  has   been    an  attorney-at-law,  being   ad- 


440 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


luilteil  to  inailii'i;  in  Illii]i)i>.  :iL  .lolk'l,  iibuiiL  lur- 
ty-seven  years  ago.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years 
the  Postmaster  of  Crete,  receiving  his  iirst  appoint- 
ment througli  ihc  influence  of  the  late  Long  .Tohn 
Wentworih,  of  Chicago,  who  was  tiien  serving  liis 
first  term  in  Congress. 

About  1818  Mr.  Wood  erected  the  Crete  HotcL 
which  was  the  first  frame  building  of  its  kind  in 
the  (ilace  and  llie  first  public  house  in  this  part  of 
the  county.  Within  it  he  had  a  public  hall  in 
wliicli  at  the  opening  of  the  house  were  entertained 
manj'  of  the  notable  men  of  Chicago,  including 
Henry  B.  Clark,  also  Col.  Fake,  Dr.  Allen  and 
Robert  Duncan  of  .loliel,  together  with  their  wives. 
The  original  hotel  was  later  supplanted  by  the 
present  one.  which,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years,  has  also  been  conducted  by  ^h-.^Voodand  is 
located  on  land  which  he  purchased  from  the  Gov- 
ernment in  1838.  At  that  time  he  was  without 
means,  and  secured  the  land  through  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  Charles  Walker,  a  merchant  of  Chicago,  to 
whom  he  paid  33  1-3  per  cent,  interest  for  three 
years.  He  has  since  owned  considerable  land  ii. 
Crete  Township,  and  has  now  one  hundred  acres 
besides  properly  in  the  village. 

The  summer  of  183G  witnessed  the  first  advent 
of  Mr.  Wood  into  Will  County,  to  which  he  emi 
irrated  from  ^Morristown,  Vt.,  where  he  was  partly 
reared  and  obtained  his  education.  He  studied 
law  and  taught  .school  about  five  cerms  before  his 
marriage.  His  native  i)laee  was  in  Randolph,  Vt., 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  August  28,  1808.  He  is 
therefore  approaching  the  eightj'-second  year  of  his 
ao'e.  He  comes  of  stanch  New  England  stock  and 
ancestry,  being  the  son  of  Thomas  Wood,  a  native 
of  Massachusetts.  His  paternal  grandfatlier,  also 
named  Thomas  Wood,  was  born  in  ^'ermont  and 
came  of  English  ancesfrv.  He  followed  fanning 
all  his  life  and  died  al  K.indiilpli  al  tlic  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Thomas  Wood  Jr.,  the  f.-ither  of  our  sulijec', 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  Green  Mountain  State  and 
after  attaining  his  majority  engaged  in  farming 
on  his  own  account.  Upon  the  outbreak  of  the 
War  of  1812,  he  was  one  of  the  first  p.atriots  to  en- 
list for  a  service  of  five  years  if  necessary,  and  he 
participated  in  many  a  hard-fought  battle.     About 


the  clusc  of  the  war,  while  in  the  Burlington  Bar- 
racks at  Colchester,  Vt.,  he  contracted  a  fever  from 
which  he  died  in  1815.  He  was  then  in  I'le  prime 
of  life,  only  about  fort^-three  years  old  and  pre- 
sented a  fine  specimen  of  manhood  both  physically 
and  mentally.  By  trade  he  was  a  blacksmith  and 
worked  at  this  in  and  around  Middlebury.  At.,  in 
partnership  with  a   Mr.  Denison. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Rub}'  Newland.  She  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  after  the  decease  of  her  husband  was 
married  to  John  Mosle}*  and  they  settled  in  .Mor- 
ristown,  Vt.,  where  Mr.  Moxley  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty -seven  years.  He  served  as  Quartermaster  in 
a  Connecticut  Regiment  during  the  Revolutionary 
War.  B}-  trade  he  was  a  tailor,  which  he  followed 
before  entering  and  after  leaving  the  army.  After 
his  death  Mrs.  Moxley  came  to  Illinois  with  her 
son  Charles,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Will  County 
after  attaining  her  three-score  and  ten  3ears.  Like 
Mr.  Moxley  she  was  a  Universalist  in  religious  be- 
lief. 

The  sid)ject  of  this  notice  was  the  youngest  but 
one,  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  and  his 
younger  brother,  Charles,  the  latter  of  Faribault. 
Mi^in.,  are  the  only  survivors  of  the  familv.  Will- 
ard  was  first  married  in  Morristown,  Vt.,  May  4, 
1835,  to  Miss  Dianlha  S.  Boardnsan,  a  sister  of  the 
late  Judge  Boardman,  formerly  of  Joliot.  Mrs. 
Wood  was  of  New  England  parentage  and  ances- 
trj'  and  English  descent.  She  was  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Morristown,  Vt..  and  for  several 
terms  was  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  her 
native  county.  For  a  lime  during  the  earlier  years 
of  their  acquaintance  she  was  a  pupil  of  her  hus- 
i  band.  She  accompanied  liini  to  Illinois-and  as- 
sisted him  in  gaining  a  foothold  remaining  his 
faithful  and  devoted  companion  until  lier  dealli. 
This  occurred  at  her  home  in  Crete,  in  18G5.  when 
she  was  fifty-four  years  old.  having  been  bc)rn  in 
181 1.  Her  l*iother.  Judge  Boardman,  also  died  at 
the  home  of  Mr.  Woo;),  his  decease  taking  place 
after  that  of  his  sister. 

Mrs.  Dianlha  Wood  was  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  aie  living,  married  and  have 
families.  Sabina  D.  is  the  wife  of  Robert  B.  Mil- 
ler and  they   live  on  a    farm    in   Crete    Township; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Ml 


Fidelia  L.  married  Daniel  E.  Hewes,  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  aud  Notaiy  Public  of  Crete;  Lj'dia  M.  is 
the  wife  of  Congressman  Charles  A.  Hill,  of  Jol- 
iet,  representing  the  Eighth  District;  Marian  is  the 
wife  of  A.  H.  Smith  and  they  live  on  a  farm  in 
Crete  Township;  AVilliard  S.  married  Miss  Molly 
Moore,  a  fruit  grower  of  Glendora,  Cal.;  William 
Irwin  married  Miss  Elvia  Ilcwes,  the  present  pro- 
prietor of  the  Wood  Hotel  at  Crete;  Marcus  M. 
married  Miss  Jessie  Wood  and  is  clerk  and  corres- 
pondent for  an  engine  and  mining  machinery 
manufacturing  company  in  Chicago. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Wood  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage, in  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  with  ]\Irs.  Eliza  (Selleck) 
Northrup,  widow  of  Normal  Northrup,  who  died 
in  Monee,  where  he  was  engaged  in  trade.  Mrs. 
Eliza  Wood  was  born  in  Connecticut.  She  grew 
to  womanhood  in  her  native  place  acquiring  a  com- 
mon-school education  and  was  there  married  to  Mr. 
Northrup.  The  two  diildren  born  of  that  union 
are  both  deceased.  This  lady  died  at  her  home 
in  Crete  when  nearly-  seventy-five  years  old.  In 
religion  she  was  a  Universalist,  belonging  to  the 
Church  at  Blue  Island.  Mr.  Wood  is  liberal  in 
his  religious  views  and  in  politics  an  uncom- 
promising Democrat.  He  preserves  his  faculties 
in  a  remarkable  degree,  being  able  to  read  without 
the  aid  of  glasses  and  being  remarkably  bright 
and  active  for  one  of  his  years.  He  takes  pride 
in  the  fact  that  he  has  twenty-three  grand-children 
and  two  great-grandchildren. 


ETER    W.    SPANG LER,    is    prosperously 
engaged  in   the   liver}'    business  in  I'lain- 
^^r        field.     He  is    a    native    of    Pennsylvania, 
I  \        born  at  Centre  Hill,  Centre   County,  April 

4,  1836.  His  father,  John  Spangler,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  county,  while  his  grandfather,  Peter 

5.  Spangler.  is  thought  to  have  been  born  in  Lan- 
'caster  County,  in  the  same  state,  and   was   reared, 

married  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Keystone 
State.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  farm- 
ing but  afterwards  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet 
making,  wliieli  he  did  not  follow  long,  however,  but 


went  back  to  his  first  vocation,  buying  a  farm  after 
his  marriage,  at  Centre  Hill.  He  resided  there  till 
1846,  when  he  emigrated  to  Illinois  with  wife  and 
twelve  children,  coming  overland  with  a  pair  of 
horses  and  a  wagon  and  a  carriage  drawn  by  one 
horse,  the  journey  consuming  three  weeks  and 
three  days.  Mr.  Spangler  had  been  here  before 
prospecting,  and  hail  bought  two  farms  located  in 
Plainfield  Township,  the  one  on  which  he  settled 
being  well-improved,  and  provided  with  good 
buildings.  There  were  no  railways  in  Illinois  at 
that  time,  and  Chicago  was  the  nearest  market. 
He  lived  on  his  farm  some  years  and  then  retired 
to  Joliet,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  he  having 
accumulated  an  ample  competence  that  sufficed  for 
all  his  wants.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Catherine  Stemm,  and  she  was  l)orn  in  Centre 
County,  Pa.,  and  w.is  a  daughter  of  Adam  Stemm, 
a  native  of  the  same  state.  She  died  on  the  home 
farm  some  years  before  her  husband.  They  reared 
a  family  of  fourteen  children,  nine  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

Peter  Spangler  was  ten  years  old  when  he  came 
to  this  country  with  his  parents,  and  he  was  here 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits.  At  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  plasterer 
at  Plainfield,  and  worked  at  that  here  for  a  time, 
and  was  then  engaged  at  it  in  Cedar  ]{a|)ids,  Iowa, 
for  a  while.  He  returned  to  Plainfield  before  the 
war,  and  joined  a  company  of  light  infantry,  which 
was  sent  to  Cairo  b}'  the  governor  at  the  first  call 
for  troops,  and  was  there  mustered  into  seivice  .as 
Co.  K,  10th  Illinois  Battery.  Our  subject  proved 
that  he  had  good  soldi(Mly  qualities,  and  he  did 
faithful  service  in  defense  of  the  Union  during  the 
three  months  that  ho  was  in  the  army,  that  being 
the  length  of  the  term  of  enlistment  of  his  regi- 
ment. At  the  close  of  that  time  he  was  obliged 
to  aliandon  militar}-  life  on  account  of  ill  health, 
and  for  nearly  two  3-ears  thereafter  he  was  unable 
to  do  any  manual  lalxir.  He  subsequently  resumed 
his  trade,  which  he  soon  gave  up  to  give  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  and  was  thus  engaged  in  farming  on 
his  father's  farm  during  the  following  five  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  returned  to  Plainfield,  and 
three  j'cars  later  entered  upon  his  present  business 
.as   the  kee|)er  of  a  livery  stable  and  a  trader  in 


442 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


horses,  his  dealings  extending  to  all  points  between 
here  and  Chicago.  He  has  quite  an  aptitude  for 
this  calling,  being  a  good  judge  of  iiorse  Hesli,  and 
possessing  tiie  requisite  shrewdness  and  sagacity 
necessary  for  the  business.  His  livery  stable  is 
well  managed  and  well  patronized. 

Mr.  .Spangler  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure 
a  good  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Lee,  and 
to  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  187(i.  Two 
cliildren  complete  their  household  circle,  Roy  and 
Merton. 

Mr.  Spangler  is  a  sturd}'  Democrat  in  politics; 
socially-,  he  is  identified  witli  the  A.  F.  ik  A.  M. 
as  a  member  of  Plainfield  Lodge.  No.  536.  He 
possesses  good  business  qualifications,  is  enterpris- 
ing, and  knows  how  to  conduct  his  transactions  to 
the  best  advantage.  He  is  kind  iiearted  and  gen- 
erous, ever  ready  to  do  a  favor,  and  is  well-liked 
bv  his  neighbors. 


;,ATHANIEL  BARNS.  In  all  the  broad 
expanse  of  tiie  Mississippi  Valley,  no  finer 
farms  can  be  found  than  the  Prairie  State 
can  boast.  The  agriculturists  of  tliis  State  are 
general!}^  men  of  unbounded  energy  and  good 
judgment,  under  whose  careful  management,  the 
fertile  soil  yields  abundantly  of  golden  grain  and 
various  fruits  in  their  season.  In  tliis  county, 
Joliet  Township  is  not  behind  other  sections  in 
attractive  and  remunerative  farms.  One  of  these  is 
owned  and  occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixt}'  acres  on 
section   34. 

In  the  Empire  State  manj'  years  ago  a  l)abe  was 
born,  who  grew  to  womanhood  bearing  the  name 
of  Rachael  McGinnis.  Li  tiie  neighboring  Stale 
of  Connecticut  was  l)orn  and  reared  Isaac  Barns, 
who  met  and  married  tiie  worthy  young  woman, 
making  a  home  in  Ivickland  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
tliey  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  of  wliom 
the  subject  of  this  sketcli  is  the  sixth. 

The  gentleman  of  wlioiii  we  write  was  born  in 
Haverstraw,  in  the  county  above  mentioned.  .Tune 
18,  1818.     He  grew    to    manhood  on   his  father's 


farm,  early  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  details  of  agricultural  life  and  the  enterprises 
connected  therewith,  and  assisting  as  his  strength 
would  permit  in  the  work  of  the  home.  He  also 
obtained  a  good  practical  knowledge  of  the  more 
important  branches  of  education.  Two  years 
were  spent  Ijy  him  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  but 
with  this  exception  he  continued  to  make  his  home 
upon  the  parental  estate  until  he  was  thirty  years 
of  age.  During  this  time  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  dealing,  and  for  nine  years  in  tlie 
luitchering  business. 

In  the  spring  of  1858.  Mr.  Barns  turned  his 
footsteps  westward  and  reaching  this  country,  pur- 
cha.-5ed  a  farm  and  identified  himself  with  the  cit- 
izensof  Illinois.  Here  he  has  since  lived,  success- 
fully carr\'ing  on  his  chosen  work  and  while 
securing  to  his  family  the  comforts  of  life  laying 
llie  foundation  for  ease  in  his  declining  years. 
His  farm  contains  all  the  improvements  which 
mark  the  homes  of  the  better  class  of  farmers,  the 
buildings  comprising  a  full  set  of  adequate  and 
snbstantial  structures,  and  a  good  supply  of  im- 
proved machinery-  and  implements  being  found  in 
use  thereon. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  our  subject  was 
taken  in  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  October  4, 
1849,  when  he  led  to  the  hymeneal  allar  .Miss  Mary 
E.  Thiell.  This  lady  was  born  in  Rockland  County 
in  1829,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susaji 
(VonBuskirk)  Thiell,  who  were  natives  of  the  same 
county,  where  the  father  died.  The  mother 
breatlied  her  last  in  Newburg,  Orange  County. 
Mrs.  Barns  is  a  woman  of  exceptionall}-  fine  char- 
acter, strong,  tender,  and  true,  "whom  to  know  is 
n  liberal  education."  She  has  been  an  able  assistant 
to  her  husb.and,  bj'  her  wise  economy  and  prudent 
iiianagenieut  aiding  in  the  accumulation  of  tlieir 
present  means,  while  to  her  children  she  has  been  a 
devoted  mother,  rearing  them  to  useful  and  honor- 
al>ie  lives.  Tlic  affairs  of  her  own  household  liave 
not  taken  her  entire  thought,  but  she  has  been  readj' 
for  neighborly  deeds  of  kindness  and  sympathizing 
interest  in  all  worth}-   movements. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barns  ten  chiMreu  have  been 
born,  of  whom  George  .Julian.  Rosalia,  Grace, 
Natlianiel  Jr.,    Lizzie,  John  and  Blanche  are  yet 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRA.PHICAL  ALBDM. 


4  43 


living;  Emily  A.,  Isaac  and  E<lvvard  are  deceased. 
Ill  politics  Mr.  Barns  is  a  Democrat  aud  to  the 
party  of  his  choice  he  never  fails  to  give  his  vote 
and  personal  influence.  He  has  held  the  offices  of 
Scliool  Director  and  Assistant  Supervisor,  faith- 
fully discharging  the  duties  imposed  upon  him,  and 
manifesting  a  deep  interest  in  the  public  welfai'e. 
As  a  good  farmer,  a  reliable  citizen,  and  an  honor- 
al)le  man,  he  is  regarded  with  respect  by  his  fellow- 
men,  particularly  in  this  section  where  so  many 
j-ears  of  iiis  life  liavc  l)een  spent  and  wliere  he  is  so 
well  known. 


HARLES  RUGE.  Although  the  life  of  a 
farmer  may  be  devoid  of  the  excitement  and 
many  of  the  hazards  of  city  life,  it  is  a  field 
for  the  exercise  of  as  high  a  degree  of  tact,  keen- 
ness of  judgment,  and  foresight  as  any  pursuit  in 
wliich  man  can  engage.  The  sight  uf  "green  things 
growing,"  which  he  has  sown  and  cultivated,  af- 
fords a  pleasurable  sensation,  to  which  is  added  the 
knowledge  that  sustenance  is  at  hand  whatever 
limits  may  be  furni.'^hed  b}'  ••corners"  of  speculators, 
to  the  price  the  agriculturist  receives  forthit  which 
has  cost  him  so  much  labor. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  this  sketch  is 
introduced  is  a  Prussian  by  birth  and  ancestr}-. 
His  father,  Christ  Ruge,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years  from  overwork  while  cradling  grain,  the  sad 
event  occurring  when  our  subject  was  nine  years 
of  age.  The  widowed  mother,  formerly  Miss 
Christina  Trouf,  followed  her  son  to  America  four 
years  after  his  arrival  on  the  shores  of  the  New 
World,  and  died  in  Chicago,  111.,  at  the  age  of 
eightj'-thrce  3ears.  She  belonged  to  tiie  Eutheran 
Church. 

The  natal  daj-  of  Charles  Ruge  was  September 
2,  1829,  and  he  is  the  youngest  of  the  four  chil- 
dren, com|«ising  the  parental  family'.  He  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land  of  Prussia, 
and  when  twenty-four  years  old  left  it  to  seek  a 
broader  field  for  his  energies  in  the  United  States. 
He  took  passage  at  Hamburg  on  the  "New  Doner," 
a  sailing-vessel,  which  anchored  in  New  York  IF.nr 


bor,  after  an  ocean  voyage  of  five  weeks  and  three 
days.  He  at  oi'ce  came  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he 
landed  ^a  in  debt,  but  filled  with  the  determined 
s[)irit  which  has  secured  for  him  a  comfortable 
fortune. 

Mr.  Ruge  secured  work  in  Dn  Page  Count}'  as 
a  farm  laborer,  and  four  years  after  his  arrival 
there  took  a  companion  and  set  up  liousekee|)ing 
on  rented  properlj'.  He  farmed  as  a  renter  five 
years  in  Bloomingdale  Township,  after  which  he 
removed  to  Will  County,  and  purchasing  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Washington 
Township,  began  his  well-directed  efforts  to  scute 
a  home  and  fortune.  B}'  subsequent  purchase  he 
added  eighty  acres  to  his  landed  estate,  which  is 
located  on  sections  35  and  36,  and  now  has  two 
good  sets  of  buildings  upon  it.  His  efforts  were 
ably  seconded  by  his  wife,  and  with  her  assistance 
and  that  of  the  family  in  later  years,  Mr.  Ruge  has 
succeeded  in  making  a  fine  farm.  His  pleasant 
dwelling  is  situated  on  section  3.5,  and  is  supplied 
with  an  abundance  of  good  cheer. 

Tlie  lady  who  presides  over  the  domestic  econ- 
omy bore  the  name  of  Minnie  Zerzov.  She  was 
born  in  Prussia.  April  9.  1810,  :ii)d  is  a  d.^uul;^  ■ 
(if  Fred  and  Fiedi  ii-ku  (Wagner)  Zeizov.  wIks 
were  natives  of  the  same  Kingdom  as  tiie  daugh- 
ter. The  father  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  for 
some  time,  and  died  when  but  thirty -five  years  of 
age  from  disease  contracted  while  in  the  ami}'. 
Mrs.  Ruge,  who  was  the  youngest  child,  was  a  year 
old  at  the  time  of  her  father's  decease.  She  ob- 
tained a  good  educati(jn  prior  to  her  eighteenth 
year,  when  she  bade  adieu  to  her  native  land  and 
set  forth  alone  to  gain  a  maintenance  in  America. 
Leaving  Hamburg  in  November,  1857,  she  landed 
in  New  York  City  after  a  long  sea  V03'age  on  the 
"Louis  Napoleon,"  and  at  once  came  to  Chicago 
and  secured  employment  as  a  domestic. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruge  are  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  whose  record  is  as  follows:  Henry,  Rob- 
ert and  John  died  in  childhood ;  Charles,  who  mar- 
ried Carrie  Grabe,  is  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  in 
Chicago;  Eva  is  the  wife  of  Herman  Hack,  who 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Iroquois  Count}';  Herman,  who 
operates  a  part  of  his  father's  farm,  married  Anna 
Meyer;    Bertha   married    Henry   Meyer   and    they 


444 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


live  on  a  farm  in  Lake  County.  Ind.;  AVilliam 
clerks  in  a  dr^goods  store  in  Chicago,  Lis  wife 
having  borne  the  maiden  name  of  Dora  Meyer; 
Alvina  is  the  wife  of  Otto  Kniith.  a  machinist  in 
Chicago;  Emma  and  Minnie,  twins,  also  live  in 
Chicago;  Henry  and  Amel  are  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  and  in  the  casting  of  his 
vote  Mr.  Rnge  is  strictly  independent.  He  and 
his  wife  belong  to  tlie  Evangelical  Church  of  North 
America.  They  have  the  respect  of  their  acquaint- 
ances for  the  industry  and  good  principles  which 
have  characterized  their  lives  and  the  kindliness 
thej'  manifest  toward  mankind. 


-^e 


is      ^^ 


->— 


ONRAD    C.    BRAUN.  now   deceased,  was 
...  born  in  Frankfort-on-the-Main,   Gertnany, 

^^/  January  17,  1835,  and  in  his  native  land 
was  reared  to  manhood.  From  his  father  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed  until 
he  came  to  America  in  1856.  His  Grst  sojourn  was 
made  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  but  a 
short  time  ere  removing  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  in 
which  c-it}'  he  was  employed  at  the  marble  works 
about  a  j-ear.  He  then  came  to  Joliet,  111.,  where 
he  continued  tlie  same  occupation  for  a  time  as  an 
employe  and  then  engaged  in  the  marble  business 
on  his  own  account,  following  it  about  ten  years- 
He  next  became  foreman  in  the  stone  shops  at  tlie 
penitientiary.  Iiolding  tiie  position  four  j'cars. 

We  next  find  IMr.  Braun  in  tlie  employ  of  the 
Solar  Stove  Works  for  two  j'ears  as  an  ornamental 
pattern  maker.  His  next  enterprise  was  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Chicago  House  and  the  employment  of 
his  faculties  as  the  landlord  of  that  hostelry  wliicli 
he  conducted  four  years.  He  then  bought  a  tract 
of  land  just  east  of  Joliet  upon  which  he  started  a 
grapery.  From  that  time  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  May  2,  1888,  lie  was  engaged  in  vinicult- 
ure. He  met  with  a  marked  degree  of  success  in 
the  business  to  which  he  devoted  his  later  years 
and  owned  one  of  the  most  beautiful  graperies  to 
be  seen  in  a  large  extent  of  territory.  It  affords 
a  charming  feature  in  the  landscape  during  the 
summer    season    and   when    tlie    vines    are  loaded 


with  their  rich  fruit.  It  is  near  Oakwood  Cemetery, 
on  land  well  adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  pleasautlj' 
located. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Braun  was  Helen,  daugliter 
of  Andrew  Smith.  She  was  the  mother  of  three 
children  but  one  of  whom  is  living.  This  is  a  son. 
George  C,  who  is  engaged  in  the  marble  business 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Mrs.  Helen  Braun  died  in  Joliet, 
Ma^-  18,  1864.  Mr.  Braun  contracted  a  second 
matrimonial  alliance,  marrying  Miss  Catherine 
Bactolmuller  who  died  in  Joliet,    October  1,  1864. 

]\Ir.  Braun  was  again  married,  in  Joliet,  the 
ceremony  taking  place  December  8,  186-1,  and  the 
bride  being  Mrs.  Antonia  (Sartori)  Mutz.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  on  New  Year's 
Day,  1829,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  our 
subject,  was  the  widow  of  Hugo  Mutz.  Her  first 
marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children,  the 
only  one  now  living  being  Josephine,  who  is  the 
wife  of  William  Kuhu.  To  her  second  husband 
Mrs.  Braun  bore  three  children — Rudolph  L.,  Net- 
tie M.,  and  Conrad  M.;  Nettie  is  now  the  wife  of 
Christian  Pasold.  Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Braun 
the  widow  and  her  eldest  son  have  taken  charge  of 
the  place,  and  are  successfully  carrying  on  the  en- 
terprise begun  b}'  our  subject. 


-o»o-{9^^x^^*" 


ARMAN  DEUTSCmiAN.  There  .are  many 
rural  homes  in  Will  County-  so  attr.active 
that  they  clearly  disprove  the  idea  held  by 
some  residents  of  cities,  that  farm  life  is 
surrounded  only  by  what  is  rude,  uncultivated  and 
unpleasing.  The  estate  of  the  gentleman  who  is 
the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  is  one  of  these  well 
regulated  farms,  upon  which  a  complete  line  of  im- 
provements is  to  be  seen,  the  buildings  being  first 
class  in  style  and  construction,  and  sufliciently 
numerous  to  fill  all  the  wants  of  the  owner.  The 
home  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  34,  Jackson  Township,  and  another 
'piarter  section  in  the  same  township  is  owned  by 
Mr.  Deutschman. 

The  nat.al  da3-  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
February  25,  1851,  his   birthplace  w.as   the  Empire 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


445 


of  German}'.  In  the  spring  of  186.5,  he  ei-ossed  the 
AU.intic  and  juiued  his  father, Willinm  Deutscliinan, 
in  lllinuis.  The  fatliei-  had  come  to  this  country 
in  1855,  and  lived  in  Joliet  andjaciison  Townsliips, 
inutile  latter  of  wliicli  he  de|)arted  this  life  in  1875. 
His  son  llarman  remained  with  him  until  liis  death, 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  gaining  in 
intelligence  and  ability  \e:ir  by  year. 

In  the  fa)l  of  1870,  onr  subject  led  to  tlie  hyme- 
neal altar  Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  Abraliam  Gock- 
ley,  of  Jackson  Township,  whose  liiography 
occupies  another  page  in  this  Ai.ni  jr.  The  bride 
was  liorn  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  September  25, 
1853,  and  was  well  educated  and  reared  to  useful 
hal)its  and  witli  the  best  of  i)iinciples.  She  belongs 
to  the  German  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs. 
Deutschuian  have  eight  children  living,  namely: 
Clara.  Franklin  A.,  Ella.  Anna,  WalLace  J.,  Minnie, 
.losephiiic  and  Mola.  They  lost  a  son,  Aaron,  in 
his  infancy.  Mr.  Deutscliman  h.as  not  sought  offi- 
cial honors  but  is  ever  ready  to  cast  his  vote  in  the 
interests  of  the  Democratic  party.  lie  has  served 
as  School  Director.  He  h.as  so  conducted  himself 
.■IS  to  win  respect  as  a  citizen,  neighbor  and  private 
individual. 


"if  OSEPH  HUNTER,  Sr,  is  one  of  tlie  oldest 
settlers  of  Frankfort  Township,  the  owner 
of  a  large  landed  estate  and  an  extensive 
agriculturist.  His  home  farm  is  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  13,  on  which  is  a  fine  large 
residence  and  other  substantial  and  commodious 
buildings,  among  them  being  a  windmill  and  tank, 
and  a  barn  72x100  feet,  which  is  capable  of  hold- 
ing three  hundred  tons  of  hay.  Mr.  Hunter  owns 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  this  township,  all 
well  fenced  and  supplied  with  tenant  houses,  feed 
yards,  orchards,  and  all  improvements  which  char- 
acterize the  estates  of  enterprising  farmers.  In 
Cook  County  he  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  and  his  entire  landed  estate  is  tillable  except 
forty  acres  of  timber  land. 

Jlr.  Hunter  wa^born  in   County'  Donegal,  Ire- 
land,   near    Ramelton,    Deeeraber    23,    1817,    and 


reared  on  the  parental  farm  witli  but  limited  com- 
mon-school advantages.  He  remained  at  home  un- 
til nineteen  j'ears  of  age  and  then  going  into  Scot- 
land on  a  visit  was  offered  a  situation  in  the 
custom  house  at  Glasgow.  His  father,  however, 
advised  him  to  emigrate  to  America  and  he  made 
preparations  to  do  so.  In  May,  1837,  he  left 
Londonderry  on  the  sailer  "Regatia"'  a  slow  vessel 
which  occupied  eight  weeks  in  crossing  the  Atlan- 
tic. Young  Hunter  was  sick  during  the  entire  voy- 
age. He  landed  in  (Quebec  and  remained  in  Can- 
ada a  few  months,  working  on  a  farm.  He  was  not 
pleased  with  the  country  as  it  was  too  heavily  tim- 
bered to  suit  his  taste  and  the  same  fall  he  made  a 
trip  to  Illinois. 

Accompanied  by  his  brother  .John,  he  crossed  to 
Detroit,  Mich.,  on  a  boat,  then  went  on  foot  to  .St. 
Joseph,  whence  he  crossed  the  lake  to  Chicago. 
Thence  they  traveled  on  foot  to  the  Yankee  set- 
tlement ne.ar  Lockport,  this  county,  which  is  now 
in  the  Township  of  Homer.  The  3'oung  men  had 
about  *!100  in  gold,  and  h.ad  to  change  a  S5  piece 
every  morning  to  pay  the  bill  at  the  inn.  The 
change  they  received  was  "wild  cat"  money  which 
others  refused  to  t.ake  and  when  our  subject 
reached  Will  County  he  was  virtually  empty 
handed. 

Young  Hunter  had  learned  something  of  the 
mason's  trade  in  his  native  land  and  he  found 
employment  at  it  for  a  time  and  then  engaged  on 
a  farm  bj-  the  mouth.  The  best  hands  received 
but  §120  a  3'ear  for  farm  work.  In  1840,  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  prairie  land 
at  $1.25  per  acre  and  located  upon  it  six  years 
later.  He  put  up  a  log  house  shaping  the  logs 
himself  and  completing  the  structure,  being  only 
able  to  get  one  man  to  help  him  raise  it.  He  was 
the  first  settler  upon  the  prairie  within  a  radius  of 
many  miles.  He  had  taken  cattle  in  payment  for 
farm  work  so  that  he  had  a  good  herd  and  he  let 
men  take  care  of  them  on  various  terms.  He  killed 
some  and  sold  beef  among  the  few  settlers  and 
also  disposed  of  some  of  the  animals  alive. 

Mr.  Hunter  broke  prairie  with  oxen  attached  to 
a  clumsy  plow,  and  the  soil  being  tough  and  the 
implement  unwieldly,  six  joke  were  necessarj-. 
The  cattle  fattened  readily    on    the    prairie   grass 


446 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  grain  grew  well  on  the  newly-liroken  soil.  The 
latter  was  lianleil  to  Cliicago,  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles,  the  trip  consuming  two  days.  Durina;  those 
early  years,  large  herds  of  deer  were  to  be  seen  in 
this  vicinity  and  wolves  were  numerous,  often  fol- 
lowing ]Mr.  Hunter  in  his  journeys.  Unlike  the 
most  of  the  early  settlers,  he  did  not  engage'  in 
hunting  but  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  his  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  in  which  he  was  ver}'  success- 
ful. He  added  to  his  real  estate  from  time  to 
time,  paj'ing  ^oO  per  acre  for  some  eight  hundred 
acres  of  that  which  he  now  owns. 

The  estate  of  Mr.  Hunter  is  manSged  systemati- 
cally, two  hundred  and  lift}-  acres  being  devoted 
to  oats,  three  hundred  to  corn,  and  three  hundred 
to  hay  and  pasture.  He  raises  full  blooded  Short- 
horn cattle  of  all  grades,  keeping  about  two  hundred 
head.  He  feeds  three  or  four  car  loads  of  cattle  be- 
sides, and  raises  about  as  man}'  car  loads  of  hogs 
per  year.  He  has  the  largest  horse  ranche  in  t!ie 
township  and  has  been  quite  successful  with  draft 
horses  and  roadsters.  He  has  about  fifty  head  of 
the  latter  and  raises  about  twelve  colts  per  an- 
num. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hunter  and  Miss  Jane 
Gamble  took  place  at  the  bride's  home  in  Jo  Dav- 
iess County,  near  Hanover,  in  June,  1846.  The 
bride  was  born  .in  County  Donegal,  Ireland,  No- 
vember 10,  I.SIO,  being  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  (Malseed)  Gamble.  Mr.  Gamble  was 
a  farmer  who  died  in  the  Emerald  Isle  v^henee 
his  widow  emigrated  to  America  with  her  family 
in  1 8.32.  They  left  Londonderry  on  the  sailer 
"Crainge"  and  after  a  V03'age  of  five  weeks,  landed 
at  New  Castle  and  took  up  their  residence  in  Phil- 
adelphia. In  1 837,  they  came  down  the  Ohio 
River  to  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi  and 
thence  up  the  latter  river  to  Galena,  111.,  going 
from  there  to  Hanover,  Jo  Daviess  County,  by 
wagon;  there  Mrs.  Gamble  remained  until  her 
death.  She  belonged  to  the  I'resbyterian  Church 
and  reared  her  familj'  with  fine  principles  and 
useful  habits.  Her  sons,  Samuel,  Joseph  and 
James  are  now  deceased,  and  Daniel  is  living  in 
Jo  Daviess  County.  Mrs.  Hunter  is  the  only 
daughter. 

The  union    of    Mr.  and   iMrs.  Hunter    has  been 


blest  by  the  birth  of  three  sons,  of  whom  the  first- 
born, James,  died  when  twent^'-one  years  old. 
Joseph  Jr.  is  at  home  assisling  in  the  farm  labors; 
Daniel  G.  is  married  and  living  on  the  adjoining 
section. 

Joseph  Hunter,  Sr.  has  been  School  Director 
nearly  every  since  became  to  this  section.  He  was 
Supervisor  of  Frankfort  Township,  for  two 
years,  and  at  the  last  election  received  every 
vote  in  the  township  except  one.  He  was  Com- 
missioner of  Highwaj's  seven  years,  has  served  on 
grand  and  petit  juries,  as  a  delegate  to  political 
county  conventions  and  a  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee.  He  is  a  true-blue  Republican 
and  at  an  early  date  identified  himself  with  the 
anti-slavery  movement,  his  being  one  of  the  three 
votes  cast  in  the  town  of  Homer  for  James  G. 
Birncy.  He  mantained  his  belief  amid  the  scoffs 
and  taunts  of  many,  but  finally  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  his  cause  triumphant.  His  religions 
faith  is  expressed  by  the  l'resb3terian  creed  and 
he  is  identified  with  the  church  at  Bloom,  Cook 
County.  He  was  formerly  Elder  of  the  society  at 
Frankfort.  He  has  helped  to  build  the  school- 
house  an<l  has  borne  his  part  in  every  movement 
which  would  increase  the  material,  intellectual  and 
moral  welfare  of  the  community,  and  has  made 
man}'  friends  b}'  his  agreeable  manners,  thrifty 
and  energetic  habits,  and  upright  life. 


_§==:- 


m- 


ellARLES  II.  SUTPHEN.  This  veteran  of 
eighty-four  j-ears  bears  the  distinction  of 
being  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  this  State, 
to  which  he  came  as  early  as  1831.  He  was  born 
in  Cherry  Yalle}',  Otsego  Count\-,  N.  Y.,  February 
15,  1806,  and  is  the  son  of  Gilbert  and  Mary  (Hig- 
inbotham)  Sutphen,  the  former  of  whom  was  a 
Captain  in  the  War  of  1812  and  died  two  days 
after  a  battle,  from  exposure  and  over-exertion. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  likewise  born  in 
Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  married  to  a 
maiden  of  his  own  village.  The  earlier  progenitors 
had  been  residents  of  New  Jei'se}-.  Charles  H., 
our  subject,  grew  to  manhood   in  his   native  town. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


447 


and  completed  his  education  in  the  Academy.  Hav- 
ing influfutial  friends  in  the  United  States  army, 
he  was  given  a  position  in  the  General  Paymaster's 
ofliee,  under  (!en.  Towiisend,of  Boston,  and  in  that 
city  he  was  married  to  Miss  Dowe.  Finally,  de- 
eiding  upon  seeking  his  fortune  in  the  Far  West, 
he  came  to  La  Salle  County,  this  State,  in  1831, 
and  entering  a  large  tract  of  (lOvernment  land, 
engaged  for  some  years  in  the  live-stock   business. 

Selling  out  tinally  his  interests  in  La  Salle  County, 
Mr.  Sutphen  came  to  Joliet,  and  since  1871  has 
lived  retired  from  active  labor.  Mrs.  Sutphen  de- 
jiarted  this  life  at  her  home  in  La  Salle  County,  in 
1870.  Tlie  living  cliildren  of  Mr.  Sut|)lien  are:  Al- 
bert,who  took  kindly  to  his  books  and  isnow  princi- 
l)al  of  an  academy  in  California;  Charles  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Santa  Cruz,  Cal. ;  George  E.  is  a  practicing 
attorney,  of  Aurora,  111.;  Frederick  is  engaged  as 
a  merchant  at  that  place;  William  is  living  in  the 
State  of  Wasliington;  Jane  is  deceased.  Mr.  Sut- 
phen's  children  received  excellent  educational  ad- 
vantages, and  liold  good  positions   in  society. 

Our  siiliject  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
.I.ackson  and  gives  his  unqualifled  sujiport  to  the 
Democratic  (larty.  He  has  held  most  of  the  town- 
sliip  offices,  serving  as  Supervisor  and  Clerk,  also 
as  County  Treasurer  ami  Recorder.  In  religion  he 
is  a  Universalist,  belonging  to  that  church  in 
Joliet.  He  has  accumulated  a  comfortable  pro[)- 
erty  and  emiilovs  his  time  in  looking  after  it. 


■*" 


/ 


\f  EREMIAH  A.  KINSELLA,  a  native  of  Ill- 
inois, is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  this 
section  of  the  State,  and  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  owning  two  large 
and  valuable  farms,  one  in  this  and  one  in  Grundy 
Count}',  he  making  his  home  on  his  estate  iu  Troy 
Township.  He  was  born  in  the  township  of  Dres- 
den, Grundy  County,  June  7,  1858,  his  birthplace 
being  but  a  few  miles  from  where  he  now  lives  in 
Will  County.  His  parents  were  James  and  Eliza 
(Kinsella)  Kinsella.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  184;', 
when  the  canal  was  being  built,  and  Mr.  Kinsella, 
with  his  father,  Andrew  Kinsella,  made  contracts 


to  assist  in  its  construction,  and  the  State  still  owes 
them  for  part  of  their  work.  At  the  time  the  scrip 
which  was  issued  to  them  in  [jayment  was  good 
for  nothing  only  to  secure  them  public  land,  and 
as  they  already  owned  thirteen  hundred  acres  they 
did  not  care  for  more  and  allowed  the  scrip  to  go 
to  waste,  or  be  destroyed,  as  it  had  no  special 
value.  After  their  death  our  subject  made  fruit- 
less efforts  to  collect  the  sum  owing  them,  which  ' 
amounted  to  *20.n()(). 

The  mother  of  our  subject  died  when  he  was 
but  four  years  of  age,  and  his  father  died  a  j'ear 
later.  Thus,  unfortunatelj-  deprived  of  his  par- 
ents, he  fell  to  the  kindly  care  of  his  uncle,  (iarrett 
Kinsella,  his  mother's  brother,  who  reared  and  edu- 
cated him  as  his  ow-n,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
left  him  his  beautiful  and  valuable  farm  of  six 
hundred  and  twenty-two  acres,  in  addition  to  the 
homestead  in  (Jrundy  Comity,  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty-six  acres  which  he  inherited  from  his 
father.  His  uncle  died  in  1880,  leaving  behind 
him  a  name  and  memory  that  will  ever  lie  revered 
iu  this  count}',  where  he  was  so  well  known.  He 
was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  abilit}'  and  busi- 
ness tact  and  accumulated  a  goodly  amount  of 
property.  He  was  greatly  respected  by  his  neigh- 
bors, and  although  he  cared  but  little  for  public 
life,  still  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  manage- 
ment of  local  affairs,  and  was  Sniiervisor  for  sev- 
eral terms.  He  was  a  leading  man  among  the 
Democrats  of  this  vicinity. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  Minooka  and  there 
laid  the  basis  of  a  solid  education,  being  a  bright 
and  active  scholar.  At  the  early  age  of  twelve 
years  he  was  admitted  to  JSIanhattan  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  honor  iu  1876,  after 
after  having  pursued  a  fine  course  of  study.  After 
the  completion  of  his  education  he  returned  to 
Troy  to  live  with  his  uncle.  He  received  from  him 
a  careful  training  in  the  management  of  the  prop- 
erty which  he  was  to  inherit,  and  has  since  become 
one  of  the  foremost  stock-raisers  ii>  the  county, 
making  a  siiecialty  of  buying  and  feeding  cattle, 
devoting  the  large  amount  of  grain  he  raises 
wholly  to  that  purpose.  He  ships  his  stock  to  the 
Chicago  market,  and  often  ships  as  nuiny  as  nine 
car-loads  a  season.  He  rents  his  father's  homestead 


(    448 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  good  advantage  and  derives  a  fine  income  from 
that  and  the  proceeds  of  the  oUier  estate. 

Mr.  Kinsella  was  married  March  9.  1886,  to  Miss 
Kate  C,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Carroll) 
Smith.  Her  father  w.is  a  native  of  Lockporl,  N.Y., 
and  a  sou  of  Thomas  Smith.  Our  subject  and  liis 
wife  iiave  two-children — Norine  and  Evelyn.  Mr. 
Kiusella  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  Catholic 
in  religion,  being  a  valued  member  of  St.  Mary's 
Church,  in  Minuoka.  He  is  a  frank,  open-hearted  j 
man,  contributing  generousl}'  to  the  support  of  the 
church  and  anything  that  will  benefit  the  public, 
besides  being  liberal  in  the  use  of  his  money  for 
charitable  and  other  purposes.  Inheriting  a  large 
property",  he  has  shown  himself  to  be  fully  equal  to 
its  management,  bringing  to  its  work  a  well-trained 
and  cullureil  mind,  and  by  sagacious  and  system- 
atic methods  has  greatly  improved  its  value. 


fjOBERT  S.  WASHBURN  owns  and  occupies 
a  fine  farm  on  section  30.  Peotone  Town- 
^  shij),  and  an  adjoining  tract  on  section  31. 
The  land  is  under  thorough  cultivation  and 
it  needs  but  a  glance  to  assure  a  visitor  that  the  j'ears 
which  Mr.  Washburn  has  spent  in  tilling  the  soil 
have  given  him  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  de- 
tails of  that  occupation.  His  hard  service  in  the 
Union  Army  has  left  its  effects  upon  his  system  and 
he  is  afflicted  somewhat  with  rheumatism  and  other 
ailments,  but  still  attends  to  his  farm  and  bears  his 
part  in  local  affairs. 

Mr.  Washburn  is  the  only  survivor  of  three 
children  born  to  Selli  and  Louisa  (Hewitt)  Wash- 
burn, who  died  during  his  childhood.  He  was 
born  in  Cook  Countj'  forty -six  3-ears  .ago,  came  to 
Will  County  when  about  ten  3'ears  old  and  became 
a  resident  of  Willon  Township.  He  was  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources  at  a  tender  age,  had  very 
limited  schooling  and  has  always  worked  on  a  farm. 
When  nineteen  years  old  his  spirit  was  roused  b^-  the 
attempts  against  the  life  of  the  Union  and  he  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  Twelfth  Cavalr3-.  The  regiment  was 
equipped  at  .St.  Louis  and  sent  to  New  Orleans.  ' 
thence  took  part  in  the  Red  River  expedition  under   ' 


Gen.  Banks.  The  marches,  .ekirmisUes  and  battles 
of  that  expedition  are  recorded  in  history,  but  only 
those  who  took  part  can  fully  realize  the  gallantry 
and  endurance  of  the  boys  in  blue.  After  that 
expedition  the  company  was  stationed  at  Donelson- 
ville,  doing  picket  dutj'. 

In  August,  1 864,  a  squad  of  four  men  was  sent 
to  carry  a  dispatch  to  another  fort  on  the,  Misssis- 
sippi  River,  a  day's  ride  from  their  station.  Thej' 
were  surprised  by  the  enemy,  one  man  wounded, 
two  captured  and  the  fourth  made  bis  escape.  Mr. 
Washburn  was  one  of  those  taken  prisoner,  and 
after  spending  two  weeks  at  Bayou  La  Fourche, 
La.,  was  marched  through  to  Tyler,  Tex.,  and  there 
placed  in  prison.  At  one  time  there  was  about 
eleven  hundred  Union  soldiers  imprisoned  there, 
and  a  pound  of  beef,  nearlj*  all  bone,  and  a  quart 
of  corn  me.al  constituted  a  da^-'s  rations.  There 
was  a  dead  line  and  Mr.  Washburn  has  seen  men 
shot  down  there.  When  guarded  b^'  regular  Con- 
federate soldiers,  prisoners  received  fair  treatment, 
but  when  militia  and  boj'S  were  their  watchmen 
they  were  often  mistreated.  Mr.  Washburn  was 
afflicted  with  scurvy  nearly  all  the  time  he  was  in 
prison  and  still  suffers  from  its  effects. 

Mr.  Washburn  was  released  from  prison  in  -June, 
1865,  went  to  New  OTleans,  and  thence  to  Baton 
Rouge  where  his  regiment  was  encaaiped.  He  then 
came  North  on  a  thirty  days'  furlough,  after  which 
he  returned  to  his  regiment,  joined  Gen.  Custer's 
command,  went  back  into  Texas  and  remained  un- 
til June,  1866.  He  then  returned  to  Springfield, 
III.,  where  he  was  mustered  out  and  honorably-  dis 
charged.  During  his  term  of  service  he  had  been 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Corporal  and  won  a  good 
record  for  faithful  and  gallant  conduct. 

Resuming  the  agricultural  labor  in  which  he  h.TiI 
spent  his  j'outh,  Mr.  Washburn  .also  secureil  an  in- 
terest in  a  thresher  and  corn-sheller,  and  through 
industrious  efforts  g:aduall}'  .accumulated  means 
with  which  to  purchase  a  home.  Eight  vears  ago 
he  secured  the  deed  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  his  estate,  and  last  winter  purchased  the 
adjoining  seventy-four,  making  up  a  good  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety-four  acres.  The  laud  is  im- 
proved  and   produces  Ine  crops  of  variou?  kinds. 

The  wife  of  Jlr.  Washburn  was    known    in    her 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


449 


maidenhood  as  Miss  Sarah  AUars  aud  became  his 
wife  March  23,  1881.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Maiia  (Godson)  AUars,  both  deceased,  l>er 
father  having  been  killed  Ly  a  load  of  lumber  fall- 
ing upon  him.  He  was  an  old  settler  of  Kankal<ce 
County-.  Mrs.  Washburn  is  thirty -eight  years  old, 
is  industrious,  amiable  and  kind-hearted,  making  a 
happ3"  home. 

Mr.  Washburn  votes  the  Republican  ticket,  tak- 
ing a  deep  interest  in  politics.  He  is  Uuector  of 
School  District  No.  'J.  and  anxious  to  advance  the 
cause  of  education.  He  belongs  to  William  A. 
Webb  Post,  No.  657,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Peotone.  He 
receives  from  his  fellow-raen  the  res|)ect  to  which 
he  is  entitled  for  his  virtues  and  habits. 


!>HOMAS  W.  JONES.  In  giving  liouor  to 
whom  honor  is  due,  we  should  not  neglect 
T.  W.  Jones,  who  began  life  empty-handed, 
and  has  accumulated  a  good  propert3'  b}'  dint  of 
energetic  and  well  directed  efforts.  His  home  is 
located  on  section  22,  Wesley  Township,  and  con- 
sists of  one  hundred  aud  fourteen  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land,  the  neat  home  being  well  supplied 
with  all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
of  life,  and  the  entire  estate  indicating  prosperity 
and  a  wise  use  of  the  conveniences  which  add  to 
the  value  of  farm  labor. 

Mr.  Jones  is  of  Welsh  ancestry  and  the  son  of 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  parents,  John  T. 
and  Sarah  S.  (Rudisill)  Jones  were  married  in  Ross 
Count}-,  Ohio,  and  resided  there  until  1850.  They 
then  removed  to  Will  Count}',  111.,  and  settling  in 
Wesley  Township,  remained  here  during  the  rest  of 
their  lives.  The  mother  crossed  the  river  of  death 
in  1877,  and  the  father  March  14,  1889.  They 
were  the  parents  of  sixteen  children,  eight  of  whon] 
are  now  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Ross 
Countj',  Ohio,  April  14,  1831,  and  received  a  fair 
e<lucation  in  the  district  sciiools  of  his  native  county 
and  Will  Countj',  III.  His  father  being  a  farmer, 
in  his  early  life  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  all  that 


is  necessary  to  make  tilling  the  soil  profitable,  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  the  industrious  habits  which 
have  made  his  life  a  success.  On  the  afternoon  of 
the  day  on  which  he  became  of  age  he  split  two  hun- 
dred rails. 

Young  Jones  became  a  renter  for  about  three 
years,  of  the  John  Richey  farm,  and  he  then  bought 
forty  acres  of  land,  fenced  it,  broke  the  soil  on  a 
part  of  it,  apd  began  to  make  for  himself  a  home. 
On  August  4,  1858,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Emily  A.,  daughter  of  Cheslcy  L.  and  Harriet 
L.  (Cadwell)  Mills,  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Illi- 
nois respectively.  Mr.  Mills  died  in  February, 
1844,  but  Mrs.  Mills  is  still  living.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  chiltlren,  four  of  whom  survive. 
Mrs.  Jones  was  born  February  26,  1833,  is  an  in- 
telligent and  Christian  woman,  and  has  been  a 
faithful  companion  and  helpmate  and  a  devoted 
mother. 

The  first  year  of  their  wedded  life  was  spent  bj^ 
Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Jones  in  jNIorgan  County,  whenee 
they  returned  here,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Wes- 
ley Township  for  three  years.  They  next  occupied 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Frank  Williams,  in  the 
same  township,  .  'id  in  1870  took  possession  of  the 
old  homestead,  where  they  have  since  resided.  ]Mr. 
Jones  has  added  much  to  the  appearance  of  the 
house  and  other  buildings,  and  has  made  general 
farming  the  means  of  securing  a  competency'.  At 
one  time  he  was  interested  in  raising  full-blooded 
Berkshire  hogs. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, whose  record  is  as  follows:  John  W.,  was 
born  April  2,  1860,  married  Miss  Lydia  Dingee,  and 
lives  in  Gosper  County,  Neb.;  Carrie,  born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1863,  is  the  wife  of  William  M.  Henion 
and  the  mother  of  three  children,  her  home  being 
in  Ritchie:  Arthur,  born  September  16,  1872,  will 
attend  college  this  fall.  All  the  children  have 
been  carefully  reared,  given  good  advantages,  and 
are  doing  honor  to  the  family  name.  Arthur  is 
now  Secretary  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday- 
school,  in  which  his  brother  and  sister  were  active 
workers  in  past  years. 

Mr.  Jones  is  one  of  the  three  Trustees  under 
whose  charge  the  schools  of  Wesley  Township  are, 
and   in  advancing  the  cause  of   education  he  ex- 


450 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


liitiiis  soiiiul  sense  ;mil  tfood  judgment.  At  present 
lie  holds  tlie  office  of  Townsbip  Assessor,  and  he 
has  been  Road  Commissioner.  In  politics  he  has 
taken  a  deep  interest,  affiliating  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Sons 
of  Temperance.  He.  and  his  wife  belong  to  the 
.Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is  Class 
Leader.  Steward  and  Trustee;  he  is  also  actively 
interested  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  has  been  for 
many  years,  serving  as  Superintendent  or  teaclier 
almost  continuously. 

Mr.  Jones  is  the  fortunate  posse.«sor  of  one  of 
those  sunny  dispositions  which  cause  a  man  to  be 
liked  by  all  whom  he  meets,  while  his  character  is 
upright  and  moral,  and  his  citizenship  such  as  to 
afforil  a  worthy  example  to  his  own  progeny  and 
the  entire  community.  He  is  thoroughly  respected, 
i.nd  ill  the  e>teem  of  the  eommunitj-  his  estimable 
wife  has  also  a  large  share. 

Alonzo  Jones,  the  brother  of  our  subject,  became 
a  member  of  Company  A,  lOOtli  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  gave  his  life  for  his  country  during  the  late 
Civil  War.  He  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
niauga.  September  19,  1«()3. 

iHOMAS  O.SCAR  MILLS.  In  this  gentle- 
man Will  Count}'  has  a  fine  re[nesentali\e 
of  its  native-born  citizens,  one,  who,  b\' 
his  enter|)rise.  progressiveness  and  marked  ability 
is  maleriall}'  forwarding  its  financial  welfare  in 
several  ways.  He  is  variously  identified  with  its 
interests,  as  a  skillful  agriculturist,  making  a  spec- 
iality of  feeding  cattle;  as  a  tile  manufacturer, 
owning  the  largest  factory  in  the  county;  and  as 
proprietor  of  a  well-appointed  store  at  Millsdale 
Station.  He  was  born  on  the  old  homestead 
where  he  now  lives,  August  27.  1S50,  and  is  the 
son  of  James  Mills,  a  pioneer  of  this  region. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Eunice  Glid- 
den,  she  being  a  sister  of  Stephen  Glidden,  of 
this  township.  I5()th  her  family  and  her  husband's 
vveio  originally  from  New  Ilaniiishire,  and  re- 
moved to  New  York,  where  the  parents  of  our 
subject    were    married    in     1844.      They   lived   a 


while  in  Ohio,  and  moved  to  Joliet  about  1847. 
After  a  year's  sta}-  in  that  city  the}'  moved  on  to 
the  place  where  our  subject  now  lives,  and  where 
the  father  died  in  18o2.  Until  1878,  the  mother 
lived  with  her  brother  Mr.  Glidden,  who  was  part 
owner  of  the  farm.  At  the  lime  of  her  son's  mar- 
riage she  became  a  member  of  his  household,  and 
remained  a  welcome  inmate  of  his  home  until  her 
death.  November  27,   1887. 

Oui  subject  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  birth 
and  received  excellent  educational  advant.ages, 
obtaining  the  preliminaries  of  his  education  in  the 
local  district  schools,  afterward  pursuing  a  fine 
course  of  study  in  Joliet,  and  finishing  his  school- 
ing in  Channahon,  his  own  township.  He  early 
giiined  a  practical  knowledge  of  farming,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  marriage  took  charge  of  the  home- 
sread.  which  he  still  owns  and  occupies,  and 
which  is  represented  by  a  view  els:wliere  in  this 
work.  With  characteristic  enterprise  he  has  car- 
ried on  his  business  so  as  to  make  a  financial  suc- 
cess of  it,  and  has  greatly  increased  the  value  of 
his  farm  and  added  to  its  .acreage.  It  now  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  eight3-four  .acres,  all  ly- 
ing on  section  11,  with  the  exception  of  eiglity 
acres.  Our  subject  has  !)>•  no  means  confined  his 
operations  to  stock-raising,  but  has  been  engaged 
in  other  industries.  In  1884.  he  built  near  his 
place  a  tile  factory,  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
county,  costing  about  $10,000,  and  adapted  to"  the 
making  of  a  fine  grade  of  tile,  hut  at  the  present 
time  the  works  are  not  in  operation.  The  Santa 
Ee  Railroad  and  the  Chicago  it  Alton  run  side  by 
side  through  his  farm.  Our  subject  has  a  life 
p.ass  over  the  former  road,  which  in  18.^7  opened 
a  station  on  his  land.  Here  he  has  built  a  store, 
which  is  well  arranged  and  suitably  stocked. 

October  9,  1878,  Mr.  Mills  took  unto  himself  a 
wife,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Anna  E.  Miller,  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Eliza  (Fowler)  Miller,  natives 
respective!}'  of  Scotland  and  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
Her  father  was  reared  in  the  city  of  London 
coming  to  this  countr\-  in  earl}'  manhood  and 
was  married  in  New  York.  From  there  he  came 
to  this  county,  and  purch.ased  the  place  in  Troy 
Townsliip  «  hich  was  known  as  the  old  Rock  Run 
house   previous   to  1S53,   when    he   purchased    it. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


45.3 


There  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1806.  His  widow 
is  still  liviii.u'  there,  and  has  now  attained  the  ven- 
erable age  of  seventy-eight  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children.  INIr.  and  Mrs.  Mills 
have  a  very  |)leasant  attractive  home,  and  llieir 
happy  household  is  comi)leted  by  their  four  chil- 
dren: Arthur  .1.,  a  lad  of  ten  \ears;  Krtna  A., 
Oscar  Lero.y:  and  Warren,  the  baby.  Mr.  Mills 
is  a  tvpical  Anieric'.n,  thoroughly  wide  awake  au(\ 
full  of  enterprise,  possessing  more  than  ordinary 
capacity,  energy  and  decision  of  char.acter,  and  in 
him  his  native  count3'  has  a  citizen  w'ho  is  doing 
much  to  promote  its  general  prosperity.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  itart}',  hut 
being  a  man  of  independent  views  he  takes  the 
liberty  to  vote  as  he  chooses  in  regard  to  local 
affairs. 


^y >1.|<.C^^>>^. 


-I~^1>^'< 


iZRA     E.   -lAYNKS.       The    results  of  good 
management  find  no  better  illustration  than 

^  in   the    life    of  this  gentleman    whose    fine 

farm  is  situated  on  section  "i!',  Manhattan  Township. 
The  estate  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixt^'  broad 
acres  which  are  devoted  to  the  purpose  of  general 
farming,  about  an  equal  share  of  attention  being 
paid  to  grain  and  stock-raising.  Two  teams  are 
required  lo  operate  the  estate  and  they  are  found 
to  be  fine  English  draft  horses.  Ilolstein  and  Gal- 
way  cattle  and  Poland-China  swine  of  high  grade 
are  kept,  and  another  paying  part  of  the  establish- 
ment is  the  poultry  yard  where  about  -i^SOO  worth 
of  poultry  are  raised  ever\-  year.  A  fine  residence 
with  all  necessary  outbuildings,  such  as  barns, 
granaries,  corn  cribs,  etc.,  together  with  .a  beautiful 
orchard,  add  to  the  value  of  the  land  and  make  of 
it  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  for  many  a 
mile.  It  is  surrounded  by  hedge  and  divided  into 
fields  of  convenient  size.  A  view  of  this  comfor- 
talile  home  will  be  found  on  another  page. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  a  direct 
dosw'udant  of  one  of  three  brothers  who  came  from 
England  to  America  in    1617.      His  grandfather, 


Elijah  Jaynes,  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Vt., 
devoted  his  attention  to  agriculture  and  became 
the  owner  of  several  farms;  he  was  a  soldier  in  the 
AVar  of  1812.  Chester  Jaynes,  the  immediate 
progenitor  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  same 
county  and  also  became  a  farmer.  During  the 
Aroostook  War  he  fought  against  the  savages  six 
months,  obtaining  a  land  warrani  for  his  services 
and  ^s  now  a  pensioner  of  the  Government.  He 
secured  land  four  miles  east  of  Lake  Champlain, 
but  subsei]uently  bought  and  now  resides  upon 
the  homestead  on  which  he  was  born.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  sheep  raising  and  in  the  dairy 
business,  but  now,  in  the  ninety-first  year  of  his  age, 
is  resting  from  his  labors  and  enjoying  merited 
repose.  He  belongs  to  the  Baptist  Church  and 
votes  with  the  Republican  party. 

Chester  Jaynes  married  Eliza  Dee,  daughter  of 
Gen.  Washington  Dee,  who  won  fame  in  the  War 
of  1812.  The  old  Bay  State  was  the  birthplace  of 
Gen.  Dee,  but  when  he  was  a  bo}'  his  parents  re- 
moved to  ^'ermont  where  the  latter  became  Colonel 
in  the  Home  Militia.  When  the  Colonists  a  second 
time  determined  to  fight  for  release  from  British 
tyranny,  he  raised  a  regiment  and  joining  thearm^', 
soon  became  Brigadier-General.  He  served  until 
the  close  of  the  struggle,  fighting  on  the  lake 
and  at  Plattsburg  and  retiring  with  the  title  of 
Major-General,  while  his  brother,  who  had  gone 
out  in  his  regiment  as  Major,  came  home  as  a 
Brigadier-General.     This  was  the  War  of  1812. 

Mrs.  Eliza  (Dee)  Jaynes  was  born  in  E^ranklin 
County,  Vt.,  and  became  versed  in  all  the  useful 
arts  which  were  considered  a  part  of  a  3'oung  lady's 
education.  She  has  now  reached  the  ripe  age  of 
eighty-eight  years.  She  is  a  worthy  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
the  third  of  the  nine  sons  and  daughters  whom  she 
has  borne.  In  addition  the  family'  roll  includes  the 
names  of  Homer,  now  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Will- 
iam who  died  in  the  Green  Mountain  State  at  the 
age  of  twenty  3'ears;  Halbert,  of  Xeoslia  County, 
Kan,;  Mrs.  Charlotte  Hurlbert, of  Franklin  Countj-, 
Vt. ;  Sarah,  who  married  H.  G.  Williams  and  is 
living  in  Iowa;  Addison,  whose  home  is  in  Kansas; 
Mrs.  Helen  Caswell,  of  Vermont;  and  Mrs.  Addie 
House,  of  Joliet. 


451 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Our  subject  was  l)orii  in  Georgia  Township, 
Franklin  County.  Yt.,  ,kine  25,  1835.  and  being 
reared  on  a  farm  early  look  up  his  share  of  the 
labors  thereon.  He  received  a  good  coiumou- 
sehool  education  under  the  free  school  system  of 
liis  native  State  and  also  attended  Georgia  Academy 
from  which  he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
lie  then  went  U)  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  a  year,  after  which  be  came 
to  Chicago  and  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  store  on 
Kinzie  Street.  8ix  months  later  he  went  to  Galena, 
thence  up  the  river  to  Hudson  Cit}-  and  there  em- 
barked on  a  boat  for  St.  Croix,  Wis.,  where  he 
taught  two  terms  of  school. 

The  next  location  of  young  Jaj'nes  was  at  New- 
Richmond  where  he  embarked  in  the  sale  of  gen- 
eral merchandise,  having  his  goods  shipjjed  to 
Hudson  and  then  hauling  them  seventeen  miles. 
He  was  a  memlier  of  the  Home  Guard,  being  Ser- 
geant of  the  company,  and  at  the  first  meeting 
after  Ft.  Sumter  had  been  fired  upon,  the  whole 
company  determined  to  enter  the  Union  Arm3'. 
On  April  18,  the  name  of  Ezra  E.  Jaynes  was 
placed  upon  the  muster  roll  of  Company  F,  First 
Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  after  being  mustered  in 
at  Madison  he  was  sent  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  Three  months  were  passed  in  skirmish- 
ing and  other  duties,  when,  the  term  of  enlistment 
having  expired,  Mr.  Javnes  was  mustered  out  about 
the  1st  of  August  and  returned  to  Wisconsin. 
He  settled  up  his  business  during  the  early  fall  and 
in  ^November  returned  to  his  native  State  where  on 
December  2d  he  again  enlisted,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Company'  F,  Eighth  "S'ermont  Infantr3-. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  Brattleboro, 
assigned  to  Gen.  Butler's  Brigade  and  sent  to  New 
Orleans  on  a  sailing  vessel  which  landed  them  at 
Ship  Island.  An  expedition  w.os  fitted  out  in  the 
spring  of  1862,  the  tran-^ports  reaching  the  South- 
ern metropolis  and  investing  it  the  22d  of  May. 
M.\  Jaynes  served  on  police  duty  in  the  city  some 
thirty  days,  until  affairs  became  somewhat  settled 
and  he  was  then  .sent  acoss  the  river  to  Algiers 
where  he  operated  on  the  Opelousas  railroad  a  year. 
During  these  months  he  took  part  in  battles  and 
skirmishes  against  "  Old  Dick  Taylor "  and  the 
Texas  rangers,   participating   at  Franklin  on    the 


Atchafalaya  Kiver,  etc.  He  h.ad  been  mustered  in 
as  Corporal,  but  for  two  years  acted  as  Sergeant. 

The  next  departure  of  Mr.  Jaynes  was  toward 
Natchez,  the  march  taking  in  Natchitoches  and  the 
Salt  Works.  He  was  one  in  the  first  expedition  up 
the  Red  River  and  upon  the  return  crossed  to  Ft. 
Hudson.  May  22.  1863,  and  participated  in  the 
attack  on  the  breastworks  on  the  27lh.  Still  later, 
on  .June  14.  he  and  his  com lades  crawled  over  trees, 
logs  and  dead  Iwdies  until  they  had  reached  a 
point  within  four  rods  of  the  breastworks  when  he 
was  severely'  wounded  in  the  right  shoulder  and 
side.  He  w.is  leaning  forward  when  one  or  more 
balls  entered  the  shoulder  at  the  top  coming  out 
l)elow  the  arm  and  causing  paralj-sis.  He  was  also 
struck  in  the  side  by  a  shell,  which  seriously  muti- 
lated the  flesh.  Not  able  to  stand,  he  fell  back  on 
two  dead  men,  lying  there  unable  to  move. 
Toward  evening  the  band  came  that  waj-  and  one 
of  them  recognizing  him,  he  was  carried  back  to  a 
sugar  camp  on  a  stretcher.  There  they  were  taken 
prisoners  by  the  rebels,  but  their  captors  had  time 
to  parole  but  a  few  ere  Col.  Grierson  effected  the 
rescue  of  the  others.  All  the  surgeon  did  was  to 
wash  out  the  wound  and  remove  from  it  a  few 
maggots,  after  which  Mr.  Ja}-nes  was  hauled  to  the 
river,  over  fourteen  miles  of  rough  corduroj-  road 
in  an  armj-  w.igon.  A  steamer  convcjed  him  to 
New  Orleans  and  he  was  placed  in  the  hospital,  but 
the  fare  which  he  received  was  so  limited  or  un- 
palatable that  he  nearly  starved.  To  add  to  the 
honors  of  the  situation  his  wound  was  not  properly 
cared  for  ami  for  three  weeks  it  w.as  a  nest  of 
insects. 

Mr.  J.ayues  was  laid  up  in  the  hospital  from  the 
20lh  of  .lune  until  late  in  the  fall,  when  he  obtained 
a  furlough  and  made  his  wa3'  as  best  he  could  to 
his  home.  He  wasscarctl}'  able  to  walk  even  with 
the  aid  oi  a  stick,  was  without  mone3'  and  nearly 
naked,  but  made  his  wa^-  up  the  Mississippi  River 
and  finally  reached  home  and  friends  nearl3'  dead. 
With  belter  care  he  began  to  recover  and  having 
his  furlough  extended  two  months  he  gained  so 
rapid Ij-  that  he  was  enabled  to  report  at  New 
Orleans  before  its  expiration.  He  was,  however, 
not  fit  for  campaign  duty  and  was  therefore  placed 
in  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  One  Hundred  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


455 


Sistj'-fourtb  Battalion,  which  did  guard  duty  at  the 
Mechanics  Institute  Hospital.  He  acted  as  Ser- 
geant in  tlie  Veteran  Corps  until  the  spring  of 
1865,  wlien  he  was  ordered  lo  Brattleboro,  V^t.,  was 
mustered  out  and  liunoralil3-  discharged.  He  had 
been  ill  hcfore  the  liattle  of  Port  Hudson  aud  the 
doctor  had  told  him  not  to  go  out  as  he  was  unlit 
for  dutj-.  He,  however,  felt  that  he  might  as  well 
be  shot  as  to  die  of  disease  anil  he  had  therefore 
joined  iiis  comrades  with  the  result  above  related. 

After  spending  a  few  days  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  comforts  of  home  aud  the  society  of  his  friends, 
Mr.  Jay  lies  came  .West,  feeling  that  his  desire  to 
obtain  a  small  piece  of  land  whereon  to  make  a 
home  would  be  more  likely  to  reach  fruition  in  a 
newer  country  than  Vermont.  He  rented  land  in 
Wilmington  Township,  this  county,  for  four  years 
and  in  the  fall  of  1868,  purchased  one  hundred  aud 
sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  upon  which  not  a  tree 
was  to  be  seen,  paj-ing  $40  per  acre.  The  follow- 
ing spring  he  located  upon  it,  doing  the  best  he 
could  to  cultivate  and  improve  it,  but  being 
obliged  to  hire  most  of  the  labor  done,  as  he  was 
seriously  crippled  from  his  wound  and  army  ex- 
posure. He  was  able  to  do  some  plowing  with  a 
riding  plow,  piid  to  do  some  of  the  grain  cutting 
aud  hay  raking. 

Prudent  management,  wise  [ilans  and  frugal  eeon- 
om}'  conquered  the  eircumstaiiees  wiiich  seemed 
untoward.  an<l  Mr.  Jaynes  succeeded  in  placing  his 
land  under  excellent  improvement  and  making  it 
pav  so  well  that  he  is  now  independent  in  finances. 
During  the  past  seven  years  his  sons  have  done  the 
work  of  the  place,  carrying  out  his  wislies  full^-and 
reaping  a  due  reward. 

Mr.  Jaynes  is  the  l)est  read  man  in  the  township, 
having  ever  found  a  recompense  for  his  inal>ility  to 
enjoy  physical  recreations,  in  the  society-  of  the 
'  right  minds,  which  books  afford.  He  belongs  to 
Seneca  Lodge  No.  40,  F.  cfe  A.  M.  at  Milton  P'alls, 
Vt.  He  is  a  Republican  of  the  stanchest  sort  and 
it  has  been  the  desire  of  the  members  of  his  part}- 
liiat  he  would  ie[)resent  them  in  county  conven- 
tions, but  he  has  refused  the  appointment  on 
account  of  his  cripplerl  condition.  To  all  who 
love  their  country  he  is  an  object  of  great  respect 
tor  the  service  which  he  rendered   in  her    time  of 


need,  while  his  excellent  management,  high  degree 
of  intelligence,  and  personal  character  win  him 
many  friends  and  give  him  high  rei)Ute  over  as 
extended  territory. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Jaynes  occurred  in 
Wilmington  Township,  , January  17,1866.  Upon 
this  occasion  he  led  to  the  hymeneal  altai"  Miss 
Jennie  Rockwell,  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  \'t., 
with  whom  he  lived  happily  until  she  w.as  called 
hence  in  1870.  .She  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
Rockwell,  an  earl}'  settler  in  this  county  and  the 
owner  of  a  large  property.  The  union  was  blest 
by  the  birth  of  two  children — Stella,  who  died  in 
1879,  and  Arthur,  who  lives  in  Wilmington  Town- 
ship with  his  uncle. 

A  second  alliance  was  contracted  by  Mr.  J.aynes, 
March  12,  1871.  at  the  home  of  the  Rev.  W. 
G.  Renfrew  in  Jackson  Township.  The  lad\'.  who 
there  became  his  wife  was  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of 
Elias  Klingler,  who  came  from  Pennsylvania  to 
Will  Count}-  in  1867.  Mr.  Klingler  was  a  farmer 
but  has  now  retired  and  makes  his  home  in  Man- 
hattan. Mrs.  Jaynes  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  is  well  informed,  skilled  in  housewifely  arts, 
and  possesses  the  happy  faculty  of  making  a  home 
in  more  than  name.  She  had  borne  her  husband 
five  children,  namely:  Lester,  Oscar,  Chester, 
Edith  and  Alfred.  All  are  at  home  but  Oscar,  who 
is  attending  the  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso,  Ind., 
and  in  the  intervals  of  stud}-  joining  the  home 
circle  in  their  pleasures  and  duties. 


d 


.ALTER  GRAY.  This  gentleman's  early 
identity  with  the  farming  and  stock  grow- 
interests  in  this  part  of  Illinois  entitles  him 
to  representation  in  this  BiooKAi'uiciL  Album  as  a 
pioneer  of  the  county.  His  home  is  in  Wheat- 
land Township,  where  he  located  many  years  ago. 
He  has  retired  from  the  more  active  life  of  his 
early  years,  and  though  still  having  an  interest  in 
the  farm  that  he  developed  from  the  wild  prairies, 
he  has  turned  over  its  management  to  his  sons, 
retaining  but  ten  acres  of  it  for  his  own  u.se. 

Mr.  Gray  is  a  native  of  Lanarkshire,  Scotland, 


4.')(; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ami  was  luirii  in  the  iiiuiiUi  ui  SL-|)lt;mber,  1819. 
He  was  a  son  of  Charles  and  Ellen  (Watson)  Graj', 
likewise  nativi^s  of  Scotland.  He  was  reared  on  a 
farm  principal!}'  and  received  but  limited  educa- 
tional advantages.  He  is,  however  quite  a  reader, 
and  keeps  poste<l  on  matters  of  general  interest. 

Our  subject  married  in  his  ualive  land  January 
1.  ISiJll,  taking  as  his  wife  Jaue  AVilson.  She  was 
also  of  Scottish  birth,  born  September  22,  1819, 
and  a  daughter  of  Job  and  Janette  (Anderson) 
Wilson,  natives  of  Scotland.  Four  of  the  nine 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graj'  are  now  living 
as  follows:  Charles,  in  Leadville,  Col.;  John  and 
Walter,  iu  Wheatland  Township;  Jeanette,  wi.'e  of 
Alexander  Martin,  of  Ottawa,  Kan. 

In  1849,  desirous  of  improving  his  prospects  in 
life  and  of  being  able  to  build  up  a  home  for  iiim- 
self  and  family',  our  subject  emigrated  to  this 
country,  taking  passage  at  Glasgow,  on  a  sail 
vessel  and  after  a  voj'age  of  about  tweuty-six 
days,  lauding  in  (.Quebec,  Canada.  For  a  short 
time  he  lived  in  the  Province  of  Ontario  and  then 
coming  to  the  "  States,"  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Will  County,  and  has  been  an  honored  resident 
here  ever  since.  He  began  life  here  under  adverse 
circumstances,  having,  but  fifty  cents  when  he 
landed  in  the  country'.  However,  he  was  well  en- 
dowed with  brawn  and  muscle,  and  with  sturdy, 
persevering,  industrious  qualities,  inherited  from 
a  Scotch  ancestry,  and  setting  to  work  with  cheer- 
ful courage,  iu  the  years  that  followed  by  per- 
sistent toil  evolved  a  fine  farm  from  the  tract  of 
wild  prairie  that  he  purchased.  He  first  located 
in  Plainfield  Township,  was  there  some  three  years 
and  then  took  up  his  abode  in  Wheatland  Town- 
ship, having  secured  a  tract  of  wild  land.  He  did 
not  become  prosperous  without  having  to  pass 
through  the  trials  and  hardships  of  early  pioneer 
life  here  and  the  endurance  of  man}-  privations 
and  self  sacrifices.  His  farm  comprises  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  finel}'  improved  and  provided 
with  excellent  buildings,  and  is  under  the  manage- 
ment of  his  two  sons,  John  and  AValter,  he  retain- 
ing a  life  interest  in  it.  He  has  here  a  comfortable 
home  and  has  the  use  of  ten  acres  of  land.  He 
has  been  greatlv  assis^ed  in  his  labors  by  his  de- 
voted companion,  who  may    well   be  described  in 


the  following  words,  as:  "  The  housewife,  clean 
of  heart  and  conscience,  the  buckler  and  helpmate 
of  her  husband." 

B}'  his  life  of  industry  and  uprightness  Mr. 
Graj-  has  won  not  onl}'  worldly  gain,  but  the 
affection  and  confidence  of  all  about  him.  For 
many  j'ears  a  Presbyterian,  he  has  never  wavered 
iu  his  adherence  to  his  faith,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  consistent  members  of  the  United  Presbyte- 
rian Church  in  Wheatland,  his  wife  also  belonging 
to  that  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  sturdy  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  lie  has  been  a 
School  Director  for  a  number  of  years  and  has 
alwaj's  favored  all  schemes  for  the  educational  and 
moral  elevation  of  the  communitv. 


"S!^^ 


w 


•TfjAMES  DOUGLAS  BROWN,  as  his  given 
name  would  partially  indicate,  traces  his 
ancestr}'  hack  to  a  family  that  has  been 
historic  for  centuries.  The  Douglas  name 
figures  largely  in  Scotch  as  well  as  in  American 
histor\'.  The  origin  of  the  family,  their  original 
coat  of  arms,  and  early  achievements,  are  wrapped 
in  mysterj'  although  many  traditions  are  extant, 
some  of  which  doubtless  have  solid  foundation  in 
fact.  Efforts  have  been  made  by  members  of  the 
family  iu  recent  }-eats  to  snatch  from  oblivion  and 
gather  from  traditionary  and  legendary  lore,  all 
that  is  worthy  of  preservation.  •  ."^ueh  efforts  have 
resulted  iu  a  work,  liberallj-  subscribed  for  b}- 
man}'  who  boast  the  Douglas  blood,  which  shows 
the  connection  of  our  subject  and  his  family  with 
the  name  by  direct  lineage. 

James  D.  Brown  was  born  in  Riiymertown, 
Reusseliier  County,  N.  Y.,  March  12.  1826,  and 
received  his  academical  education  in  the  Lyman 
Cross  Academy  iu  Troy.  He  completed  the 
course  of  study  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen  years 
when  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  with  an 
uncle  at  Lansingburg.  The  business  has  now  en- 
gaged his  attention  for  over  forty  years.  In  1846 
he  came  to  Joliet.  111.,  and  established  himself  in 
that  line  of  trade,  in  -vhich  he  is  still  interested. 
In  18G9   he  associated  with   himself  a   brother,  J. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


457 


H.,  since  deceased,  and  more  recently  his  sons, 
Horace  H.  and  Eugene  C.  Both  of  the  3'oung  raeu 
are  graduates  in  pharmacy,  Eugene  C.  having 
completed  a  course  of  stud^'  in  the  Chicago  Col- 
lege of  Pharmacy  in  1881,  and  Horace  in  1885. 

Tlie  trade  of  the  firm  above  mentioned  is  an  old 
and  firmly  established  one  and  patrons  of  the  estab- 
lishment are  sure  to  receive  reliable  drugs,  to  have 
prescriptions  carefully  compounded,  and  to  be 
treated  with  due  courtesy  and  honor.  The  family 
is  numbered  among  the  best  class  of  citizens,  being 
earnest,  enterprising,  and  reliable  in  their  dutj'  as 
members  of  the  community,  honorable  in  all  their 
relations  in  life,  and  possessing  the  intelligence, 
culture  and  excellent  character  thai  win  the  respect 
of  their  fellow  citizens. 


AXIEL  C.  IMASO^^  Among  the  estates 
of  Will  County  vvliich  present  an  appear- 
•^  ance  of  comfort  and  home-likeness,  none 
are  more  attractive  tlian  one  which  occu- 
pies a  portion  of  section  5,  Joliet  Township,  and  is 
the  home  of  Daniel  Mason  and  his  good  wife. 
Without  having  any  pretensions  to  elegance,  every- 
thing about  the  place  bespeaks  good  taste,  pros- 
perity, and  a  care  which  is  as  far  removed  from 
parsimoniousness  as  from  a  reckless  disregard  of 
appearances  and  results.  The  dwelling  is  a  pleas- 
ant one,  set  in  the  midst  of  surroundings  wliich 
are  quite  in  keeping  with  the  neatness  and  order 
which  prevail  under  its  roof.  It  is  convenicntlj- 
near  to  the  city  of  Joliet,  affording  to  its.  in- 
mates the  best  of  the  enjoyments  which  are 
to  be  found  in  city  life,  while  avoiding  the 
confusion,  restricted  quarters,  and  dust  of  the 
town.  Mr.  Mason  is  now  living  a  retired  life  and 
renting  his  estate,  which  originally  comprised  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  and  bears  all  needful  struc- 
tures for  the  carrying  on  of  farm  work. 

The  old  Bay  State  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
birthplace  of  the  parents  of  our  subject,  who  in 
their  early  life  dwelt  in  Ciieshire,  Berkshire 
County.  In  the  pleasant  NewPIngland  village  Ar- 
nold   Mason  and    Meicy  Coman  had   opened  their 


ej'es  to  the  light  and  spent  their  school  da}'s,  be- 
coming tlioroughly  acquainted  with  each  other's 
disposition  and  character,  and  having  their  early 
friendship  ripened  into  a  regard  which  led  them  to 
unite  their  lives  and  fortunes.  After  their  mar- 
riage they  settled  in  New  Hartford,  near  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  where  the^'  spent  their  happj'  wedded  life 
and  reared  a  large  famil3'.  Thirteen  children  wore 
born  to  them,  eleven  living  to  mature  years. 

Tiie  subject  of  this  biograpliical  notice  is  the 
seventh  child  born  to  his  parents,  his  natal  day 
having  been  Jauuarj'  12,  1811.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood in  New  Hartford,  remaining  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  he  was  about  twenty-one  years  old, 
in  the  meantime  having  acquired  such  a  knowledge 
of  the  ordinary  branches  of  study  .as  afforded  iiim 
a  good  equii)ment  in  business.  Upon  leaving  the 
home  of  liis  boyiiood  he  went  to  New  Jersey  to 
work  on  the  Delaware  &  Rariton  Canal  under  liis 
father,  who  had  a  contract  for  building  a  portion 
of  that  highw.av.  After  working  there  a  year,  he 
joined  his  fatlier  in  a  contract  for  excavating 
through  Bergen  Hill  for  the  old  New  Jersey  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  and  also  the  contract  for  digging  the 
Morris  Canal  from  there  to  Jersey  City. 

After  the  completion  of  these  contracts,  father 
and  son  took  one  for  building  two  sections  of  the 
Crotou  Water  Works,  at  New  York  Citj'.  The 
senior  Mr.  JIason  was  one  of  the  three  contractors 
that  built  the  well-known  High  Bridge  over  the 
Halem  River.  After  completing  his  work  on  the 
water  works,  our  subject  returned  to  bis  native 
place,  near  which  he  engaged  in  farming,  remain- 
ing there  until  the  fall  of  1869,  when  he  removed 
to  his  present  home  where  he  continued  his  agri- 
cultural labors  for  some  time.  Honest  industry, 
persevering  efforts,  and  |)rudent  management,  have 
been  crowned  with  success  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Ma- 
son, whose  efforts  have  been  ably  seconded  by  his 
companion,  whose  housewifelj'  ability  and  wfse 
cconomj'  have  prevented  the  expenditures  from 
reaching  a  figure  beyond  what  could  be  well  af- 
forded, and  has  thus  been  instrumental  in  tlie  ac- 
cuniul.ation  of  their  comfortable  means. 

On  April  16,  1844,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  our  subject  and  Miss  Cornelia 
H.  Kellogg,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  town 


458 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


whieli  wns  the  early  lK)ine  of  her  IhisIi.'ukK  and  lo 
whose  union  the  same  words  will  apply  wliieh  are 
suited  to  the  marriage  of  hisjjarents.  Mrs.  Mason 
is  the  second  in  a  family  consisting  of  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  born  to  Trinnan  and  Melinda 
(Marsh)  Kellogg,  both  of  whom  were  n.'ilives  of 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  in  which  they  died.  Mr. 
Kellogg  was  a  farmer  and  the  family  were  of  the 
Quaker  faith.  IMrs.  Mason  opened  her  eyes  to  the 
light  June  8,  IIS'24.  Blessed  by  nature  with  many 
fine  qualities,  her  character  was  strengthened  and  de- 
veloped bj'  careful  training,  and  she  is  to-day  a  fine 
type  of  the  gentlewoman  with  motherly  (lualities. 
Her  happy  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
two  children — Truman  A.  and  Cornelia  M.  The 
latter  is  now  a  widow,  having  married  Stephen 
Alanson  Sherwood,  who  died  in  A|)ril,  ia76,  leav- 
ing two  children — Arthur  M.  and  Louis  A.,  who 
with  their  mother  arc  making  their  home  on  the 
estate  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rlason. 

Although  reared  in  the  Quaker  f.iilh,  Mrs.  Ma 
son  is  now  a  member  of  the  Central  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Mason  is  indopend(>nt  in  his  political 
views,  giving  his  ballot  lo  the  candidate  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  to  carry  out  the  measures  in 
which  his  judgment  concurs.  It  would  be  hard  to 
find  a  man  more  highly  resjicctcd  or  more  deserv- 
ing of  the  good  oi>inion  of  his  fellownien  th:in  he, 
and  it  alTords  the  biographical  writer  pleasure  to 
insert  this  account  of  his  life  and     that  of  his  wife. 


*■"     ^~*z- 


^^ 


m 


JOSEPH  HAUTIlKLMi;.  The  thrifty  Ger- 
man American  element  of  doliet  Township 
finds  a  worthy  rei)rcsentativc  in  the  subject 
of  this  notice,  who  own.s  and  occupies  a 
well-tilled  farm  on  section  o.  Here  he  has  pursued 
tlfc  even  tenor  of  his  way  since  188t),  making  a 
specialty  of  minding  his  t)wn  concerns  and  living 
nl  peace  among  his  neighbois.  Mr.  Harthelme  is  a 
native  of  this  county  and  was  born  in  the  eit^' of 
.loliit.  May  6,  1857.  to  Joseph  and  Mary  (Wiles) 
liarthelme,  who  were  natives  of  the  Province  of 
Alsace,  formerly  of  France  but  now  of  (iermanv. 
'I'he  parents  came  to  America  with  llu'ir  respective 


families  at  an  early  age  and  were  married  in  Jolict, 
after  which  the  father,  for  a  time,  ran  a  boat  on 
the  canal  ami  later  was  variously  employed  until 
securing  land  and  engaging  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
lie  farmed  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  and  tlu-n 
retiring  from  active  labor,  made  his  home  in.Ioliet 
where  his  death  took  place  April  I,  1S8.3.  The 
mother  is  still  living  making  her  home  in  Joliet. 
There  was  born  to  her  and  ber  husband  a  family  of 
eleven  children,  seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  ten 
of  whom  are  living  and  of  whom  Joseph  was  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birlh. 

Mr.  Harthelme  lived  with  his  parents  until  reach- 
ing manhood  and  vvticn  they  removed  to  Joliet  he 
settled  on  the  farm  owned  by  his  mother,  in  Joliet 
Township.  He  is  now  successfully  cultivating 
seventy  acres  where  he  has  good  buildings  and 
other  improvements.  He  was  married  November 
22,  1882,  to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  Flynn,  who  were  natives  of  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  where  the  father  spent  his  entire  life,  dying 
in  1870.  The  mothersubsequcntly  came  to  America 
and  is  now  a  resident  of  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  The 
l)arental  family  consisted  of  five  sons  and  three 
daughters  of  whom  Mis.  Barthclme  was  the  Ihiid 
in  order  of  birth.  She  is  a  native  of  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  and  was  b(M-n  May  22,  1851).  She  was 
eighteen  years  old  when  coniing  to  America  .-iiid 
has  been  a  true  helpmate  to  her  husband,  kee|)ing 
her  house  in  order  and  practicing  the  industry  anil 
economy  whieli  have  so  much  to  do  in  the  happ'- 
ncss  and  prosiierity  of  a  home.  The  household 
circle  com|irises  three  bright  children,  viz.;  Joseph 
K..  Margaret  11.  and  Jnhn  W.  .Mr.  Harthelme 
votes  with  the  Democratic  [jarty  and  both  he  and 
his  estimable  wife  are  iiromiiienlly  connected  with 
the  Catholic  Church,  attending  services  at  Joliet. 


-^-*-B- 


AMES  E.  HOLMES.  In  speaking  of  the 
public-spirited  citizens  of  New  LenoxTown- 
ship.  the  life  and  labors  of  this  gentleman 
^y  should  by  no  means  be  omitted.  He  is  the 
owner  and  occn|)ant  of  an  estate  on  section  22, 
which    forms  a   home   of  comfort    and   good   taste, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


45;i 


such  as  might  well  satisfy  any  but  the  most  amlii- 
tious  of  men.  The  f:irin  comprises  one  luiiidred 
.tnd  forty  fertile  Jicres  on  wiiich  excellent  buildinrjs 
have  been  erected  and  other  iipproprinle  ini|ircive- 
ments  nnide,  and  the  agricultnrni  labor  to  wliicli 
ISIr.  Holmes  has  given  his  attention  ft)r  over  forty 
years,  is  conducted  according  to  the  most  inn)roveil 
efforts.  Xearly  the  entire  life  of  this  gentleman 
has  been  spent  in  this  county,  to  which  he  came 
with  his  parents  in  his  eighth  year.  The  history  of 
his  progenitors  may  be  found  in  the  sketch  of 
J.  S.  Holmes,  which  occupies  another  page  in  this 
Album. 

The  gentlenian  of  whom  wc  writi'  was  the  first 
born  in  a  family  of  six  children.  His  natal  day 
was  June  2."),  1827,  and  his  birthplace  in  Chautauqua 
County,  N.  Y.  His  parents  becoming  early  settlers 
of  Will  County,  III.,  he  grew  to  manhood  in  New 
Leno.x  Township,  which  he  has  made  his  home 
from  boyhood.  After  p.assing  his  school  da3's  he 
followed  carpentering  and  bl.acksmilhing  for  seven- 
teen years,  having  a  general  repair  shop.  The 
most  of  the  time  he  carried  on  this  work  on  his 
farm  altiiough  for  a  time  his  shop  w.as  in  S|)encer. 
About  18G.'),  he  ab.andoned  the  trades  and  gave  hi« 
attention  exclusively  to  farm  labors  for  his  |)ersonal 
avocation. 

On  December,  18,  1850,  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship, Mr.  Holmes  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mi.ss 
Susan  S.  Elsworth,  who  survived  onl\'  unlil  April 
15,  1853.  She  bore  two  children — Levi  A.,  who 
died  when  about  twelve  years  old,  and  Hosetta  J., 
who  died  in  infancj'.  Mr.  Holmes  contracted  a 
■  second  matrimonial  alliance  .January  8,  1854,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  at  Mokoua,  and  the  bride 
being  Miss  Mary  E.  .SlilHcr.  This  lady  was  born 
in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  Januarj' 29,  18;)8,  being 
the  only  child  of  .Tacob  and  Cynthia  (Anvva^) 
Stiffler.  Her  father  died  in  the  I'.uckeye  State 
.about  1840,  and  the  mother  still  lives.  Mrs. 
Holmes  possesses  a  large  amount  of  intelligence, 
pleasing  m;uiners,  and  a  noble  Christian  character, 
and  the  duties  which  devolve  upon  her  as  wife, 
mother  and  neighbor  are  cheerfully  and  carefully 
performed.  She  has  borne  her  husband  four  chil- 
dren: Rosella,  who  died  in  infancy;  Delia  . I. ,  wife 
of  Isaac  M.  (iillett,  Jr. ;  William  R. ;  and  George  E. 


The  ability  of  Mr.  Holmes  and  his  excellent 
cliaracter  are  recognized  by  his  fellow  men  who 
have  desired  his  services  in  various  positions  of 
local  trust.  He  has  served  .as  Township  Clerk, 
Highway  Commissioner,  and  School  Director,  serv- 
ing ten  years  as  an  incumbent  of  the  Inst  position. 
He  was  Postmaster  at  Spencer  from  185(5  until  the 
spring  of  1889,  continuously.  His  political  adher- 
ence is  given  to  the  Democratic  |)arty.  Mrs. 
Holmes  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcoi)al 
Church,  which  lier  husband  .also  attends. 


i.V.4e..A.^V.'., 

...viiij;'..'  ■ 


*RANK  W.  SCl'TT,  Secretary  of  the  .loliet 
4&  ^^''"^p1  Company,  and  also  of  the  Joliet 
Barb  Wiie  Company,  is  numberi'd  among 
the  active  business  men  of  the  city  and  has  for 
many  years  been  identified  with  its  leading  inter- 
ests. He  is  the  offspring  of  an  old  and  highly  re- 
spected family  and  the  only  child  of  the  well-known 
II.  B.  Scutt,  who  came  to  this  county  about  18(12. 
He  was  born  M.ay  29,  1868,  and  acquired  an  excel- 
lent education,  completing  his  studies  at  Phillips' 
Academy  in  Andover,  Mass. 

After  leaving  the  Academy  Mr.  Scutt  returned 
to  his  native  city  and  in  company  with  his  father 
became  identified  with  the  Barb  Wire  Com|)any,of 
which  he  was  soon  made  the  Secretary  in  order  to 
assist  his  father  who  w.as  suffering  from  ill  health. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  virtually  assumed  the 
whole  management  of  the  business,  which  is  now 
being  gr.adually  closed  out.  In  1889,  in  company 
with  R.  G.  Surb'-idge  of  Chicago,  he  organized  the 
.loliet  Wheel  Company,  which  was  incor[)orated  in 
December,  1889,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000.  F.  W. 
Schroeder  was  elected  President,  V.  W.  Scutt,  Se-  ■ 
cretary,  and  B.  (L  Surbridge,  Superintendent.  They 
are  already  giving  employment  to  fifty  men  and 
expect  before  the  close  of  the  season  (1890)  to  re- 
quire the  services  of  one  liundreii  men. 

Mr.  Scutt  w.as  recently'  elected  a  Director  of  the 
Pioneer  &  Commonwealth  Insurance  Company,  of 
Chicago.  He  is  also  a  Director  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  of  Joliet,  and  a  Trustee 


460 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  the  First  Piesl)3teiiaii  Church.  He  was  mar- 
ried May  8,  1889,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Payne,  of  Stony 
Point,  N.  V.  They  have  one  son,  born  Ma}-  11, 
1890,  named  Ilarrold  Benjamin.  This  lady  was 
born  Xovember  15,  1869,  at  Astoria,  Long  Island, 
and  is  the  dangliter  of  the  Hon.  A.  T.  Payne.  The 
father  is  a  prominent  and  successful  attorney,  of 
Jirooklyn.  He  was  at  one  lime  Cori)oration  Coun- 
sel of  Long  Island  Cit>-  and  a  Representative  to 
the  Cleneral  Assembly  of  New  York  State,  at  Al 
bany.  Mrs.  Soutt  was  given  a  good  education  at 
Rockland  College,  Nyack,  N.  Y.,  then  completing 
her  studies  at  the  Delaware  Literary  Institute, Frank- 
lin, Delaware  Count}-,  N.  Y. 

Hiram  B.  Scutt,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  November  14,  1842,  in  Delaware  County, N.Y., 
and  came  to  this  count}'  about  1862,  becoming  the 
employe  of  Charles  Ward,  who  operated  a  planing- 
mill.  After  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  en- 
tered the  Union  Army  as  a  member  of  the  Second 
Illinois  Light  Artillery.  For  valiant  services  he 
was,  near  the  close  of  the  war,  promoted  to  a  Ca])- 
taincy,  but  did  not  receive  his  commission  until 
after  his  return  home. 

Mr.  Scutt,  about  1868,  engaged  as  a  traveling 
salesman  for  the  Geneva  (N.  Y.)  Nursery,  and  was 
thus  occupied  until  1871.  Then  returning  to  tlie 
West  he  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  first 
barb  wire  business  in  Joliet,  associating  himself  in 
partnership  with  William  AVatkins,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Scutt  &  Watkins.  Later  the  Joliet  Wire 
Fence  Company  was  organized,  of  w-hich  Mr.  Scutt 
was  made  President.  The  most  successful  enter- 
prise in  w-hich  he  engaged,  bow-ever,  was  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  H.  B.  Scutt  &  Co.,  which  included 
James  R.  Ashley,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  wire  in  the  Joliet  Penitentiary,  and  gave  em- 
ployment to  one  hundred  and  fifty- men.  The  com- 
pany sold  out  in  1884  to  Messrs.  Oliver  Bros.  & 
Phillips,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  who  now-  continue  the 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  U.  Scutt  ct  Co., 
(limited). 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  not  engaged  in 
any  business  for  a  year  afterward  but  not  being 
content  in  idleness,  organized  the  Joliet  Barb  Wire 
Company,  of  which  he  was  made  President.  In 
1884  he  put  up  a  handsome  residence,  the  finest  in 


the  city,  and  pleasantly  located  on  North  Broad- 
way. He  was  the  first  man  to  introduce  the  electric 
light  in  the  city,  as  President  of  the  Citizens'  Elec- 
tric Light  Company.  He  never  aspired  to  political 
lionors. 

Hiram  B.  Scutt  received  a  good  education  and 
during  liis  early  manhood  employed  himself  in 
teaching  school.  He  left  home  about  1861,  coming 
to  Illinois  and  locating  on  a  farm  in  DeKalb 
County.  He  was  married  in  1866,  to  Miss  Adalaide 
Ward.  This  lady  was  born  in  1842,  in  Rutland, 
Vt..  and  whose  parents  spent  liieir  last  years  in 
Vermont.  She  is  still  living,  making  her  iiome  in 
Joliet.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  Scutt  there  were 
born  two  cliildren,  F.  W.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
and  Grace,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Scutt  de- 
parted this  life  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  July  29, 
1889,  his  death  being  caused  by  paresis — an  over- 
straining of  the  mental  faculties.  He  was  thor- 
oughly respected  by  his  neighbors  and  business 
associates,  and  during  the  last  Presidential  election 
was  quite  prominent  as  having  championed  the 
cause  of  free  trade  as  adoiHed  by  the  Democracy. 
Prior  to  this  he  had  been  a  standi  Republican. 


S.,^ETER  BERSCHEID.  This  young  gentleman 
Jjj  is  of  Prussian  ancestry,  representing  a  fa^m- 
^  ily  of  good  standing  in  llie  old  country.  His 
)\  parents,  Bernard  and  Susau(Zahrn)Berscheid 
emigrated  from  Prussia  to  America  in  1853,  locat- 
ing at  Lockport,  III.,  where  Mr.  Berscheid  carried 
on  milling  operations.  The  family  included  eleven 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  He  opened  his  eyes  to  the 
light  in  Mendota,  May  9,  1859.  After  obtaining  a 
good  education  in  the  common  schools  he  started 
out  in  life  as  a  barber  in  Joliet,  continuing  in  tli^t 
business  about  four  years. 

Mr.  Berscheid  then  engaged  as  an  engineer  in 
the  Fire  Depavtment,  remaining  in  the  service 
three  years,  but  in  1881,  entering  the  Sehring 
Brewing  Co.  in  the  capacity  of  engineer  of  their 
extensive  brewery.  There  he  has  since  continued 
to  lal'or  satisfactorily,  discharging  the  duties  dc- 


//  /g^,,^y\2^ 


^  (flC^    ^^^^^    ^^^^^^.^tJ-x^ 


'/^ 


i'T^-rZ- 'Z^^?^  cu 


/k.     ^Q^^U^t^\, 


PORTRAIT  AlsD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


465 


volving  upon  liim  and  winning  commendation 
from  his  emplo3'ers.  He  lias  already-  represented 
the  Third  Ward  in  the  City  Conneil  two  terras,  and 
for  the  tiiird  time  was  elected  in  the  spring  of  1890, 
niniiing  on  tliis  occasion  without  opposition.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  pronounced  Democrat.  In  religion 
he  is  a  Catholic,  iiolding  membership  in  St.  Aloy- 
sius  Society. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride  December  28,  1882, 
the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated  between 
our  subject  and  Miss  Louisa  Erli,  an  estimable 
lady  of  (ierman  descent,  domestic  virtues,  and  a 
similar  faitli  uitli  himself.  Their  iiapi)}-  union  has 
been  lilessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children,  named 
respectively:   .VUia  and  Bernard  Roland. 


*»~^E*S= 


IEORGP:  van  DUSER.  This  fine  old  gen- 
tleman and  his  equally  estimable  wife,  whose 
[)f)rtraits  ai>pear  on  the  opposite  pages,  are 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  county, 
who  came  hither  when  the  country  presented  a 
widely  different  api)earance  from  that  of  to-day. 
They  bore  with  their  neighbors  the  usual  toils  and 
hardships  of  pioneer  life,  and  have  made  for  them- 
selves a  good  record  morally,  socially  and  finan- 
cially. They  commenced  their  wedded  life  together 
with  moderate  means  and  bv  the  exercise  of  un- 
flagging industry  have  made  for  themselves  a  licnne 
and  a  competence,  and  are  now  passing  down  the 
sunset  hill  of  life  in  the  midst  of  peace  and  plenty, 
enjoying  the  comforts  which  they  have  so  justly 
earned,  together  with  the  unqualified  esteem  and 
confidence  of  those  around  them.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  and  much  that  makes  life  desiraljle. 
In  noting  the  earl}'  history  of  the  Van  Duser 
family,  we  find  that  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
one  John  Van  Duser,  who  was  born  in  Johnstown, 
Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  February  3,  1772. 
lie  spent  his  earlj'  life  amid  the  cjuiet  scenes  of  the 
country,  obtaining  a  common-school  education  and 
becoming  familiar  with  farm  pursuits.  When  ready 
to  establish  a  home  of  his  own,  he  was  wedded  to 
INIiss  Catlierine  liinghani,  a  maiden  of  his  own 
township,  and  who  was  born  October  2(),  1785. 


The  parents  of  our  subject  for  a  time  after  their 
marri.age  lived  in  Madison  County,  N.  Y..  but  in 
1837  decided  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  what  was 
then  the  Far  West,  and  came  to  this  county  in  .lune, 
that  year.  The  father  secured  a  tract  of  land  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  where  he  engaged  success- 
fully in  farming,  building  up  a  comfortable  home- 
stead, where  he  and  his  estimable  partner  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  daj'S.  The  mother  passed  away 
August  25,  1852.  John  Van  Duser  departed  this 
life  April  21,  18G0.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  imd  there  was  born 
to  them  a  family  of  eleven  children,  George  Van 
Duser  being  the  only  one  sui-viving. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  w.as  the  sixth  child  of 
his  parents,  and  was  Ijorn  July  19,  1817,  in  Lenox, 
Madison  County,  N.  Y.  He  there  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  until  1836,  then  starting 
out  for  himself,  made  his  way  westward,  arriving 
in  Chicago  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  sojourned 
there  until  the  following  June.  He  then  came  to 
this  county,  and  selecting  his  future  location,  com- 
menced the  development  of  a  farm,  which  has  since 
been  his  home.  He  was  married  at  Joliet.  Novem- 
ber 25,  1840,  to  Miss  Elmina,  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Nathaniel  and  Acsah  (Wheeler)  JMellen.  The 
young  people  commenced  their  wedded  life  together 
at  the  homestead  which  they  now  own  and  occupy, 
and  have  labored  faithfully  together  in  the  build- 
ing up  of  a  home  for  themselves  and  their  chil- 
dren. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Van  Duser  was  born  in  Farm- 
ingliam,  Mass.,  J.anuary  4,  1794,  while  his  good 
wife  was  born  in  Connecticut,  November  27,  1791. 
After  marriage  they  settled  in  Bennington  County, 
Vt.,  but  finally  decided  to  seek  their  fortunes  in 
the  West,  and  emigrated  to  what  is  now  Kankakee 
County,  this  State,  arriving  here  in  October,  1838. 
Mr.  ]\lcllen  selected  a  tr.act  of  land  along  the  Kan- 
kakee River,  where  he  opened  up  a  good  farm,  and 
there  with  his  estimable  partner  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  d.ays.  JNIr.  Mellen  died  March  27, 18C6, 
The  mother  survived  her  husband  for  a  period  of 
nine  j'ears,  her  death  taking  place  October  27, 1875. 
They  were  Universalists  in  religious  belief  and 
honest  and  upright  people,  who  gained  the  esteem 
of  all  around  them.     Nathaniel  Mellen  was  a  prom- 


466 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ineiit  man  in  the  town  of  "Winhall.  Bennington 
County,  ^'t.,  where  he  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  Township  Clerk  and  Selectman.  He  fairl}- 
earned  his  title  of  Honorable  b}'  serving  several 
terms  in  the  State  Legislature  in  Vermont. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mellen  were  the  parents  of  seven 
ehildren,  si.x  of  whom  are  living.  Mrs. Van  Duser 
was  the  second  born,  and  first  opened  her  eyes  to 
the  light  in  Bennington  Count3%Vt.,  May  30, 1818. 
She  obtained  her  education  in  the  fommon  schools, 
and  remained  a  member  of  the  parental  household 
until  her  marriage.  Her  family,  as  did  that  of  her 
parents,  numbered  also  seven  children.  The  eldest. 
:i  daughter.  Emily  A.,  is  the  widow  of  John  Wid- 
i.ey;  Elmina  A.  married  Joshua  Barrett;  George 
Jerome  is  married,  and  is  a  resident  of  Franklin 
Count}-,  Iowa;  Gilbert  M.  lives  in  Wilson  County, 
Kan.;  Eddie  H.  remains  at  home  with  his  parents; 
Elora  O.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Gorham,  of  Monoua 
Count}-,  Iowa;  Ida  E.  died  when  twelve  j-ears  old. 

Mr.  Van  Duser  is  the  only  survivor  of  his  father's 
large  famil}'.  He  has  always  been  content  to  fol- 
low aigricultnral  pursuits,  and  has  a  well-tilled  farm 
of  ninety-three  acres,  which  yields  him  a  comfort- 
able income,  and  upon  which  he  has  made  good  im- 
provements. His  honored  father  was  the  first 
Supervisor  of  New  Lenox  Township,  to  which  he 
gave  its  name  in  honor  of  Lenox,  Madison  Count}-, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  had  formerly  lived.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Empire  State,  he  held  the  office  of  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  for  the  long  period  of  sixteen 
years  in  succession. 


j  OBERT  FERGUSON,  deceased,  was  a  pio- 
neer  of  Will  County,  and  as  one  who  ma- 
'^\  terially  contributed  to  develop  its  rich  ag- 
ricultural resources,  and  as  an  early  settler 
of  Plainfield  Township,  where  he  built  up  for 
himself  and  family  a  desirable  home,  he  is  well 
worthy  of  representation  in  this  Biographical  Al- 
liu.M.  County  Deny, -Ireland,  was  the  birthplace  of 
our  subject,  and  also  of  Lis  father,  who  bore  the 
same  name,  he  being  of  Scotch  antecedents.  The 
latter    was  a  trader,   dealer   in   linen   fabrics,  and 


in  1840  he  emigrated  to  this  country  and  located 
in  Easton,  Pa.  He  resided  there  for  two  years 
and  then  came  to  Will  County,  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  at  the  home  of  our  subject,  dy- 
ing in  March,  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Nancy  McDougall,  preceded  him  in  death  many 
years,  dying  in  P^aston,  Pa.,  in  1852.  They  had 
but  one  son,  our  subject,  and  one  daughter,  Mary 
A.,  who  married  John  W.  Johnson  and  lives  in 
Will  County. 

Robert  Ferguson  was  reared  in  his  native  land 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  w-hen  he  came 
to  America  and  located  at  Easton,  was  employed 
in  a  wire  manufactory  and  resided  there  until  1852. 
Then  in  the  vigor  and  prime  of  manhood,  he  came 
to  this  county  intending  to  devote  himself  to  farm- 
ing. He  first  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild  prai- 
rie land  on  section  35,  Plainfield  Township,  paying 
therefor  «5  an  acre.  He  immediately  set  about 
its  improvement,  preparing  the  land  for  cultiva- 
tion and  erecting  a  temporary  building  for  the 
shelter  of  his  family,  which  he  replaced  some  years 
later  by  a  frame  house.  He  was  much  prospered  in 
his  undertakings  and  was  subsequently  enabled  to 
buy  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  more  land  in  the 
same  section,  upon  which  he  erected  a  fine  set  of 
frame  buildings,  replete  with  all  conveniences,  and 
here  his  useful  life  was  brought  to  a  close  b}-  his 
untimely  death,  May  31,  1888. 

Mr.  Ferguson  was  greatly  indebted  for  the  posi- 
tion he  attained,  to  the  help  he  received  by  his 
worthy  wife  to  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage 
in  1841.  She  still  occupies  the  old  homestead,  the 
farm  being  abl}-  managed  by  her  son  James.  Mrs. 
Ferguson's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  McDougall, 
and  she  is  also  with  her  husb.and,  a  native  of 
County  Derry,  Ireland.  Her-father,  Ed  waul  Mc- 
Dougall, is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  where  he  carried  on  the  occupation 
of  farming.  Later  in  life  he  came  to  America  to 
join  his  children,  and  resided  for  a  time  in  New 
York,  his  last  years  were  spent  in  this  county.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Mollie  Smith,  and 
she  too  was  born  in  County  Derry,  her  father, 
Jacob  Smith,  being  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  where 
he  carried  on  farming  and  spent  his  entire  life.  She 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


467 


died  ill  New  York.  Mrs.  Ferguson's  only  brother, 
James  died  in  New  York.  She  had  three  sisters, Mol- 
lie,  who  married  a  ^Ir.  ^NlcChmahan  .and  is  now  de- 
ceased ;  Sallie,  who  married  Tiioraas  Loggett  and 
is  now  deceased;  Eleanor,  who  married  .Tosepli 
McClintock  and  lives  in  Joliet.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fer- 
guson h.ad  seven  children  all  of  whom  are  living: 
Robert  M..  John  J.,  Joseph  M.,  Eleanor,  James, 
Mar^'  and  Jennie. 

Mr.  Ferguson  possessed  in  a  large  degree  the 
quaiities  necessarj'  for  success  in  a  farmer's  call- 
ing, and  as  we  have  seen  attained  it,  placing  iiim- 
self  aniiiiig  the  solid  well-to-do  citizens  of  the 
townsiiip.  His  inherent  traits  of  c'laracter  won  him 
a  good  name  and  a  good  standing  in  the  commun- 
ily,  and  as  a  pioneer  his  memory  will  ever  be  rc- 
siiected  in  Flainfield.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferguson 
were  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
but  after  coming  here,  identified  themselves  with 
the  Congregational  Church  and  Mrs.  Ferguson  is 
still  a  faithful  attendant. 

ILLIAM  ERB,  Treasurer  of  the  People's 
Loan  &  Homestead  Association  at  Joliet, 
^,  ..  is  also  engaged  as  a  money  loaner  and 
dcal.'rin  real  estate.  He  is  a  man  of  unquestioned 
business  ability,  and  in  years  is  still  on  the  sunny 
side  of  forty,  having  been  born  May  26,  1843. 
His  native  place  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  At- 
lantic in  the  Grand  Duchj'  of  Baden,  Germany, 
and  he  comes  of  unadulterated  German  stock.  He 
inherits  from  a  substantial  ancestiy  the  qualities 
which  have  made  this  nationality  one  of  the  best 
on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

P.antnle  Erb,  the  father  of  our  subject,  emigrated 
to  America  in  the  fall  of  1845,  locating  in  Louisi- 
ana, and  four  years  later  sent  for  his  family,  which 
consisted  of  the  mother  and  two  children,  William, 
our  subject,  and  Hannah,  now  Mrs.  Kaffer,  of  Joliet. 
The  family  remained  residents  of  Louisiana  until  the 
spring  of  1856,  then  came  to  this  county  and  located 
in  Joliet,  where  they  lived  until  the  death  of  the 
father,  which  took  place  February  9,  1887.  Two 
more  children  in  the  meantime  had   been  added  to 


./k. 


the  family  circle,  viz:  Louisa,  Mrs.  Peter  Beirschiet, 
whose  husband  is  an  Alderman  from  the  Third 
Ward,  and  Anthony,  who  died  in  Joliet  March  27, 
1889.  The  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Beirschiet,  in  Joliet,  and 
is  now  seventy-seven  years  old. 

Mr.  Erb  acquired  a  good,  practical  education  in 
the  common  school  and  at  an  early  age  imbibed  the 
habits  of  industry  which  have  been  the  secret  of 
his  success  in  life.  When  leaving  school  he  em- 
plo3'ed  himself  at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do  to 
earn  an  honest  dollar,  and  with  the  thrift  and  pru- 
dence which  is,  almost  without  exception,  charac- 
teristic of  his  countrymen,  he  was  soon  enabled  to 
store  away  a  snug  little  sum  of  mone}'.  He  re- 
mained unmarried  until  a  man  of  twenty-eight 
years  and  was  then  wedded,  June  7,  1871,  to  Miss 
Sophia  Trabing,  of  Joliet.  Soon  afterward  he  em- 
barked in  the  coal  business  .at  which  he  continued 
successfully  until  the  siiring  of  1876,  when  he  sold 
out  and  established  himself  in  the  retail  grocery 
trade  of  'Washington  Street.  This  enterprise  also 
proved  successful,  he  building  up  a  fine  trade,  and 
he  was  thus  occupied  until  September,  1885.  Then 
selling  out  he  emliarked  in  his  present  enterprise. 
He  is  now  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  competency  with 
the  prospect  of  sutllcient  means  to  defend  liim 
against  want  in  his  old  age. 

Mr.  Erb,  in  tlie  spring  of  1883,  was  elected  to 
his  present  position  as  Treasurer  of  the  Loan  & 
Homestead  Association,  in  which  he  has  been  a 
Director  since  1878.  He  was  one  of  its  first  stock- 
holders and  has  .always  Iieen  warml_v  interested  in 
its  success.  He  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the  finest 
houses  in  the  city  and  has  large  real  estate-interests 
aside  from  this.  To  him  and  his  estimable  wife 
there  have  been  liorn  three  children — George, 
Louise  and  Edwin.  They  are  all  under  the  home 
roof,  and  it  is  the  intention  of  their  father  to  give 
them  the  best  advantages  within  his  power. 

Mrs.  Erb  was  born  in  the  German  Province  of 
Ilesse-Darmstadt,  in  1853,  and  came  with  jjor  par- 
ents to  the  LTnited  States  when  a  child  of  twelve 
years.  Her  parents,  Jacob  and  Louisa  Trabing, 
were  also  of  German  birth  and  ancestiy  and  are  now 
residents  of  Will  County. 

The    People's    Loan  &   Homestead    As.sociation 


468 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  organized  in  April,  1875,  largelj--  through  the 
instrumentnlity  of  Edwin  B.Mason,  and  having  for 
its  first  President,  James  G.  Elwood.  Its  second 
President  was  Charles  Pettigrew.  Upon  his  retire- 
ment F.  W.  Plant  was  elected  President  and  is  still 
serving.  The  other  officials  ai-e:  I.  C.  Norton, Vice 
President;  William  Erlj,  Treasurer;  Horace  Weeks, 
Secretar}'.  The  Directors  are :  Hen r3- Pohl,  John 
Lj-ons,  William  Ireland,  and  G.  N.  Reistad.  The 
capital  stock  at  the  present  time  aggregates  $3,- 
000,000,  while  the  twelve  hundred  depositors  make 
a  monthly  deposit  of  ^25,000.  The  institution  is 
thus  in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  w)\ich  speaks 
admirably  for  those  in  charge,  among  whom  Mr. 
Erb  is  no  unimportant  factor.  Its  loans  at  this 
writing  amount  to  over  three-fourths  of  a  million 
dollars. 


EFFER.SON  P.UMP.  The  substantial  ele- 
ment in  the  community  of  Homer  Township 
finds  a  worthy  representative  in  the  subject 
^l^jfj  of  this  notice,  who  is  a  man  careful  and 
conscientious  in  his  habits  of  life  and  his  business 
affairs,  and  who  has  made  for  himself  a  good  rec- 
ord, gaining  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  those 
around  him.  He  makes  his  headquarters  at  a  well- 
regulated  farm  on  section  15,  which  is  supplied 
with  good  buildings,  and  has  about  it  all  the  other 
evidences  of  enterprise  and  prosperity. 

The  native  |)lace  of  Mr.  Bump  was  in  Chautau- 
qua County,  X.  Y.,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  Jan- 
uary 31,  1826.  His  parents  were  Jacob  and  L}dia 
(Bowen)  Bump,  who  were  natives  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  emigrated  to  the  Empire  State  at  an 
early  day.  settling  in  Chautauqua  Count}'.  They 
lived  there  until  1834,  then  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  on  section  15,  of  what  is  now  known  as 
Homer  Township.  The  father  followed  agricultu- 
ral pursuits,  and  assisted  by  his  estimable  partner, 
made  a  comfortable  home  for  his  famil3%and  there 
both  parents  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 
There  was  born  to  them  a  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, Jefferson  being  among  the  j'ounger  ones  and 
two  of  whom  are  living. 

Mr.  Bump,  of  whom  we  write,  was  a  lad  of  eight 


years  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  this  count}'. 
Hn  grew  to  manhood  in  Homer  Township,  where 
with  the  exception  of  seven  j-ears  ."pent  in  Califor- 
nia he  has  since  resided.  He  went  to  the  Pacific 
81oi)e  in  1852,  and  during  the  years  mentioned 
w,as  eng.iged  in  mining,  meeting  with  fair  success. 
Since  returning  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  farm  pursuits,  and  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred 
and  eight}'  acres  of  choice  land,  which  with  its  im- 
provements makes  one  of  the  most  desirable  coun- 
try estates  in  Will  County. 

When  ready  to  establish  matrimonial  and  do- 
mestic tics,  Mr.  Bump  was  married  at  PlainBeld, 
111.,  December  20,  1860,  to  Miss  Fannie  M.,  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Nanc}'  (Bump)  Rockafellow.  Mrs. 
Bump  was  born  April  30,  1844,  in  Plainfield,  to 
which  her  parents  removed  from  Lake  County, 
Ohio,  in  lS3it.  The  father,  who  was  a  native  of 
New  York  Stale,  died  at  the  homestead  in  Plain- 
field  Township  in  1856,  and  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing and  m.akes  her  home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Bump.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children 
onl}',  of  whom  Mrs.  Bump  was  the  younger. 

Seven  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject 
and  his  estimable  wife,  viz.:  Sarah  A.,  the  wife  of 
Alonzo  Bump,  of  Nebraska;  Nelson  .J.,  Clarence 
J.;  Nancy  H.,  the  wife  of  Mathias  Homerding; 
Frank  G.,  Loretta  L.  and  Kate  L.  Mr.  Bump  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Van  Buren,  and  con- 
tinues his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  part}'.  He 
is  a  man  of  decided  views  and  opinions,  and  keeps 
himself  thoroughly  informed  upon  the  leading 
topics  of  the  day.  He  has  never  aspired  to  ofHce, 
being  content  to  occupy  himself  with  his  farming 
interests  and  the  comforts  of  his  family. 


<*!  OHN  J.  HUNT.  The  Nation  in  which  we 
take  such  just  pride  is  indebted  to  the  lands 
across  the  sea  for  many  of  her  most  reliable 
citizens  and  enterprising  workers  in  various 
lines  of  life.  Among  this  class  is  numbered  the 
gentleman  above  named,  who  owns  and  occupies  a 
fine  estate  in  Joliet  Township,  not  far  from  the 
city  limits.     It  comprises   two  hundred  and  fifty- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


4G9 


four  and  a  half  acres,  four  and  a  half  acres  on  sec- 
tion 22,  fifty  acres  on  section  23,  and  two  liuudred 
acres  on  section  1,  Manliattan  Township,  wliich 
is  marlved  with  tlie  improvements  usually  made  by 
a  man  uf  enterprise,  but  whicli  are  above  the  aver- 
age in  their  durability  and  design.  Mr.  Hunt  has 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the  pursuit  of 
agriculture,  connecting  stocit-raisiug  with  the  tilling 
of  the  soil  to  a  consideral)le  extent. 

In  (Somersetshire,  England,  November  7,  1832, 
the  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light,  and  in 
the  mother  countrj-  he  remained  until  the  age  of 
eighteen  years.  He  then  crossed  the  briu}-  deep 
for  the  land  which  had  attracted  him  by  its  promise 
of  a  broader  field  for  the  energy  which  he  felt,  and 
after  landing  on  the  Eastern  coast  he  came  to  the 
Prairie  State,  making  his  entrance  into  Joliet  July 
17,  1851.  He  found  employment  on  a  farm  on 
Hickory  Creek,  where  he  worked  by  the  month 
about  seven  years,  after  which,  with  his  brother 
Mark,  he  rented  the  same  estate  for  about  four 
years.  His  next  enterprise  was  the  rental  of  a 
farm  belonging  to  AVilliam  Ferguson,  for  a  twelve- 
month, the  following  three  j'ears  being  spent  as  a 
renter  on  an  estate  belonging  to  William  Hughes. 

While  living  ujjon  tlie  Hughes  estate  Mr.  Hunt 
took  a  comi)aiiion  in  life  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Olive  .1.  Wheeler,  the  marriage  ceremony  taking 
place  May  7,  18C1.  Mrs.  Hunt  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont, June  23,  1839,  and  exemplifies  in  her  person 
the  housewifely  ability  and  unbounded  energj'  of 
the  Yankee  character.  Her  parents,  David  N.  and 
Lydia  (Stanley)  Wheeler,  are  also  natives  of  the 
Green  Mountain  State,  whence  the}'  came  to  Illi- 
nois early  in  the  '50s.  They  made  a  permanent 
settlement  in  Frankfort  Township,  where  they  are 
still  living.  Their  famil}'  consists  of  five  sons  and 
five  daughters,  Mrs.  Hunt  being  the  eldest. 

For  nearly  two  years  after  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hunt  res'ded  upon  the  Hughes  farm,  after 
which  they  bought  an  estate  in  Manhattan  Town- 
ship, and  removing  there  made  it  their  home  thir- 
teen years.  Having  bought  the  present  estate  and 
erected  upon  it  a  most  excellent  dwelling,  they  re- 
moved here  on  March  26,  1876,  with  the  intention 
of  making  this  their  permanent  home.  They  are 
the  parents  of  four  children,  their  daughter,  Edna 


E.,  who  is  the  youngest  child,  being  the  only  one 
who  remains  with  them.  Joseph  C.  married  Cora 
Jane  Mapps,  and  lives  in  Joliet;  Cora  E.  is  the 
wife  of  John  C.  Love;  John  W.  is  now  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad. 

Mr.  Hunt  exercises  the  right  of  suffrage  in  sup- 
port of  the  principles  and  candidates  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Mrs.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Joliet.  Among  their  associates 
they  have  many  friends,  and  b}^  all  to  whom  they 
are  known  they  are  classed  among  the  most  res- 
pectable and  intelligent  members  of  the  commu- 
nity. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Hunt  were  Joseph  and  Char- 
lotte (Green)  Hunt,  both  natives  of  the  motlier 
country,  who  died  in  Somersetshire.  The}-  had 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  he  of  whom  we 
write  being  the  second  member  of  the  family- 
circle. 


^,  ARTIN  GUSHING,  D.  V.  S.  The  subject 
of  this  notice  is  a  prominent  man  in  his 
profession  and  occupies  a  conveniently 
arranged  establishment  at  No.  108  Ex- 
change Street,  Joliet,  in  which  he  has  conducted  a 
successful  practice  for  the  last  six  years.  His  wide 
experience  and  his  strict  attention  to  the  duties  of 
his  chosen  calling  have  rendered  him  more  than 
ordinarily  expert  and  he  avails  himself  of  all  tlie 
means  at  his  command  to  inform  himself  in  regard 
to  the  various  matters  connected  therewith.  He  has 
gathered  around  him  the  various  appliances  re- 
quired for  a  successful  business  and  personally,  as 
well  as  in  business  circles,  is  highly  spoken  of  In 
business  community. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  native  of  Utica,  N. 
Y.,  was  born  September  7,  1852,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Margaret  ( Mct^uade)  Cusbing,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  was  born  in  County  Queens,  Ireland, 
and  the  latter  in  the  city  of  Paisley,  Scotland. 
James  Cushing  when  a  young  man,  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
married.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  resolving  upon 
seeking  the  farther  west  he  came  with  his  little 
family  to  this  State  and   settled  in  Joliet,     James 


470 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Cusliinw  died  November  9,  1884.  Tlie  widow  still 
resides  in  Joliet. 

Ur.  Casliin!>-  acquired  a  iniu-lical  ediualiini  in 
the  city  schools  of  Joliet  and  when  approaching 
manhood  was  variously  engaged  until  commencing 
tiie  studies  of  veterinary  surgery.  Indue  time  he 
entered  upon  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Columbia 
Veterinary  College,  in  New  York  City,  and  subse- 
quently spent  tvvo  years  in  the  American  College, 
in  New  York  City,  graduating  from  tlie  latter  in 
1885,  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  methods 
of  |)roceedure  in  ordinary  practice.  He  at  once 
located  at  Joliet  and  has  now  all  the  business  which 
he  can  attend  to  both  in  the  city  and  country.  In 
connection  witii  this  he  established  a  livery  busi- 
ness in  partnership  with  his  br(jllier  James,  in  the 
cit}'  of  Joliet.  in  1889,  putting  up  a  fine  stone 
building  which  is  conveniently  arranged  for  hos- 
pital and  operating  purposes  located  at  No.  108, 
Exchange  Street. 

Dr.  Cashing  has  distinguished  himself  as  a  lib- 
eral and  public  spirited  citizen,  and  after  filling 
other  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  was  in 
1889  elected  a  member  of  the  Citj'  Council  on  the 
Democratic  ticket. 


e 


-*-^^^>^^^^^^f><^' 


MARLES  S.  COCKETT,  late  Secretary  of 
the  Ashley  Wire  Company,  departed  this 
life  at  his  home  in  Joliet,  September  20, 
1888,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years,  having  been 
born  March  3,  1835.  His  native  place  was  Kirk- 
land,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  and  his  father  was 
Thomas  Cockett,  who  was  of  English  descent  and 
spent  his  last  years  in  New  York.  The  paternal 
grandfather  settled  on  the  Susquehanna  River  at 
an  earl}'  day  and  built  a  number  of  mills  in  that 
vicinity,  where  it  is  probable  he  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  life.  He  was  a  skilled  workman  and 
successful  man  and  became  prominentl}'  known 
throughout  that  region. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  grew  to  mature  years 
in  his  native  county  and  obtained  a  good  educa- 
tion, completing  his  studies  in  one  of  the  schools  of 
Cooperstown,  Otsego  County.     For  several  years 


thereafter  he  occupied  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  the  store  of  his  uncle  at  Cooperstown. 
Then  leaving  his  native  State  he  emigrated  to  De- 
catur, Mich,  and  engaged  in  the  insurance  and  ex- 
press business  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War.  Determining  then  to  have  a  hand  in  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  this  being  assigned  to  a  regiment  of  Michigan 
Infantry,  and  which  later  became  a  part  of  the 
Excelsior  Brigade  of  New  York  State.  He  served 
nearly  four  j'ears,  engaging  in  many  important 
battles  and  receiving  an  honorable  wounil  at  the 
battle  of  Williamsburg.  He  was  mustered  out 
after  the  close  of  the  war  and  receive'd  an  hon- 
orable discharge.  On  account  of  having  con- 
tracted a  severe  cold  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  was  unable  to  entirely  recover,  he  was  given 
the  post  of  Commissar}'  Sergeant,  which  he  held 
most  of  the  time  during  his  army  life.  Upon  leav- 
ing the  service  Mr.Cockett  returned  to  Decatur, 
Mich.,  and  resumed  operations  in  the  insurance 
and  express  business  which  he  conducted  success- 
fully for  some  j'ears.  On  the  10th  of  April,  1867, 
he  took  unto  himself  a  wife  and  heljjmate,  Miss 
Mary  J.  Smith,  and  made  his  home  in  Decatur 
until  1875. 

In  the  year  above  mentioned,  Mr.  Cockett 
disposed  of  his  business  interests  in  Michigan, 
and  coming  to  Joliet,  began  dealing  in  grain  and 
was  thus  occupied  for  two  years.  At  the  exi)ira- 
tion  of  this  time  he  became  connected  with 
Messrs.  11.  B.  Scott  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  barb 
wire,  and  when  the  Ashley  Wire  Works  was  or- 
ganized he  was  made  the  Secretary  and  held  this 
position  until  his  death.  He  was  a  capable  and 
reliable  business  man  and  enjoyed  the  esteem  and 
conTide'hce  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Mrs.  IMary  J.  (Smith)  Cockett  was  born  June  8, 
1839,  in  New  Lyme.  Ashtabula  Count}',  Ohio, and 
is  the  daughter  of  H.  B.  and  Mary  (Clapp)  Smith. 
Mr.  Smith  removed  from  Trumbull  County, 
Ohio,  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  his  death  took 
place.  Mrs.  Smith  died  June  20,  1839,  a'  few 
days  after  the  birth  of  her  daugliter.  Mr.  Smith 
lived  until  his  daughter  had  reached  womanhood. 
Mary  remained  a  member  of  the  household  until 
her  marriaije,   which    resulted  in  the    birth   of  one 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


471 


chilli  only,  a  son,  Bret  Haite,  who  was  born  March 
16.  1871,  at  Decatur,  Mich.,  and  remains  at  home 
with  liis  mother.  Both  mother  and  son  are  mem- 
bers in  good  standing  of  tlie  Central  Presbyterian 
Churcli. 


\f?  AMES  F.  MOR RISE V.  It  would  be  hard 
to  find  a  gentleman  of  tiie  same  age  wlio 
has  reached  so  high  a  position  in  business 
(^^^  circles,  and  held  so  prominent  a  place  in 
in  public  affairs,  as  the  subject  of  this  biograph- 
ical notice,  who  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  Common  Council  of  Joliet.  lie  represents  the 
sixth  ward  in  the  aldermanic  body,  and  is  serving 
his  second  term.  In  addition  to  his  public  labors, 
he  carries  on  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements 
and  seeds,  at  No.  205  Washington  Street,  also  deal- 
ing in  road  carts,  etc. 

Mr.  Morrisey  is  a  native  of  the  city  which  he 
honors  by  his  ability'  and  service,  his  natal  day 
having  been  April  25,  1859.  His  parents  were 
James  and  Catharine  Morrisey,  both  natives  of 
Ireland,  who  came  to  America  prior  to  their  mar- 
riage, that  event  tailing  place  in  this  city,  where 
the  father  died.  He  of  whom  we  write  grew  to 
maturity  here,  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen  3ears 
being  graduated  from  the  Joliet  Business  College. 
He  then  engaged  with  G.  C.  Erhard,  dealer  in  ag- 
ricultural ituplem(uits,  remaining  in  tliat  gentle- 
man's employ  eleven  years. 

The  next  move  of  3'oung  Morrisey  was  to  un- 
dertake the  sale  of  the  same  line  of  goods  on  tiie 
road,  as  an  agent  for  the  Kleinfelter  &  Dillman  Com- 
pany, with  which  he  was  engaged  eight  years.  At 
the  close  of  his  term  with  tiiem,  he  began  business 
for  himself,  oiiening  his  place  of  business  in  Janu- 
ary, 188S).  Thus  far  he  has  had  a  very  successful 
trade,  the  prospects  for  the  future  being  bright 
and  encouraging.  The  long  experience  of  Mr. 
Morrisey  in  the  line  of  trade  tlial  he  has  adopted, 
gives  him  a  perfect  knowledge  of  that  in  which  he 
deals,  and  liis  methods  are  strictly  honorable,  while 
marked  by  a  spirit  of  enterprise  .and  "j)ush"  highly 
commendable  and  such  as  wins  success. 

The  public  life  of  Mr.  Jlorrisey  began  in  1886, 


when  ho  was  elected  Assistant  Supervisor  of  Joliet 
Township,  the  oflice  being  so  acceptably  filled  that 
he  was  re-elected  the  following  year.  The  next 
year  he  was  sent  to  the  Council  Chamber,  and  here 
also  his  efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity are  recognized  by  liis  constituents,  and  re- 
llect  credit  upon  himself.  lie  is  a  member  of  St. 
Mai-y's  Catholic  Church,  which  w.as  organized  with 
his  father  as  one  of  its  early  members. 

On  October  20,  1882,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  our  subject  and  l\Iiss  Elta  M. 
Ard.agh,  of  Channahon  Township.  The  bride  was 
boin  in  that  township,  her  parents,  Patrick  and 
Mary  Ardagli,  being  old  residents  there.  She  also 
belongs  to  St.  Mary's  Church.  The  union  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  live  children.  They  are 
named  respectively,  James  R.,  Mary,  Etta,  Dora 
and  John  I). 


!?/_  ERBERT  H.  BALDWIN,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 

117)1]  younger  members  of  the  medical  fraternity 
(^W<^  of  Will  County,  has  evidently  entered  upon 
(^^  a  successful  career  in  his  chosen  profession, 
making  a  specialty  of  electro- vapor  and  njedica- 
ted  baths.  He  maintains  that  this  treatment  is 
superior,  usually  and  in  most  diseases,  to  the  in- 
ternal administration  of  medicine.  He  was  born 
in  lUue  Island,  Cook  County',  this  State,  Septem- 
ber 22,  1857,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah 
J.  (Alexander)  Baldwin,  the  former  a  native  of 
London,  England,  and  the  latter  of  Pensylvania. 
Henry  Baldwin  came  to  America  about  1855-56, 
and  died  in  the  }'ear  1858.  He  was  a  well-edu- 
cated man  and  followed  the  profession  of  a  teacher. 
The  mother,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  made 
her  home  in  Blue  Island,  and  is  now  assistant 
Principal  of  one  of  the  public  schools  of  Chicago. 
The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  only  child  of 
his  parents,  and  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
place,  graduating  from  the  High  School  there. 
Later  he  supplemented  his  education  by  attend- 
ance at  the  Cook  County  Normal,  at  Englewocd, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1876.  For  five 
years  thereafter  he  occupied   himself  as  a  teacher 


472 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  the  schools  of  Cook  and  Will  Counties.  In  the 
meantime  lie  was  Principal  of  the  schools  of  New- 
Lenox.  Prospect  Avtnne  anfl  Washington  Heights. 
He  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
instruction  of  Dr.  H.  W.  Alexander,  with  wiiom 
he  remained  as  student  and  associate  for  several 
years. 

The  Doctor  finally  entered  the  Chicago  Medical 
College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1883. 
He  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Joliet,  where  he  remained  something  over  a  j'ear 
then,  crossing  the  Mississippi,  went  to  Hankinsou, 
N.  Dak.,  where  lie  remained  until  tlie  death  of  Dr. 
Alexander,  May  27,  1889.  Returning  then  to  Jol- 
iet, he  took  up  the  Doctor's  practice  and  is  build- 
ing up  a  fine  business.  He  belongs  to  the  Will 
County  Medical  Society,  and  keeps  liimself  posted 
upon  modern  methods  of  treatment,  both  in  con- 
nection with  his  specialty-  and  the  regular  practice. 

Dr.  Baldwin  was  married  June  25,  1888,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  to  Miss  Min- 
neaxie  A.  Folsoni.  This  lady  was  born  in  that 
cit}',  and  is  a  daugliter  of  Prof.  J.  Folsom,  also  of 
Minneapolis.  The  Doctor  and  his  amiable  lad}' 
occupy  a  neat  home  on  North  Broadway-,  and  en- 
J03'  the  acquaintance  and  friendship  of  its  best 
citizens.  Politicallj-  lie  is  a  Republican,  and  both 
lie  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


■^ 


'¥■  OSEPH  FREDUICK.  The  enterprising  sons 
of  the  Fatherland  have  permeated  througli 
all  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  left  their 
ineffaceable  mark  as  the  sign-manual  of  in- 
dustry, energy  and  a  perseverance  which  has  never 
admitted  the  existence  of  any  such  word  as  "  fail." 
They  have  brought  to  their  adopted  country  the 
steady  habits  which  were  transmitted  to  tiiem  from 
a  substantial  ancestry,  and  b3'  which  they  have 
arisen  to  prominent  positions  in  tiie  industrial  as 
well  as  the  political  world.  They  came  to  the  Ter- 
ritoiyof  Illinois  when  it  was  first  opened  for  settle- 
ment, and  have  built  up  some  of  its  most  fertile 
farms  and  valuable  homesteads. 


The  subject  of  this  notice — one  of  tlie  most  sub 
stantial  farmers  of  Joliet  Township — is  a  native  of 
the  )iiovince  of  Alsace,  then  a  province  of  France, 
liut  now  of  Gerraanj-,  and  was  born  April  20, 
1820.  He  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  seven  ciiil- 
dren,  the  offspring  of  Mothen  and  Kathrina  (.Steck) 
Fredrick,  who  were  natives  of  the  same  province 
as  their  son.  and  where  thej-  spent  their  entire 
lives. 

In  1840,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  the 
subject  of  this  notice  emigrated  to  America,  land- 
ing in  New  York  City.  Thence  he  made  his  way 
to  Buffalo,  and  from  there  emigrated  to  Chicago, 
111.,  and  a  short  time  afterward  we  find  him  iii 
Joliet,  this  county,  occupied  at  whatever  honest 
labor  he  could  find  to  do.  For  a  time  he  was  em- 
ploj-ed  on  a  canal,  but  later  worked  for  a  farmer  in 
DuPage  Count}-,  remaining  witli  him  three  years. 
In  the  meantime  he  made  the  .icquaintance  of  Miss 
Sarah  AVise,  to  whom  he  was  married  at  Naperville, 
in  1844.  After  the  birth  of  one  child,  Mr.  Fredrick, 
iu  1848,  removed  to  Joliet  where  he  lived  one 
year.  His  nest  removal  was  to  the  farmwliich  he 
now  owns  and  occupies,  and  which  lies  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  the  city  limits. 

Since  his  i-emoval  to  this  place  Mr.  Fredrick  has 
given  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
His  fine  farm  with  eighty  acres  is  embellislied  with 
good  buildings,  while  he  has  made  fences,  planted 
fruit  and  shade  trees,  and  gathered  together  all  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  modem  farm  life. 
To  him  and  his  estimable  wife  there  has  been  born 
a  family  of  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. Joseph  married  Sarah  Smith  and  lives  in 
Joliet ;  Frank  E.  married  Miss  Margaret  Parks  and 
is  a  resident  of  Joliet;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Bossom.  and  they  live  in  Joliet;  Josephine,  Cliarles 
A.^ Oswald  J.,  AViliiani  W.  and  Anua  A.  are  at 
home  with  their  parents.  Tlie  deceased  children 
were  taken  from  the  household  circle  at  a  tender 
age.  jMr.  Fredrick  politically,  affiliates  with  tlie 
Democratic  party.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  to  which  he  still  lo3-all3-  ad- 
heres. 

^Iis.  Fredrick  is  the  daughter  of  .Tacob  and 
Sarah  (Martin)  Wise,  who  w-ere  natives  of  the 
kingdom  of  Bavaria  and  of  German  parentage  and 


f\J^  C' 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


475 


aneestrj-.  They  emigrated  to  America  in  1831, 
settling  first  in  l'enns3lvania,  wliere  tliey  lived 
seven  years.  In  1837  they  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  DuPage  Conntj',  where  they  spent  the  closing 
years  of  their  lives.  There  was  born  to  them  a 
family  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  living. 
]Mrs.  Fiedric'k  is  the  tiiird  child  and  likewise  is  a 
native  of  Bavaria,  her  birth  taking  place  August  4, 
1827.  She  was  a  child  of  three  or  tour  years  when 
coming  to  America,  and  remained  under  the  paren- 
tal roof  until  her  marriage. 


6;EORGE    ALEXANDER,   who   ably    repre- 
-,  sents  the    township   of    Channahon,  on  the 
^J    County    Board   of  Supervisors,  and    whose 

portrait  will  be  noticed  on  the  opposite  page,  \a 
the  oldest  native-born  citizen  now  living  here.  He 
is  well  known  throughout  this  part  of  Illinois  as 
one  of  its  keenest  and  most  sagacious  business  men, 
and  one  who  has  been  variously  ideiititied  with  its 
interests  for  nianj'  years;  by  his  energetic  and  res- 
olute force  of  character  and  talent  for  affairs  he 
has  given  a  great  impetus  to  the  growth  of  this 
section  of  country',  and  is  still  actively  forwarding 
various  schemes  for  its  advancement  in  important 
directions.  He  is  one  of  the  foremost  farmers 
and  raisers  of  stock,  and  owns  one  of  the  largest 
and  finest  farms  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

Sir.  Alexander  was  born  on  the  Reed  place, 
ill  the  east  part  of  this  count}-,  October  27,  1837. 
lie  comes  of  an  old  pioneer  family,  his  parents, 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Turner)  Alexander,  coming 
here  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  the 
countiy.  and  moving  on  the  farm  where  our  sub- 
ject now  resides,  when  he  was  a  year  old.  Thej' 
lived  there  until  death,  the  mother  dying  in  1853, 
and  the  father  in  1856,  he  being  killed  by  a  kick 
from  a  horse.  He  was  a  native  of  Scotland  but 
was  reared  in  England,  and  was  there  married  and 
in  1836  came  to  this  country  with  his  wife,  and 
located  here  permanently.  He  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic five  times,  and  in  1835  first  set  foot  in  Chicago, 
which  was  then  but  an  insignificant  hamlet. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  iu  a  family-  of  six  chil- 


dren, and  was  reared  amid  pioneer  scenes  to  a 
stalwart  manhood,  bred  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
His  father  was  a  well-educated  man,  and  taught 
school  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  this 
cour.ty,  and  our  subject  besides  attending  the  local 
school  received  the  benefit  of  instruction  from  bis 
father,  and  thus  obtained  a  liberal  education.  He 
started  in  business  for  himself  with  thirty-five  acres 
of  land,  and  has  met  with  more  than  ordinary  suc- 
cess, being  now  the  possessor  of  seven  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres,  all  of  which  lies  within  five 
miles  of  his  home.  His  homestead  is  on  section 
15,  Channahon  Township,  lying  on  the  banks  of 
the  Desplaines  Rivei-.  The  Chicago  &  Alton  and 
Santa  Fe  Railroads  run  through  the  farm  near  his 
house,  and  a  station  has  been  located  about  a  mile 
from  there.  He  early  gave  his  attention  to  the 
grain  and  cattle  interests,  and  also  to  raising 
horses,  having  made  a  specialty  of  the  stock  bus- 
iness, shipping  to  Chicago,  Buffalo,  and  even  to 
Albany,  and  has  been  thirteen  days  on  tlie  road 
with  his  cattle.  This  ue  followed  a  long  time,  be- 
ing in  partnership  with  C.  C.  Smith  for  nineteen 
years;  they  also  opened  a  butter  factory  in  the 
village  of  Channahon,  which  they  managed  to- 
gether for  several  j-ears,  handling  as  many  as  six- 
teen thousand  pounds  of  milk  per  day,  making 
butter  and  cheese.  Our  subject  has  by  no  means 
confined  himself  to  agiicultural  pursuits,  but  has 
been  engaged  in  other  directions.  He  was  con- 
nected with  James  Bruce  in  quarrying  and  sliip- 
[ling  stone,  furnishing  the  fluxing  stone  to  the 
rolling  mills,  he  having  a  specially  fine  stone  on  his 
[ilace  adapted  to  that  purpose.  At  different  times 
he  contracted  with  the  State  to  furnish  the  prison 
with  meat,  in  company  with  C.  C.  Smith. 

February  14,  1860,  Mr.  Alexander  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Emelinc,  daughter  of  Nelson 
Bedford,  of  New  Jersey.  They  have  had  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  survive,  namely:  Nettie, 
Hattie,  Mary,  John  and  Ruth,  the  latter  a  child 
living  with  her  parents.  Nettie,  the  eldest  keeps 
house  for  her  brot  er  John,  who  is  now  managing 
one  of  his  father's  farms  in  AVilmington  Township; 
Hattie  is  the  wife  of  AVilliam  Jennings,  formerly 
of  Will  County,  now  residing  in  Crawford  County, 
Kan.,  and  they  have  three  children — Emma,  George 


476 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Blanche;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Allison  Tryon, 
of  Clinnnalion,  and  they  have  two  children — George 
and  Louis. 

Mr.  Alexander  is  !i  man  of  fine  ph^'sical  and  men- 
tal endowments  and  his  honorable,  conscientious 
course  as  a  business  man,  his  far-seeing  qualities, 
tact  and  enterprise  make  him  an  invaluable  citi- 
zen of  his  nativ(!  count}',  and  it  is  to  the  inlluence  of 
sucii  men  of  fertile  brain  and  liberal  spirit  that  Will 
County  is  indebted  for  its  high  standing  and  pros- 
perity. He  is  generous,  frank  and  kinti,  genial 
and  courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  others  and 
occu|)ies  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  his  many 
friends.  lie  is  a  leader  among  the  Democrats  of 
this  section,  takes  a  prominent  part  in  public 
affairs  and  was  elected  Supervisor  on  that  ticket,  a 
position  for  which  he  is  peculiarl\'  well  fitted.  He 
is  identified  with  Channahon  Lodge,  No.  2G2,  A.  F. 
A.  A.  M. 


(S?  EVI  HARTWELL.  "Deacon"  Hartwell 
as  lie  has  been  known  from  bo^diood,  is 
numbered  amo:ig  the  oldest  and  most  hon- 
ored settlers  of  Homer  Township.  There  are  living 
but  two  or  three  of  the  men  whom  he  found  in 
this  township  when  first  coming  to  "Will  County. 
Not  only  has  he  maintained  his  residence  here  for 
the  long  period  of  fifty-seven  years,  but  he  has 
been  one  of  the  township's  most  prominent  and 
useful  men,  identifying  himself  with  its  most  worthy 
enterprises  and  giving  his  moral  and  substantial 
aid  to  whatever  was  calculated  for  the  promotion 
of  its  best  interests.  He  is  a  man  whose  opinions 
are  thoroughly  respected  and  who  is  looked  up  to 
by  his  neighbors  as  one  possessing  more  than  or- 
dinary abilitj'  and  whose  integritj'  has  been  main- 
tained unquestioned  during  the  changes  of  a  long 
anil  useful  life.  His  occupation  has  been  that  of  a 
farmer,  in  which  he  has  been  successful,  securing  a 
home  to  defend  him  against  want  in  his  declining 
years. 

Mr.  Hartwirll  is  descended  from  excellent  stock 
which  flourished  in  New  England  during  the  Colo- 
nial days.     His  father,  the  late  Samuel  Hartwell, 


was  a  native  of  Hadley,  RLass.,  and  born  in  17«9. 
His  mother  who  bore  the  name  of  Abigail  Davis, 
was  born  in  1791),  and  it  is  believed  was  of  French 
parentage,  being  also  herself  probably  born  in 
France.  The  parents  after  marriage  settled  in 
Rochester,  N.  1'.,  where  the  father  occupied  him- 
self as  a  carpenter  and  farmer.  Later  they  became 
residents  of  Pittsford,  Monroe  County,  where  the 
mother  died  in  1828. 

After  the  decease  of  his  wife  Samuel  Hartwell 
returned  to  his  native  State,  and  in  1834  met  an 
accidental  death  by  falling  from  what  was  known 
as  Dry  Bridge,  near  Hadley,  where  he  was  found 
with  life  extinct.  The  parental  family  consisted 
of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  eldest.  He  w.as  born  in  Hadley, 
Mass.,  December  10,  1817,  and  at  the  early  awe  of 
eleven  j'ears  w.as  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
and  compelled  thereafter  to  look  out  for  himself. 
He  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  at  blacksmith- 
ing,  serving  seven  years  with  the  late  John  Lane. 
In  June,  1833,  he  came  in  company  with  Mr.  Lane, 
to  this  county  which  was  then  a  part  of  Cook 
County.  After  completing  his  apprenticeship  he 
followed  his  trade  mostly  in  Homer  Township,  un- 
til 1870,  but  at  the  same  time  operated  his  farm  in 
connection  therewith.  In  due  time  he  euo-ao-ed 
in  business  for  himself  and  manufactured  steel 
plows  which  were  sent  all  over  the  couutiy,  there 
being  shipped  to  California  alone  seven  hundred 
of  these,  which  was  sufficient  indication  of  their 
popularity  and  utility.  Mr.  Hartwell  also  manu- 
factured other  agricultural  implements  and  from 
this  source  realized  handsome  returns. 

In  1839,  Deacon  Hartwell  purchased  thirty  acres 
of  land  on  section  20,  Homer  Township,  and  which 
was  considered  practically  worthless,  being  mostly 
a  marsh.  Its  condition  to-day  illustrates  in  a 
marked  manner  the  results  of  good  management, 
industry  and  perseverance,  as  combined  with  what 
he  subsequently  purchased,  it  now  comprises  some 
of  the  most  valuable  soil  in  Will  County. 

Wisely  making  provision  for  a  family  before  he 
•assumed  the  responsibilities  of  one,  Mr.  Hartwell 
remained  unmarried  until  approaching  the  twenty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age  and  was  then  wedded  Novem- 
ber 3,  1842,  at  the  bride's   home  in  Homer  Town- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


'177 


ship  lo  Miss  Louisa,  daugbter  of  Edward  and  Sarah 
(Morris)  Poor.  The  young  people  conimenccil  the 
journey  of  life  together  at  their  own  home,  and  la- 
bored witii  a  mutual  purpose  in  gathering  around 
themselves  the  comforts  of  life  and  acquiring  a 
competence  for  the  future.  Mrs.  Hartwell  was  like- 
wise from  an  excellent  family-.  Her  parents  were 
natives  of  South  Carolina  ,ind  came  to  Illinois  in 
1830,  locating  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Homer 
Township.  The  father  secured  land  and  followed 
farming  and  built  up  a  good  home  where  he  and 
his  estimable  partner  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
days. 

Mis.  Hartwell  was  born  near  Attica,  Ind.,  Septem- 
ber 11,  1823.  Her  parents  had  emigrated  to  that 
State  when  it  w.as  practically  a  frontier,  and  thus 
endured  twice  the  experiment  of  life  in  a  new 
country  i)eopled  principally  by  wild  animals  and 
Indians.  Thej'  were  most  excellent  and  worthy 
people  and  without  making  any  great  stir  in  the 
world,  performed  their  duty  faithfully  to  those  de- 
pending upon  them  and  are  held  in  kindly  remem- 
brance by  all  who  knew  them.  Kdward  Poor,  is 
supposed  to  have  purchased  the  first  laud  secured 
from  the  Government  in  Homer  Township,  the 
deeds  of  which  were  the  first  entered  upon  the 
county  records  for  this  township. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartwell  there  were  born  five 
sons,  the  eldest  of  vvhom,  William  E.,  died  when 
two  years  old.  William  E.,  second,  during  the  late 
Civil  War  served  in  the  Union  Army  as  a  member 
of  Company  A,  Third  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  died  in 
the  hospital  at  Eastporf,  Miss.,  during  the  early 
part  of  May,  18G5,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
Charles  R.  died  at  the  homestead  of  consumption, 
he  l)eiug  also  nineteen  years  old;  Levi,  Jr.,  also 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  j-ears.  Thus  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hartwell  were  called  to  part  with  three  prom- 
ising sons  upon  whom  they  had  fastened  many 
hopes.  In  their  great  affliction  they  were  tendered 
the  sympathy  of  many  friends.  Samuel  follows 
agricultural  pursuits  and  lives  at  the  homestead. 
He  married  Miss  Emma  West.  Mrs.  Louisa  Hait- 
wcll  departed  this  life  at  the  homestead  in  Homer 
Township,  October  26,  1867. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1868.  Mr.  Hartwell  con- 
tracted a  second  marriage   in   Chicago,  111.,  with 


Miss  Emma  A.  Trask.  This  lady  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  November  10,  1816,  and 
died  of  diphtheria  in  Homer  Township,  March  .I, 
1886.  The  Hartwell  farm  is  embellished  with  first- 
class  buildings  and  now  embr.aces  one  hundred  and 
ten  acres  all  of  which  has  been  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  In  politics  our  subject  is  in- 
dependent and  altiiougli  not  a  member  of  any  re- 
ligious denomination,  believes  in  the  establishment 
and  maintainance  of  cinirches  and  contributes  to 
the  support  of  the  Gospel.  He  held  the  office  of 
Constable  in  1838,  being  the  first  oflScial  of  this 
kind  in  the  town  of  Homer.  He  has  been  a  School 
Trustee  in  his  district  and  Overseer  and  Commis- 
sioner of  Highways  for  many  years.  He  repre- 
sented Homer  Township  in  the  County  Board  of 
Supervisors  two  years,  and  was  the  Poor  Master  for 
one  year.'  No  man  has  taken  a  warmer  interest  in 
the  advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity and  none  have  given  a  more  cordial  support 
to  the  enterprises  calculated  to  aid  its  progress,  so- 
cially, morally  and  finauciall3-. 

RS.  ELIZABETH  M.  FARGO,  widow  of 
Orange  T.  Fargo,  is  a  native  of  Rock  Is- 
land County,  III.,  where  she  was  born 
May  24,  1841.  Her  parents,  Lucias  and 
Harriet  (McLean)  Mears,  moved  to  Kendall 
County  when  she  was  six  years  of  age.  Her  father 
was  a  carpenter  and  upon  the  breaking  out  of  the 
gold  fever  he  went  to  California.  While  on  his 
wa3'  home  he  was  stricken  by  cholera  and  died  on 
board  a  Mississippi  steamer,  May  24,  1831.  The 
widowed  mother  is  still  living,  now  in  Chicago. 
Siie  has  one  son,  J.  M.  mgaged  in  the  commission 
business  in  that  cit\',  and  two  daughters,  Mrs.  C. 
N.  Check  and  Mrs.  W.  A.  Taylor,  residing  there. 
The  lady  whose  name  stands  at  the  haiid  of  tbis 
sketch  has  been  twice  married.  She  has  a  son,  11. 
II.  Delos,  by  her  first  husband,  a  noble  30ung  man 
of  whom  she  is  justlj'  proud.  He  is  now  Treasurer 
of  the  Chicago  and  Aurora  Refining  and  Smelting 
Company.  He  has  recently  taken  a  companion  in 
life,    his    bride    being   Miss   Edith,    daugliter    of 


ITS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Cliarles  rettigrew,  of  llif  Illinois  Steel  Company, 
with  whom  liL'  was  uniletl  iu  niairiage  Jauuarj-  22, 
1890. 

On  February  18,  1872,  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  willi  Orange  T.  Fargo,  witli  wliom  she 
lived  happily  until  Xovember  3,  1874,  when  he  en- 
tered into  rest.  He  was  a  native  of  the  Empire 
Slate  iu  which  he  opened  liiseyes  to  the  light  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1829.  He  was  a  most  excellent  man 
highly  spoken  of  by  all  who  knew  him,  his  habits 
being  uuexceptionable  and  his  whole  life  most  ex- 
emplary. 

Mr.  Fargo,  politically,  during  his  life  wis  a 
stanch  Republican.  When  first  widowed  in  18G8, 
Mrs.  Fargo,  then  Mrs.  Delos,  began  dressmaking 
in  Chicago,  and  has  pursued  that  vocation  ever 
since.  She  has  enjoyed  a  very  large  patronage 
among  the  best  citizens  of  Joliet,  and  has  made 
many  friends  in  the  years  of  her  residence  here. 
She  owns  the  elegant  buiding  known  as  the  Fargo 
Block,  on  the  corner  of  Ottawa  and  ^^^n  Buren 
Streets.  She  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  whose  work  she  takes  deep  in- 
terest. 


NUD  PEDERSON  derives  a  comfortable  in- 
come from  his  farming  operations,  which 
he  is  carrying  on  ver}'  successfull}-  in  Will 
County,  lie  is  a  representative  of  the 
Scandinavian  element  that  has  played  so  important 
a  part  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  the 
great  West,  and  his  thrift  and  industry  make  him  a 
most  desirable  citizen. 

Mr.  Pederson  was  born  October  7,  1827.  in  the 
province  of  Thronh.ycm,  Norway,  a  sou  of  Peter 
aiul  Anna  (Ivnuil)  Lawson,  also  natives  of  that 
country.  His  father  was  a  tailor  by  occupation, 
but  in  the  Swedish  Norwegian  War  he  .served  as  a 
soldier  four  j'eurs.  He  departed  this  life  in  1839. 
He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
three  of  whom  died  young,  five  of  whom  are  still 
living,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Emily  Erickson,  of  Evans- 
ton,  111.;  Knud  and  Lewis;  Mrs.  Anna  Hanson,  of 
Chicago;   Mrs.  Kegana  Scliellslad.  of  Seattle,  Wash. 


The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  .subject  was  Lewis 
Pederson,  a  native  and  a  farmer  of  Norway.  He 
was  the  father  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom  two  sous  and  one  daughter  reared  families. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  came  to  the  I'nited 
States  with  him,  anil  died  in  his  home  in  1871,  at 
the  venerable  age  of  eighty-three  years.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Knud  (Jarmo,  who  took  his  name 
from  the  farm  on  which  he  lived.  He  and  his  wife 
reared  a  large  family  of  sixteen  children. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  biography  passed  his 
early  life  on  a  farm,  and  after  his  father's  death, 
worked  out  as  a  farm  laborer  by  the  month  until  he 
was  twent3' -seven  years  old.  He  then  took  to  a 
seafaring  life,  which  he  abandoned  after  being 
^vrecked  in  1862,  aud  subsequentlj-  came  to  Amer- 
ica to  try  his  fortunes  here,  accompanied  by  his 
mother  and  sister  Anna.  Thej'  located  in  Chicago, 
to  which  place  his  other  sisters  had  preceded  him 
some  three  years  before.  After  settling  here,  he 
again  became  a  sailor,  and  was  engaged  on  the 
lakes  three  year.<.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  he  came 
to  Will  Township,  having  decycled  to  resume  the 
calling  to  which  he  had  been  bred.  He  bought  one 
hundred  aud  fourteen  acres  on  section  6,  and  since 
then  has  been  busily  engaged  in  its  improvement, 
and  has  wrought  a  great  change,  putting  the  land 
under  excellent  tillage  and  providing  it  with  suit- 
able buildings  and  everj-thing  neeilful  to  carry  on 
his  operations  successfully. 

Mr.  Pederson  has  had  the  assistance  of  a  good 
and  faithful  wife  since  his  marriage,  February  14. 
1864,  to  Inga  Margretta  Olson,  a  native  of  Norway, 
and  a  daughter  of  Ole  Schinner.  She  crossed  the 
waters  alone  from  the  land  of  her  nativity  in  1863, 
her  ijarents  following  her  in  1872,  with  three  of 
their  children.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living — Peter,  Oliver,  Louie  N.and  Arthur  W. 
The  great  sorrow  of  their  wedded  life  has  been  the 
death  of  their  daughter  Clara,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
3ears,  and  their  son  Arthur  (second),  at  the  age  of 
two  and  one  half  j'ears. 

Sir.  Pederson  has  managed  his  affairs  shrewdly 
and  well  since  turning  his  attention  to  agriculture 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  and  ma}'  well  be 
pleased  with  what  he  has  accomplished  bj-  his  own 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


479 


hands  with  steady  and  perscvciing  toil.  He  and 
bis  wife  are  greatly  esteemed  in  tlie  neighborhood, 
and  are  among  the  respected  memliers  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church. 


,  ETKU  KNEPPER.   The  results  of  industry, 
J)  thrift  and  wise  judgment    have  been  mani- 


■p-'  fested  in  the  career  of  this  gentleman, 
who  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  his  finan- 
cial standing  has  fairlj-  earned  the  title  of  a  self- 
made  man.  He  owns  and  occupies  eighty  acres  of 
valuable  land  on  section  14,  Green  Garden  Town- 
ship, and  every  part  of  the  estate  gives  evidence  of 
the  prudence  and  good  judgment  of  its  owner,  and 
likewise  betokens  that  he  is  a  man  of  good  taste 
and  domestic  instincts. 

It  will  not  be  amiss  to  devote  a  brief  space  to 
the  progenitors  of  our  subject  ere  entering  upon 
our  outlining  of  his  own  life.  His  father,  John 
Knepper,  a  native  of  Luxembourg,  was  a  farmer 
and  stock- raiser  who  gained  independent  circum- 
jtances  and  a  landed  estate  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  which  is  a  large  farm  for  that  countr3^ 
He  was  a  participant  in  the  Franco-Belgian  War, 
was  Mayor  of  Mertzig  six  years  and  Treasurer  of 
his  home  district  twentj'-eight  years.  He  lived  to 
the  ripe  age  of  eighty-two  years,  d3ing  in  1885. 
His  wife,  formerly  Mary  Welter,  was  born  in  Pla- 
ten, being  a  daughter  of  Philip  Welter,  a  well-to- 
do  farmer  of  that  province.  She  had  a  brother  in 
the  Franco-Spanish  War  four  j'ears,  and  who  after- 
ward took  part  in  the  Franco-Russian  War.  She 
died  in  18.S7  at  the  age  of  eighty  one  j'ears. 

The  parental  family'  comprised  seven  children 
6f  whom  our  subject  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
The  first-born,  Star}',  is  deceased;  Lena,  Mrs.  Ma- 
jarus,  living  in  her  native  duchy;  Anna  is  de- 
ceased; John  is  living  in  Luxembourg;  Philip 
resides  in  LeMars.  Iowa ;  Frank  resides  in  Chicago. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  at 
Mertzig,  Luxembourg,  February  2,  1842,  and  was 
reared  in  his  native  place,  having  the  advantages  of 
good  schools  froQi.his  sixth  to  his  fourteenth  year. 


He  acquired  a  more  than  ordinarily  good  education, 
receiving  instruction  in  both  German  and  French, 
which  languages  he  speaks  readily. 

The  young  man  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
until  twenty-seven  years  of  age  when,  being  desir- 
ous of  securing  a  home  of  his  own  and  lan(l  being 
high  in  his  native  country,  he  determined  to  come 
to  America,  where  he  thought  he  could  better  his 
financial  condition.  He  therefore  bade  adieu  to 
home  and  friends  in  1869,  and  set  sail  from  Havre, 
January  14,  on  the  steamer  "Manhattan"  which 
reached  Liverpool  three  days  later.  'J'liere  he  em- 
barked on  the  steamer  "Palmyra"  which  anchored 
in  New  York  Harbor,  January  28.  Mr.  Knep))er 
started  for  Dubuque,  Iowa,  but  when  he  reached 
Chicago  was  somewhat  ill  and  so  remainfd  there 
some  days.  Mr.  Eisenbrandt  persuaded  him  to  lo- 
cate in  this  State  and  in  Will  Count}'.  He  there- 
fore came  into  Green  Garden  Township  on  the  2d 
of  Februar}',  and  spent  the  j^ear  in  working  for  Mr. 
Eisenbrandt.  His  services  was  engaged  by  the 
j'ear  the  second  time  and  after  that  experience  as 
an  employe,  he  began  farming  for  himself. 

Mr.  Inepper  rented  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  from  his  former  employer  and  operated  it 
quite  successfully.  In  1874,  he  purchased  the 
eighty  acres  which  he  now  occupies  and  which  at 
that  time  bore  some  old  buildings.  On  this  he  en- 
gaged in  the  labors  which  have  brought  him  a 
"competent  support  and  a  reputation  which  is  cred- 
itable to  his  intelligence  and  enterprise.  He  at  one 
time  owned  forty  acres  adjoining,  but  sold  it,  re- 
taining but  his  first  purch.ase.  The  land  is  all  till- 
able, is  well  fenced,  tiled  and  furnished  with  a  full 
set  of  adequate  and  substantial  buildings.  Mr. 
Knepper  has  set  out  groves  and  orchards  which 
add  to  the  beauty  of  his  home  as  well  as  to  its 
monetary  value.  The  residence  is  five  miles  from 
Frankfort.  Mr.  Knepper  divides  his  attention  be- 
tween the  raising  of  grain  and  graded  stock,  in- 
cluding Norman  horses. 

In  Joliet  October  12,  1870,  the  interesting  cere- 
mony took  i)lace  which  gave  Mr.  Kncpi)er  a  wife. 
The  lad}-  with  whom  he  was  united  was  Miss  Mary 
Henzpeter,  who  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Ger- 
many, and  accompanied  her  parents  herein  1869. 
She    is  well   informed   and  has  the  knowledge  of 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


bousewifel}-  arts  which  is  almost  inseparable  from 
the  training  of  a  German  maiden,  while  her  charac- 
ter is  an  amiable  and  loving  one.  Her  parents, 
Fred  and  Dora  (Koestcr)  Henzpeter.  have  five 
children  of  whom  she  is  the  first-born  and  the  only 
daughter.  Her  brother  Fred  lives  in  Frankfort 
Township;  Charles,  in  Marcus,  Iowa;  Jolin,  in 
Joliet;  and  Henry  in  Iowa.  The  parents  are  living 
in  Green  Garden  Townsliip  and  the  father  is  en- 
gaged in  farming. 

The  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kncpper  has 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  three  of 
whom — Bertha,  Clara  and  Charles — are  at  home. 
The  first-born.  Caroline,  is  residing  in  Joliet.  Mr. 
Knepper  is  an  active  Democrat  and  has  Ijeen  a 
delegate  to  county  conventions.  He  has  served  in 
public  capacities,  among  them  being  that  of  Col- 
lector, which  he  held  one  year,  Township  School 
Treasurer,  in  which  he  has  served  during  the  past 
six  j-ears  and  of  which  office  he  is  j-et  the  incum- 
bent, and  School  Director  which  position  he  held 
six  jenrs.  He  belongs  to  the  Green  Garden  Evangel- 
ical Cliurch.  His  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
was  acquired  bj'  personal  effort,  his  evenings  being 
devoted  to  study  until  lie  had  sufficiently  mas- 
tered it. 


ylLLIAM  DAY,  deceased,  was  for  man> 
years  a  well-known  and  greatly  respected 
member  of  the  farming  communitj-  of 
Whatland,  and  his  name  is  linked  with  its  growth. 
He  was  of  Englisii  birth  and  antecedents,  born  in 
Lincolnshire,  November  1,  1833,  a  son  of  John  and 
Uebecca  Day,  who  were  also  natives  of  England. 
He  was  reared  to  man's  estate  in  the  country  of 
his  birth  and  was  engaged  mostly  in  farm  work. 
His  educational  advantages  were  limited,  l)ut  he 
made  up  for  tiiat  bj'  tlie  knowledge  that  lie  gleaned 
as  an  observant,  intelligent  man.  He  was  ambitious 
to  secure  a  competence,  and  having  an  idea  that  he 
could  do  so  more  advantageously  in  the  United 
Stales  of  America,  he  crossed  the  waters  to  this 
country,  accompanied  by  his  young  wife,  in  1861, 
taking  [lassage  at  Liverpool  on  a  sailing-vessel,  and 
after  a  voyage   of  thirty-one  days,  lauding  in  the 


great  metropolis  of  the  country.  He  and  his  wife 
came  directly  to  this  count}-,  and  he  finally  selected 
the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  widow  as 
the  most  desirable  in  every  way  for  his  purposes. 
It  is  in  an  excellent  condition,  is  provided  with 
neat  buildings,  its  fields  are  under  admirable  cul- 
tivation, and  it  is  every  wa}-  a  most  desirable 
place. 

February  15,  1860,  Mr.  Day  and  Miss  Sarah 
Fisher  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matri- 
nion\'.  Her  birthplace  was  in  the  same  English 
shire  as  his.  and  there  she  was  born  in  the  month 
of  August,  1810.*'Slie  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Maria  Fisher,  both  natives  of  England.  The  mar- 
riage of  our  subject  and  his  wife  was  blessed  by 
the  'jirth  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  now 
living:  John  W.,  Frank  F.,  Lucj-  R.  and  Grace  M., 
all  residing  in  Wheatland  Township,  and  the  latter 
living  with  her  mother. 

Jlr.  Day  was  prospered  in  his  calling,  and  from 
a  [)Oor  man  who  was  obliged  to  work  out  b}'  the 
month,  he  became  independent  and  the  proprietor 
of  a  valuable  farm,  .as  we  have  seen.  His  death, 
December  11,  1881,  was  a  loss,  not  only  to  his 
bereaved  household,  but  to  the  community  at  large, 
where  he  had  come  to  make  his  home  so  mauv 
years  ago.  His  neighbors  always  found  him  hon- 
orable and  fair  in  his  dealings  with  them,  and  in 
his  domestic  relations  he  w.as  a  kind  and  loving 
father,  and  a  devoted  husband,  and  always-did  the 
best  that  he  could  for  jiis  family.  He  was  a  loval 
citizen  to  his  adopted  countrj-,  took  an  intelligent 
interest  in  its  polities,  and  supported  the  Repub- 
lican party. 


\1?0HN    GEORGE   GEUTHER.      The    home 
farm  of  this  gentleman  is  one  of    the  finest 

t  pieces  of  land  in  the  Prairie  State,  and  has 
i  '  been  so  improved  that  it  forms  a  dwelling 
pl.ace  of  great  attractiveness  and  comfort.  It  com- 
prises two  hundred  acres  of  tillable  land  on  section 
15,  Frankfort  Township,  which  is  watered  by 
Hickory  Creek,  and  bears  improvements  which  are 
unexcelled  in  the   township.     The  residence   is   of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


481 


pleasing  architectural  design,  and  it  and  the  various 
outbuildings  are  sufficiently  commodious  for  their 
purpose.  There  are  several  barns  on  the  place, 
which  are  needed  to  house  the  stock  and  crops,  in 
tlie  raising  of  which  Mr.  Geuther  is  engaged.  A 
windmill  and  tank,  and  the  latest  improvements  in 
farm  machinery'  make  the  labors  performed  more 
easy  than  was  the  case  in  the  oldeu  time,  and  or- 
chards and  gardens  furnish  an  abundance  of  the 
fruits  of  the  earth,  beside  adding  attractive  features 
to  the  landscape. 

Mr.  Geuther  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  keep- 
ing three  teams  constautl}'  emploj'cd  on  the  farm, 
and  also  raising  good  grades  of  cattle,  hogs  and 
draft-horses,  having  now  some  twenty  head  of  the 
latter.  He  is  the  largest  land-owner  in  the  town- 
ship, and  one  of  the  largest  in  the  county^  owning 
in  all  about  sixteen  hundred  acres,  the  different 
farms  being  well  improved  and  occupied  by  tenants. 
His  landed  estate  is  divided  into  the  following 
tracts:  One  hundred  and  seventy -seven  acres  on  sec- 
tion 22;  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  on  section  23, 
Frankfort  Township;  one  hundred  and  sixty-three 
acres  in  Green  Garden  Township';  one  hundred  and 
sixtj'  acres  on  section  25,  Manhattan  Township;  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  the  township  line  of 
New  Leuox  and  Frankfort  Townships;  and  five 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Cherokee  County,  Iowa. 
On  the  different  places  in  Frankfort  Townsliip  he 
has  over  fifty  acres  of  timber  land. 

The  fatlier  of  our  subject  was  John  George  Geu- 
ther, 8r.,  who  was  born  in  AVeidhausen,  Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotba,  Germany,  and  the  son  of  John 
Nicholas  Geuther,  a  baker.  Wlien  a  3'oung  man, 
he  was  quite  jjoor.  but  being  hard-working  and 
having  a  capable  helpmate,  he  ere  long  was  able  to 
purchase  a  small  piece  of  land  and  add  to  it  from 
time  to  time.  He  and  liis  wife  had  begun  by  mak- 
ing baskets,  and  added  to  their  real  estate  until 
tliey  possessed  foity  acres,  wliicli  was  a  good  farm 
for  that  country,  and  in  the  securing  and  operating 
of  which  tliC3-  were  ranked  as  the  most  successful 
farmers  in  their  neighborhood. 

In  1848  Mr.  Geuther  emigrated  to  America  with 
his  famil}-.  except  liis  oldest  son,  who  had  crossed 
the  Atlantic  two  years  before,  and  after  living  in 
New  York  Citj-   for  a  time,  liad  gone  South    and 


been  lost  track  of.  The  father  came  to  Illinois, 
and  renting  a  farm  in  Frankfort,  this  count}', 
operated  the  same  for  a  year.  He  then  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  3,  tlie  price 
beiug  $500,  and  there  he  lived  for  three  years,  put- 
ting the  place  under  excellent  improvement.  He 
next  purchased  what  is  now  the  home  farm  of  our 
subject,  and  locating  here,  continued  his  agricul- 
tural work  for  a  time.  He  then  let  our  subject 
take  charge  of  it,  and  lived  with  him  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  breathed  his  last  April 
26,  1889,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eightj'-four  j'ears. 
In  addition  to  the  propertj'  mentioned,  he  bad  also 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Green  Gar- 
den Township,  and  having  three  sons,  he  gave  each 
of  them  a  farm. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Kunigunda  Fitzemeir.  She  was  born  in  Weid- 
hausen,  Germany,  and  died  at  her  home  in  this 
county,  in  188L  Her  oldest  child,  John  Nicholas, 
is  now  farming  in  Green  Garden  Township.  He 
came  to  America  in  1844,  and  having  drifted  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  remained  there  during  the  war, 
and  was  lost  to  the  paternal  houseliold  for  twenty 
}'ears,  as  he  did  uot  know  tliey  had  come  to  Amer- 
ica; he  came  to  Northern  Illinois  in  1866.  John 
George,  Jr.,  was  a  farmer  in  Frankfort  Township, 
and  was  run  over  by  tlie  Rock  Island  Railroad  train 
in  the  spring  of  1890. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  the  youngest 
member  of  the  parental  household.  He  was  born 
in  Weidhausen,  (rerniau}'.  May  16,  1838,  and  was 
reared  until  his  tenth  year  in  his  native  land.  He 
then  accompanied  his  parents  to  America,  leaving 
Bremen  in  April,  and  spending  forty-two  days  on 
the  briny  deep.  After  landing  in  New  York  City 
the  family  traveled  by  river,  canal  and  lakes  to 
Chicago,  where  they  secured  teams  to  carry  them 
to  Frankfort  Township.  The  lad  attended  the 
common  schools,  and  in  the  interims  of  study 
hunted  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  When 
the  famil}'  removed  to  their  present  home,  he  and 
his  father  did  all  the  work,  and  he  broke  soil,  drove 
oxen,  and  bore  a  hand  in  other  arduous  labors. 
They  operated  a  sawmill  several  years  in  connec- 
tion with  their  agricultural  work. 

Ere  long   the  youpg    man    took   charge    of    the 


4S2 


PORTllAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


place,  renting  of  liis  falher  until  lie  came  into  pos- 
session of  it,  and  making  the  various  improve- 
ments whicli  now  mark  it  as  one  of  the  finest  farms 
in  tlie  townsiiip.  He  gradually  drifted  into  stock- 
raising,  and  his  hard  work  and  perseverance  se- 
cured for  iiim  a  high  rank  among  agriculturists 
and  stockmen,  and  gave  him  possession  of  his 
large  amount  of  rcalt}".  He  has  ever  been  upright 
and  straightforward  in  his  dealings  and  active  in 
his  support  of  all  worthy  movements  which  prom- 
ise to  increase  the  prosperity'  of  tliose  about  them. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Geuther  was  celebrated 
in  this  townshii)  in  18GI,  his  bride  being  Miss  Mina 
Eisenbrandt.  This  worthy  woman  was  born  in 
Germany,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  her 
parents  when  two  years  old.  She  breathed  her 
last  in  1872,  leaving  four  children,  named  res|>ect- 
ively — John,  George,  Henry  ilnd  Mary.  All  are 
still  residing  under  the  home  roof. 

The  second  matrimonial  alliani  e  of  Air.  Geuther 
was  also  celebrated  in  this  township,  the  date  of 
the  happy  event  being  March  1,  1875.  The  bride 
was  Miss  Dorethea  Raedlein,  who  was  born  in  Ger 
man}'  February  28,  1852,  and  was  well  educated  in 
her  native  clime.  In  1874  she  sailed  from  Bremen 
on  the  steamer  "  Mosell,"  which  dropped  her  an- 
chor in  New  York  harlior  fourteen  days  later.  The 
young  lady  came  at  once  to  Mokena,  111.,  to  the 
home  of  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Miller,  with  whom  she  re- 
mained until  her  marriage.  She  is  tiie  mother  of 
six  children — Ainiie,  Bertha,  Kicholas,  Eddie, 
Clara  and  Otto. 

The  parents  of  ilrs.  Dorothea  Geutiier  are  Rob- 
ert Raedlein,  who  is  still  living  in  his  native  prov- 
ince of  Sase-Coburg,  and  Kunigunda  (Collis) 
Raedlein,  deceased.  The  latter  was  born  in  Bava- 
ria, and  bore  her  husband  ten  children,  nine  of 
whom  arc  living,  six  in  Germany  and  three  in 
America.  Mr.  Raedlein  is  the  son  of  a  prominent 
and  successful  merchant,  and  became  "squire" 
wiu'ii  twentj'  jears  old.  He  held  tiie  position 
until  he  became  one  of  the  leading  oflicials  of 
tlie  province  in  an  office  similar  to  tiiat  of  an 
American  senator,  which  he  has  now  held  for 
twcntj'-five  years.  He  is  also  a  merchant  with  a 
large  trade.  He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church, 
as   did   his    worth}'   wife,  and    their   daughter  was 


carefull}'  reared  in  accordance  with  its  principles. 
Mr.  Geuther  is  much  interested  in  the  advance- 
ment of  the  cause  of  education,  and  has  served  as 
School  Director,  although  he  otherwise  declines  pub- 
lic honors.  In  former  j'ears  he  was  Trustee  of  Frank- 
fort Township,  having  been  elected  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  He  holds  membership  in  the  German 
Lutheran  Church,  in  Frankfort  Township,  their 
place  of  worship  being  located  on  his  farm.  His 
father  gave  an  acre  of  land  as  the  site,  and  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  congregation,  and  his  son 
has  followed  his  example  in  being  an  active  sup- 
porter of  religion. 


Jl  ACOB  BUEHLER.  A  farm  of  moderate 
extent,  but  well  improved  and  managed. 
and  located  near  the  city  of  Joliet,  is  the 
home  of  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He  Is 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  finding  sale  for  all 
the  products  of  his  farm  in  this  city.  Tiie  estate 
is  supplied  witli  a  full  line  of  well-built,  e<lilicis, 
which  afi'vn'd  adequate  shelter  for  stock  and  storage 
for  the  products  which  are  yielded  by  the  land  or 
manufactured  upon  it. 

'i  he  owner  of  this  comfortable  home  is  of  Swiss 
lineage  and  birth.  His  parents,  LHrich  and  Mar- 
garetta  (Soch)  Buehler,  came  to  America  a  scdre  of 
years  ago,  settling  in  the  Empire  State,  where  the 
fat  er  died.  The  mother  is  yet  living  and  still 
pursuing  a  career  of  usefulness.  She  is  the  mother 
of  twelve  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  first-born.  His  natal  day  was  Febru- 
ary 16,  1850,  and  in  his  native  land  he  acquired  a 
fair  stock  of  information,  and  derived  from  his 
worthy  parents  principles  of  conduct  which  give 
him  a  good  standing  among  his  fellow-men.  He  was 
about  nineteen  years  of  age  when  the  removal  to 
America  took  place,  and  he  took  his  place  at  once 
among  the  workers  of  the  country. 

After  having  become  a  resident  of  Illinois,  Mr. 
lUiehler  took  a  companion  in  life,  the  rites  of  wed- 
lock being  celebrated  between  him  and  Miss  Eliza 
Engemann,  October  21,  1875.  The  bride  is  the 
oldest  of  the  twelve  chihiren  born   to  John    and 


>^ 


^^.: 


«.      -"^ 


f 


'  '     ^' 


^  /^  c^;*^^^^W.^.  °^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


485 


Elizabeth  (Lebtnann)  Engemann,  and  opeued  her 
eyes  to  the  light  in  Switzerland,  August  11,  1852. 
Her  parents  also  were  natives  of  the  land  so  famed 
for  the  beauty  of  its  scenery  and  the  liberty-loving 
spirit  of  its  people,  and  became  citizens  of  America 
ill  1872.  They  landed  in  New  York,  and  went  at 
once  to  Ohio,  where  tliey  resided  a  year,  after 
which  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Joliet.  Here  the 
father  died  in  August,  1884. 

Mrs.  Bnehler  possesses  all  the  energy,  persever- 
ance and  zeal  which  characterize  the  race,  together 
with  the  neatness  and  love  of  order  which  are  also 
prominent  traits  in  Swiss  character,  and  having  ob- 
tained much  useful  knowledge  and  skill  in  earlier 
years,  she  conducts  the  affairs  which  are  entrusted 
to  her  oversight  in  a  manner  which  proves  her 
ability  as  housewife  and  helpmate.  She  has  borne 
her  husband  three  children — Albert,  Mary  and 
Freda.  Mr.  Buehler  supports  the  Democratic 
p.irty  by  his  vote  and  personal  influence. 


EWTON  P.  HOLDEN,  U.D.  This  well- 
bred  and  well-informed  gentleman  was  a 
successful  practitioner  of  the  profession  of 
medicine  for  many  years,  but  is  now  living  a  re- 
lircil  life  at  Frankfort  Station.  He  has  .aiicumu- 
latcd  a  fortune,  and  is  enjoying  merited  repose 
after  a  life  si)ent  in  activity'  and  usefulness.  His 
portrait,  presented  on  the  opposite  page,  represents 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  township,  the 
wealthiest  man  therein,  and  also  one  of  the  oldest 
practicing  |)hysicians  of  the  count}'.  Having  alwa3's 
led  an  active  life,  he  is  not  content  to  idle  away 
his  time,  but  occu[)ies  himself  in  looking  after  his 
linancial  interests,  and  in  traveling.  He  loans 
money,  and  now  has  over  twenty  farm  mortgages 
ill  different  States,  and  he  likewise  has  real  estate 
which  he  rents. 

Dr.  Ilolden  is  of  New  England  birth  and  an- 
cestry, and  of  English  extraction.  His  father, 
Phineas  H.  Holden,  was  born  in  Middlesex  County, 
Mass.,  and  w.as  Captain  of  a  canal  boat  on  the 
Middlesex  Canal.  He  shipped  the  brick  which  was 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  first  factory-  built  in 


Lowell.  Being-  the  son  of  a  New  England  farmer, 
he  had  a  good  knowledge  of  agricultural  [(ursuits, 
to  which  he  finally  turned  his  attention.  He 
owned  eighty  acres  of  land  in  New  Hampshire,  but 
in  1836  removed  to  Northern  Illinois,  settling  in 
Will  County,  in  what  was  then  called  New  Lenox 
Precinct,  but  is  now  Frankfort  Township.  He 
entered  a  tract  of  Government  laud,  and  although 
poor  when  he  came  here,  ere  long  became  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm.  In  his  political  views,  he 
was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Republican,  and  his 
religious  belief  coincided  with  that  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Church.  He  breathed  his  last  at  his  home  in 
1872. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Betsey  Parker.  She  was  born  in  Westfield, 
Mass.,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Levi  Parker,  a 
blacksmith  and  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  was 
First  Lieutenant  in  a  Massachusetts  regiment,  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  was 
present  at  the  hanging  of  Maj.  Andre.  His  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Holden,  was  reared  in  the  Bay  State 
under  the  care  of  parents  who  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church.  She,  like  her  husband, 
died  in  the  Prairie  State  at  the  home  of  their  son, 
our  subject. 

The  parental  household  comprised  nine  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 
The  others  are:  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Wilson,  of 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa;  Emeline,  wife  of  Dr.  Freer, 
who  died  in  Chicago;  Sarah,  deceased;  Mrs.  Jane 
Brown,  of  Chicago;  David  L.,of  Matteson  ;  Charles 
C.  1'.,  in  Chicago;  George  M.,  of  Ft.  Madison, 
Iowa;  and  Levi  P.,  of  Hampton,  Iowa.  The  latter 
enlisted  in  the  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry,  in 
April,  1861,  and  after  serving  three  months  was 
discharged  only  to  re-enter  the  army  as  Major  of 
the  Eighty-eighth  Infantry,  known  as  the  Second 
Board  of  Trade  Regiment.  Although  he  had 
horses  shot  under  him  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
he  escaped  any  personal  injury.  David  L.  also 
served  his  country,  being  a  member  of  the  Fift}^- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  from  1863  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  iiaving  the  rank  of  Commissary 
Sergeant. 

Dr.  Holden,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  born 
in  Grafton  County,  N.  tl.,  June  20,  1820,  and  was 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


reared  upon  a  farm,  in  tlie  work  of  which  he  par- 
ticipated from  his  tenth  year.  He  received  a 
good  education  under  the  privileges  afforded  by 
tlie  subscription  schools.  In  18,'il  the  family  re 
moved  to  Hartford,  Vt.,  where  they  remained  some 
five  years,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  acconi 
plished  their  journey  to  what  was  then  the  Far 
West.  Our  subject  was  in  his  sixteenth  year  when 
the  removal  took  place,  and  the  scenes  and  inci- 
dents of  the  journey  are  well  remembered  by  him. 
A  canal  boat  was  their  first  conve3-ance,  .and  upon 
it  tliey  journeyed  from  AVhiteiiall  to  Buffalo.  There 
they  embarked  on  a  steamer  for  Ft.  Dearborn,  now 
Chicago,  while  ox-teams  conve3'ed  them  from  that 
trading  post  to  their  new  home  in  Will  County. 

Young  Holden  assisted  his  father  in  the  improvi 
ment  of  the  farm,^  and  when  seventeen  years  ol<l 
became  a  mail  carrier,  his  route  being  from  Joliet 
to  LaPorte,  Ind.,  through  Crete,  Crown  Point  and 
\'alparaiso.  He  made  the  trip  once  a  week,  travel- 
ing on  horseback  and  being  obliged  to  swim  the 
rivers,  often  losing  his  way  on  account  of  the  bad 
roads,  which  delayed  him  until  nightfall,  when  he 
found  it  impossible  to  keep  his  route  in  the  dark 
ness.  In  1840  he  was  sent  to  Chicago  to  [My  a 
debt  which  his  father  owed  to  a  man  in  that  place, 
and  there  he  remained  a  year,  working  as  clerk  in 
an  hotel.  Chicago  was  then  Init  a  small  town, 
which  gave  little  promise  of  its  present  large  popu 
lation,  grandeur  of  improvements  and  great  com- 
mercial importance.  Dr.  Holden  says  that  he  feels 
old  when  he  recalls  the  Chicago  which  he  first 
knew,  and  thinks  of  the  great  changes  which  have 
taken  place. 

Returning  to  his  father's  home  in  the  fall.  Dr. 
llolden  began  teaching  before  he  had  reached  his 
majoiity,  his  first  school  l)eing  in  New  Lenox.  He 
continued  his  pedagogical  labors  in  Frankfort 
Township  dining  the  summer  and  winter  terms,  the 
scene  of  his  labors  being  a  log  schoolhouse  with 
slab  benches  and  the  other  primitive  appointments 
of  which  we  have  heard  so  much.  Deer  roamed 
over  the  prairies  adjacent,  and  Indians  werecani|)ed 
at  Wilton  not  far  distant. 

In  IMI  Dr.  llolden  spent  one  term  in  studying 
in  the  Chicago  Academy  and  two  terms  at  Joliet. 
During    the  summer    he    reail    Latin   witii    Father 


DuPondaris,  and  in  the  fall  he  again  turned  his 
attention  to  teaching.  He  taught  in  Plainfield  in 
1842-43,  after  which  he  gave  up  that  profession 
to  stud}'  one  on  which  his  heart  had  long  been  set. 
He  went  to  Bristol,  now  Yorkville,  Kendall  County, 
and  began  the  studj'  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Whee- 
ler, with  whom  he  read  three  years.  When  Rush 
Medical  College  in  Chicago  was  opened  he  entered 
that  institution,  being  one  of  the  students  who 
were  present  during  the  first  course  of  study. 
.\fter  three  years  of  application  he  was  graduated, 
in  Fel)ruary,  1846,  immediately  after  which  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  former  instructor, 
Dr.  Wheeler,  at  Bristol. 

The  connection  proved  agreeable,  and  Dr.  llol- 
den was  succeeding  well  in  his  labors,  when  his 
comfort  was  so  interfered  with  by  the  ague — 
Bristol  being  situated  on  the  Fox  River  and  sub- 
ject to  malarial  influences — that  in  1850  the  part- 
nership was  dissolved.  The  discovery  of  gold  on 
the  coast  having  aroused  his  desire  to  see  some- 
thing of  life  in  that  far  countr}^  the  j'oung  doctor 
started  across  the  plains  with  five  horses  and  two 
wagons.  He  crossed  the  Missouri  River  at  Ne- 
braska Cit}',  April  2,  and  followed  the  Platte  River 
westward,  reaching  Placerville,  Cal.,  July  2,  his 
outfit  being  a  part  of  the  first  train  over  the 
plains.  He  engaged  in  mining  and  prospecting 
during  the  winter,  and  selling  his  outfit  in  Decem- 
ber, 18.51,  went  to  SanFrancisco,  and  return-ed  to 
the  Prairie  State  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  New 
Orleans  and  St.  Louis,  taking  the  stage  from  the 
latter  point  to  Springfield.  111.,  and  locating  again 
in  Bristol. 

The  ague  fastened  its  clutches  upon  the  Doctor 
once  more,  and  he  made  a  second  journey  to  Cali- 
fornia with  a  similar  outfit  as  that  of  his  first  jour- 
ney, having  a  splendid  time  en  route.  The  spring 
of  1852  was  the  date  of  his  second  overland  jour- 
ney, and  he  remained  in  the  West  some  time,  prac- 
ticing iiis  professi(in  on  the  Yuba  River,  and  the 
succeeding  summer  in  the  Napa  ^'alley.  He  re- 
turned .again  to  the  States  in  the  fall  of  1853  by 
steamer,  and  then  settled  in  Jlokena.  He  was  the 
first  physician  there,  and  prior  to  the  opening  of 
his  office  there  had  been  none  nearer  than  Joliet. 
He    soon    liatl    a    line   practice,  and   although    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


487 


next  year  he  went  to  his  father's  farm  to  take  care 
of  his  parents,  he  continued  his  professional  labors, 
riding  all  over  the  country.  The  chief  means  of 
travel  was  on  horseback,  and  with  physicians  tliis 
.was  especially  common,  as  the  roads  were  not  the 
best,  and  tiiey  could  get  along  much  better  in  this 
w.ay  than  with  vehicles. 

Not  only  did  Dr.  Holden  have  an  extensive 
practice-  in  sever.al  townships,  but  he  also  carried 
on  the  farm,  and  made  it  successful  in  a  financial 
wav.  He  kept  about  five  hundred  head  of  sheep, 
and  from  time  to  time  purchased  additional  land 
until  his  possessions  amounted  to  over  five  hun- 
dred acres.  He  applied  himself  thoroughly  to 
whatever  he  undertook,  and  being  always  busy, 
accomplished  a  vast  amount  of  professional  and 
agricultural  labor.  In  1873  he  removed  to  Ciii- 
cago,  wliere  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
until  January,  1878.  In  December,  1875.  he  was 
appointed  County  Physician  of  Cook  County,  and 
held  the  otlice  two  years,  during  which  time  he  had 
plenty  to  do  and  had  no  assistant. 

When  he  left  Chicago  he  retnrned  to  the  farm 
witli  the  intention  of  retiring  from  his  profession, 
lint  for  some  time  he  was  not  able  to  do  so,  as  he 
u:is  continually  called  upon  for  his  services.  lie 
managed  the  farm  until  1881,  when  he  sold  it,  and 
roinoving  to  town,  finally  gave  up  his  active  pur- 
suits. He  owns  some  three  hundred  acres  of  land 
l)ctween  the  Michigan  Central  Cut-off  and  the 
Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  Railroads,  which  forms  a 
large  pasture,  well  watered  by  Hickory  Creek,  and 
rented  to  advantage.  He  is  also  the  possessor  of  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Hardin 
County,  Iowa,  near  Iowa  Falls. 

The  wife  of  Dr.  Ilolden  is  a  finely  educated  and 
cultured  lady,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  engaged 
in  teaching,  doing  honor  to  the  profession  to  which 
she  devoted  herself.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Caroline  Parrish,  and  was  born  in  Iloneoye  Falls, 
N.  Y.,  January  17,  1826.  When  ten  j-ears  of  age 
she  accompanied  her  mother  and  stepfather  to  the 
Prairie  State,  coming  all  the  way  in  a  buggy.  She 
distinctly  remembers  the  incidents  of  the  journey, 
and  vividly  recollects  seeing  parties  with  heavy 
loads  get  stuck  in  the  mud.  Upon  reaching  Chi- 
cago they   stopped  at  the  Tremont   House,  which 


was  at  that  time  the  best  hotel  in  the  city.  Miss 
Parrish  attended  a  young  ladies'  select  school  at 
Aurora,  and  after  completing  her  studies  taught 
until  her  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  Bristol, 
Kendall  County,  June  30,  1847. 

Doctor  and  Mrs.  Holden  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  only  one  of  whom  is  j'ct  sitared  to  them. 
The  only  daughter,  Sarah,  possessed  musical  talent 
of  a  high  order,  and  w.as  sent  to  the  Conservatory 
of  Music  at  Boston,  to  perfect  herself  in  the  art  to 
which  she  was  inclined.  She  studied  there  two 
years,  but  died  soon  after  her  return  home.  The 
second  child,  Wright,  was  graduated  at  the  High 
School  in  F^nglewood,  and  studied  law  with  .ludge 
Dickej'.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Ottawa, 
and  became  a  pr.acticing  attorney  in  Chicago. 
While  on  his  way  to  New  Mexico  he  was  taken 
alarmingly  ill  in  Newton,  Kan.,  and  there  passed 
away.  Milton,  the  second  son,  is  a  broker  in 
Michigan,  and  deals  in  railroad  stocks  and  grain. 
F'ranklin  was  graduated  at  Rush  Medical  College 
in  Chicago,  with  the  class  of  '8C,  he  receiving  the 
highest  standing  of  any  of  the  class.  He  was  ap- 
pointed House  Surgeon  at  St.  Luke's  Hospital  in 
Chicago,  but  the  confinement  which  his  many  du- 
ties occasioned  affected  his  health,  and  six  months 
after  he  assumed  the  position  he  was  stricken  witli 
fever  which  developed  into  consumption  and 
caused  his  decease.  He  went  to  Pueblo,  Colo., 
hoping  to  be  restored  to  health,  but  it  was  toolate, 
and  his  parents  and  friends  were  compelled  to  bow 
to  tlie  severe  aflliction  occasioned  by  his  loss. 

Dr.  Holden  has  served  as  Highway  Commis- 
sioner one  year,  as  Township  Clerk  an  equal  length 
of  time,  and  as  School  Director  ten  years.  His 
political  adherence  is  given  to  the  principles  and 
candidates  of  the  Democratic  party.  As  would  be 
expected  of  a  man  of  his  mental  attainments  and 
earnestness  of  character,  he  has  ever  manifested  a 
deep  interest  in  all  that  tends  to  develop  the 
material  prosperity  and  add  to  the  menial  and 
moral  growth  of  the  community  of  which  he  is  a 
member.  Mrs.  Holden  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  she  was  sixteen 
years  old. 

The  parents  of  Sirs.  Holden  were  Loomis  K.  and 
Sarah  (Dodge)  Parrish.     Her  paternal  grandfather, 


488 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Abraham  Parrish,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  was  a 
Captain  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  liecaiue  an  early 
settler  of  Monroe  Count3-,  N.  Y.,  wliere  he  bought 
a  tr.act  of  the  Holland  Purch.ase  ne»r  Lima.  He 
reared  thirteen  cliildren.  most  of  whom  settled  in 
Michigan.  Two  of  his  brothers  were  taken  pris- 
oners by  the  Indians,  .and  kept  in  captivitj-  som? 
years,  during  wliicli  time  the}'  became  familiar 
with  the  Indian  language.  They  acted  as  inter- 
preters at  tiie  time  of  the  Purchase,  receiving  for 
their  services  a  large  tract  of  land.  Loom  is  Par- 
rish w.as  reared  in  the  Empire  State,  learned  the 
trade  of  a  tanner  and  currier,  and  became  partner 
in  a  large  tanner^'  at  Honeoye  Falls,  where  he  died 
about  1836. 

As.ihel  Dodge  and  his  daughter  .Sarah,  afterward 
Mrs.  Parrish,  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  whence 
the}'  removed  to  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  during 
the  maidenhood  of  the  daughter.  After  the  death 
of  her  first  husband  she  married  S.  B.  Craw,  who 
removed  to  Illinois  in  1835,  occupying  a  large 
farm  on  the  Fox  River,  where  he  erected  the  first 
barn  in  the  vicinity.  In  1850  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia, dj-ingof  cholera  on  his  homeward  wa}-.  The 
widow  subsequentl}'  removed  to  Quinc}'.  ami  mar- 
ried a  Mr.  Bradford.  In  that  city  she  died  in 
1885,  at  the  age  of  seventh-seven  years.  Mrs. 
Holden  is  the  only  child  of  the  first  union,  and  the 
second  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  children — 
Clare  E.,  now  Mrs.  Wheeler  of  Quincy,and  Wilbur 
F.  Craw,  who  belonged  to  the  Weetern  Army 
Corps  in  the  late  war.  and  died  from  drops}'. 

j^^  RS.  LrCY  HAWES,  widow  of  William 
Hawcs,  and  a  highly  esteemed  resident  of 
Du  P.age  Township,  is  a  daughter  of  well- 
known  pioneers  of  this  county,  her  parents, 
Nathaniel  and  .lane  (Cousin)  Welch,  having  been 
early  settlers  of  this  townsliip.  Her  father  w.is  a 
native  of  New  York  State  and  of  Irish  descent, 
while  her  mother  was  of  German  descent.  The 
early  years  of  their  married  life  were  passed  in 
Ohio  among  its  pioneers.  In  1836  the  father  came 
to  this  county  and  for  a  time  worked   on   the  Illi- 


nois and  Michigan  Canal,  and  then   farmed   as  a 
renter  for  two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
Mrs.  Ilawes  now   makes   her  home.     In    1837   his 
wife  and   family  joined    him   here  and   located  on 
this  property,  he  having  erected  a  large  log  house, 
in  which  they  lived    for  a  number  of  years.     He 
subsequently    built    the  residence    in    which    Mrs. 
Hawes  lives,  with    the  exception   of   the   kitchen, 
which  was  erected  at  a  later  date.     His  land,  which 
he    had    bought    directly   from    the    Government, 
paying  therefor  ^1.25  per  acre,  was  in  a  wild  con- 
dition, and  his  w.as  the  pioneer   task  to  prepare  it 
for  cultivation.     Well  did  he   do  his  work,  and  in 
time  had  here  a  good,  well-tilled  farm,  with  all  the 
desirable  improvements.     Here  his   mortal  career 
w.is  brought  to  a  close  by  death.  May  28.  1867,  at 
which  time  one  of  our  most  worthy  pioneers  passed 
away.     He  had  served  as  Township  Road  Commis- 
sioner, and  had  aided  in  whatsoever  way  he  could 
the  advancement  of  his   adopted   township,  whose 
development  from  its  primitive   condition  he  h.id 
watched  with  pride  and  pleasure.     In  his   political 
views  he  was   a  strong  Democrat.     He  began  life 
with  practically  no  means,  but  at  his  death  he  was 
comfortably  well  off.     He  was  the  f.ither  of  eleven 
children,    who  grew   to    maturity,    and  seven    of 
them    are   still    living:   Ophelia,    wife    of    Robert 
Goudy,  of  Du  Page  Township;  Eliza,  wife  of  As.i 
Park,  of  Nebr.aska;  Julia,  residing  in  Will  COunty; 
Mrs.    Hawes;    Benjamin,    a    resident    of    Lemont 
Cook  County;  Anna  M..  wife  of  Edward  Horsley, 
of  Lockport  Township. 

Mrs.  Hawes  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  this 
county,  and  was  carefully  trained  in  all  the  duties 
that  go  to  make  a  good  housekeeper.  She  received 
her  education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  county. 
On  July  3,  1858,  her  marriage  with  William  Hawes 
was  duly  solemnized,  and  proved  of  mutual  benefit. 

William  Hawes  was  a  native  of  England,  born 
December  8,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Ann  (Porter)  Hawes,  his  parents  being  likewise 
natives  of  England.  In  1851  he  accompanied  them 
to  this  country,  and  coming  to  Chic.igo.  resided 
there  a  number  of  years.  He  was  engaged  mostly 
in  teaming,  and  by  constant  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness accumulated  a  comfortable  sum,  ami  in  1873 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


489 


retired  with  his  wife  to  this  farm  on  section  29, 
Du  Page  Township,  to  make  his  permanent  home. 
He  then  devoted  liimself  exclusively  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  under  his  careful  management  the 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  three  acres  was  greatly 
improved.  Here  his  busy  and  useful  life  was 
rounded  to  completion  May  29,  1887,  thus  dying 
before  old  age  had  overtaken  him.  In  his  death 
Du  Page  Township  sustained  a  loss,  as  he  had  iden- 
tified himself  with  its  progress  and  had  aided  in 
advancing  its  growth.  He  had  served  acceptably 
as  a  School  Director.  In  his  political  views  he  was 
a  sound  Democrat.  Coming  to  this  countr3'  with 
little  or  no  capital,  by  years  of  industry  and 
close  application  to  his  work  he  succeeded  in 
acquiring  a  comfortable  competence.  His  wedded 
life  with  our  subject  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
two  sons,  Charles  R.  and  William  H. 

Mrs.  Hawes  was  of  great  assistance  to  her  hus- 
band in  his  work,  and  is  now  enjoying  the  compe- 
tence she  helped  him  to  secure.  She  is  a  woman  of 
niuih  capacity,  is  kind  in  heart  and  manner,  chcer- 
fullv  giving  assistance  where  needed  anfl  charitabl}- 
inclined  towards  all,  a  worthy  type  of  the  pioneer 
daughters  of  Du  Page  Township,  who  were  import- 
ant instruments  in  its  upbuilding. 


d"S)OHN  HACK.  In  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
i|  town  of  lleecher  is  a  thriving  mercantile 
I!  establishment  owned  and  operated  by  the 
I  above-named  gentleman,  who  began  this 
enterprise  in  1878.  The  building  is  a  good  one  and 
a  well-selected  stock  of  general  merchandise  is  kept 
within  it.  Mr.  Hack  has  been  quite  successful  in  his 
business  career  and  has  become  well  known  to  the 
residents  of  this  vicinit}-  as  one  from  whom  they 
are  sure  of  honijrabl*  dealing  and  courteous  treat- 
ment. From  an  honored  ancestry  he  inherits  many 
sterling  qualities,  while  from  worthy  parents  he 
received  excellent  home  training. 

Mr.  Hack  was  born  in  Schwerin,  Jlecklenluirg, 
Germany,  September  1,  1825,  being  the  first-born 
in  a  family  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  One 
son  is  now  living  in  Germany,  one  gave  his  life  in 


defense  of  the  Union  during  the  late  war,  and  the 
other  members  of  the  household  baud  .are  living  in 
Illinois.  The  parents  were  Gotlieb  and  Sophia  (Ke- 
kopf )  Hack,  the  former  being  a  small  farmer  in  their 
native  duchj-.  Thei-e  thej'  lived  until  1864,  when 
they  accompanied  their  son,  our  subject,  to  Amer- 
ica, living  with  him  during  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  The  father  died  in  Washington  Township, 
this  county,  in  187,'),  having  passed  his  four-score 
years  of  age.  The  mother  survived  some  j'ears, 
breathing  her  last  in  Beecher  when  quite  old.  Both 
belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

After  receiving  a  good  education  under  the  laws 
of  bis  native  land,  young  Hack  learned  the  trade 
of  a  shoemaker,  which  he  followed  so  long  as  he 
lived  in  that  countr}-.  Having  been  led  to  believe 
that  a  better  field  for  his  energies  would  be  opened 
to  him  in  the  New  World,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
as  before  stated,  and  coming  direct  to  the  Prairie 
State  began  agricultural  work  on  a  farm  in  Wash- 
ington Townslii|),  this  county.  In  186,5  he  took 
possession  of  another  farm,  which  was  in  almost  a 
raw  state  and  which  he  placed  under  excellent  im- 
provement. It  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  sections  26  and  35,  and  nnder  his  efficient 
control  became  valuable  and  attractive.  He  con- 
tinued his  agricultural  labors  for  there  nearl}-  a 
decade  and  then  embarked  in  the  business  which  he 
is  still  conducting  so  successfully. 

At  the  bride's  home  in  Mecklenburg,  Mr.  Hack 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophia  Luth,  an 
estimable  lady  who  was  born  in  the  same  town  as 
her  husband.  Her  natal  day  was  October  12,  1828, 
and  her  parents,  .lo.achin  and  Sophia  (Schoder) 
Luth,  who  lived  and  died  in  Mecklenburg.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Cliurch  and  lived 
to  a  good  old  age.  The  father  was  occupied  in 
farming.  Mrs.  Hack  is  the  only  daughter  and  has 
four  brothers,  all  still  living  in  the  Fatherl.and. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hack  remained  in  the  land  of  their 
birth  for  some  years  after  their  marriage,  finally 
.setting sail  from  Hamburg  on  the  steamer -'Saxony-," 
from  which  they  landed  in  New  York.  They  have 
had  einht  children,  five  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany.  William,  William  C.  and  Theodore  died 
in  e.arly  life;  Herman  married  Eva  Ruge  and  lives 
on  a  farm  in  Ash  Grove  Township,  Iroquois  County; 


490 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Henry  inan-ied  Mar^-  Biclfoldt  nnd  is  now  running 
llie  Bielfeldl  House  at  IJecclier:  Carl  A.  resides  in 
the  same  iiiaoe.  l)eing-  a  member  of  the  firm  of  C. 
Bielfeldl  &  Co.,  whose  business  is  sinlung  tubular 
wells;  Frank  is  a  elork  in  his  fallier's  store,  resid- 
ing under  tlie  parental  roof;  Emma  L.  is  still  at 
home,  and  slie  also  assists  lier  parents  in  the  store. 
Tlic  entire  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church 
and  are  looked  upon  with  regard  l>y  all  who  know 
them.  Mr.  Hack  has  served  as  Postmaster  for  u 
time.  His  politieal  intluenee  and  vote  is  given  to 
the  Republican  party. 


•^^ 


'tni  f^^Kl^'i'  PATTERSON,  a  prominent  farmer 
ILs^  and  stock-raiser  of  Du  Page  Township, 
l^^\  owning  and  managing  a  choice  farm  on 
^p; section  7,  is  one  of  the  native-born  citi- 
zens of  this  State,  who,  since  attaining  manhood, 
has  l)een  closely  connected  with  its  growth  and 
progress,  materially,  socially  and  morall\'. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Du  Page  Count}-,  No- 
vember 18,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Mungo  and 
Agnes  (Clow)  Patterson.  The  father  is,  and  has 
long  been,  a  prominent  resident  of  Wheatland 
Township.  Both  he  and  his  wife  came  from 
Scotland  in  the  ^-ear  1837,  and  lived  for  several 
years  in  New  York.  In  1844  they  came  to  Du 
Page  County,  this  State,  and  in  1845  removed  to 
Will  Count}'  and  were  amonij  the  earl}'  settlers  of 
Wheatland  Township.  The  father  purchased  a 
tract  of  raw  prairie  land  on  which  a  squatter  had 
previouslv  settled  and  had  attempted  some  improve- 
ment, j)lowing  a  small  patch  of  the  land.  Mr.  Pat- 
terson located  thereon  an<l  immediately  entered 
upon  the  hard  task  of  redeeming  the  land  from  a 
state  of  nature,  and  in  the  years  that  followed  he 
evolved  a  fai'm  that  is  considered  one  of  the  finest 
in  that  vicinity,  and  here  he  now,  in  his  seventy. 
fifth  year,  makes  his  home,  surrounded  by  all  the 
comforts  of  life.  When  became  to  this  country 
he  was  a  poor  man,  and  it  is  only  by  years  of 
toil  well  directed  and  by  the  shrewd  management 
of  his  affairs  that  he  has  placed  himself  in  good 
circumstances.    In  the  early  days  of  the  settlement 


of  the  country  he  suffered  the  privations  and  hard- 
ships common  to  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  State. 
The  country,  in  a  wild  condition,  had  no  good 
roads  at  first,  and  he  used  to  draw  his  grain  to 
the  market  in  Chicago  over  the  wild  prairies  where 
there  were  no  highways  of  travel.  He  has  never 
cared  for  public  office  although  he  has  served  on 
the  Scli0(^l  Board  and  has  always  interested  him- 
self in  politics,  being  a  sturdy  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  lie  is  in  his  religious  belief  a 
firm  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  Presbyterianism, 
and  has  for  many  years  been  identified  with  the 
church  of  that  faith  in  Du  Page  Township,  as  one  of 
its  most  zealous  members.  In  the  death  of  his 
amiable  wife,  in  1890,  he  sustained  a  severe  loss, 
as  she  had  ever  been  a  helpmate  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word.  By  their  marriage  they  became 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing five  survive:  John,  a  resident  of  Benton 
County,  ind.;  Robert;  William,  living  in  Du  Page 
Township;  Sarah,  wife  of  Robert  Wightman,  of 
Wheatland  Township;  and  Adam,  also  a  resident 
of  Wheatland  Township.  The  names  of  those  de- 
ceased are  Agnes  and  Helen. 

Robert  Patterson,  of  this  biography,  was  reared 
to  man's  estate  in  Will  County,  and  was  a  witness 
of  much  of  its  pioneer  growth.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  conducted  in  the  district  school  of  AVheat- 
land  Township.  He  did  not  enjoy  the  advantages 
that  the  youth  of  to-day  have,  but  by  reading  and 
observation  has  become  a  well-informed  man.  He 
has  for  many  years  actively  eng.aged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising  on  his  present  beautiful  farm. 
This  comprises  one  hundred  and  foity  acres  of 
land,  finely  tilled  and  under  excellent  improvement 
m  every  respect,  its  buildings  being  of  a  neat  and 
substantial  order,  and  the  machinery  for  carrying 
on  agricultural  operations  of  the  most  approved 
kind. 

In  his  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Sinton,  March 
31,  1866,  he  secured  the  choice  blessing  of  a  good 
wife,  who  contributes  to  his  comfort  and  has 
been  a  factor  in  the  attainment  of  his  prosperity. 
She  is  a  native  of  Scotland  and  a  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Mary  (Dickson)  Linton.  By  their 
union  they  have  six  children:  Isabelle,  the  widow 
of  Joseph  G.  Emery;  Robert,  Ruth,  Mungo,  Will- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


491 


iam  and  Ida.  Since  taking  up  his  abode  in  Du  Page 
Township  our  subject  has  placed  himself  among 
its  most  jirominent  citizens  and  has  thoroughly 
identified  himself  with  its  highest  interests,  cordi 
ally  supporting  all  feasible  schemes  for  its  advance- 
ment. He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  five 
years,  making  a  good  record  in  that  otHce.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  as  one  of 
its  leading  members,  and  officiates  as  Fjider,  and 
also  serves  as  Treasurer  of  the  church.  A  strong 
temperance  man,  he  favors  the  Prohibition  party 
in  politics.  As  a  farmer,  he  has  shown  good  abil- 
ity in  the  management  of  his  affairs;  as  a  citizen, 
he  is  animated  with  true  public  spirit;  as  a  neigh- 
bor, he  is  friendly  and  helpful;  as  a  husband,  he  is 
thoughtful  and  attentive;  and  as  a  father  he  is 
wise  and  loving,  and  is,  in  all  respects,  a  manly, 
straightforward,  upright  man. 


-^-^'^- 


AMIIEL  B.  FRASKR.  In  this  gentleman 
Wheatland  Township  has  one  of  its  leading 
farmers  and  stock-raisers,  and  one  of  its 
most  ellicient  civic  officials.  He  is  a  native 
of  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.,  born  September  24, 
18o2,  to  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Fraser. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  the  North  of  Ireland, 
and  emigrated  to  this  country  early  in  the  present 
century.  His  father  took  part  in  the  War  of  1812 
as  a  soldier  in  the  American  Army. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  State  till 
1847,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  and  other 
members  of  the  family  to  this  county.  While  in 
Chicago  on  their  way,  the  father  and  children  were 
sadl3'  bereaved  by  the  death  of  the  mother.  The 
father  seltled  in  I'lainfielil  Township,  among  its 
early  pioneers,  and  there  died  in  1857.  Of  his 
married  life  eleven  children  were  born,  of  whom 
the  following  survive:  Thomas  15.,  living  in  Man- 
itoba;  Elizalieth,  wife  of  James  H.  Smiley,  of  this 
county;  Samuel  B.;  Ilarvey  R.,  residing  in  Den- 
ver, Col.;  Louisa  C,  living  in  this  county.  The  re- 
maining years  of  the  boyhood  of  our  subject  were 
passed  on  his  father's  farm  in  Plainfield,  he  having, 
as  it   were,  grown   up  with  the   county.      He   re- 


c(iived  his  education  partlj'  in  New  York  and 
partly  in  the  district  schools  of  Illinois,  for  a 
time  attending  a  private  subscription  school  at 
Plainfield.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Fraser  farmed 
in  Lockport  Township  for  several  years,  but  in 
1865  he  came  to  Wheatland  to  make  his  perma- 
nent home  here.  Possessing  much  energy  and  en- 
terprise he  has  placed  himself  amongst  our  most 
able  and  prosperous  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of 
the  county,  his  farm  being  as  well  improved,  as 
well  cultivated  and  as  well  stocked  as  any  in  the 
neighborhood.  It  comprises  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land,  whose  fertility  and  produc- 
tiveness are  scarcely  surpassed,  and  from  its  rich 
harvest  he  derives  an  ample  income. 

Our  subject  has  here  a  cozy  home  replete  with 
all  the  comforts,  and  to  her  who  has  so  substan 
tially  aided  him  in  its  establishment,  he  was  united 
iu  marriage  F'ebruary  17,  1858.  The  maiden  name 
of  the  wife  of  our  subject  was  Ann  A.  Brown, 
and  she  was  born  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y., 
March  3,  1832,  being  a  daughter  of  the  late  James 
and  Mary  Brown.  Her  mother  now  makes  her 
home  in  Plainfield,  III.  The  husband  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  north  of  Ireland.  By  their  union  Mr. 
and  IMrs.  Eraser-  have  had  six  children,  of  whom 
two  are  now  living:  Herbert  A.,  a  student  in  the 
college  at  Evanston,  111.;  and  Ernest  J.  An  other- 
wise happy  wedded  life  has  been  shadowed  by  the 
death  of  four  of  their  children:  Thornton  R., 
Frank,  Gillian  and  Harry. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fraser  are  people  of  high  repute  in 
this  community,  and  are  greatly  esteemed  for  the 
true  worth  of  their  character.  Mr.  Fraser  is  a 
man  of  excellent  habits,  is  careful  and  conscien- 
tious in  his  dealings  with  others,  and  so  has  won 
the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. He  is  a  hard  and  constant  worker,  exercising 
much  practical  ability  and  sound  sagacity  iu  the 
pursuit  of  his  calling,  and  is  highly  deserving  of 
the  prosperity  that  has  follovved  his  labors.  He  is 
a  strong  Prohibitionist  in  his  political  sentiments, 
and  never  fails  to  give  his  hearty  sujjport  to  the 
candidates  of  that  party.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Wheatland,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  officiated 
as  an  Elder.     For  many  j-ears  he  has  been   School 


492 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIUCAL  ALBUM. 


Director  of  his  district,  aiul  lias  actively  aided  in 
forwarding  its  educational  interests.  He  has  been 
serving  in  the  important  office  of  Township  Road 
Commissioner,  for  many  j-ears,  and  has  been  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  great  improvement  in  the 
higliwaj-s  of  travel  in  this  township. 


.a  IfelLLIAM  DlMiLEY.  In  the  employ  of 
^ft  'jjj  the  Joliet  Branch  of  the  Illinois  Steel  Com- 
V^^  pany's  works  are  manj-  skilled  in  the  var- 
ious departments  of  labor.  To  this  class  belongs 
AVilliam  Dingley,  Any  foreman  in  the  converting 
works,  and  whose  honest,  earnest  labors  have  been 
rewarded  113'  a  responsible  and  remunerative  posi- 
tion, the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-men. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
this  sketch  is  the  only  son  of  William  and  Harriet 
A.  (Kimball)  Dinglej-,  the  paternal  familj-  being  of 
Scotch  origin.  AVilliam,  Sr.,  was  a  foreman  in  the 
shoe  making  business  in  his  eastern  home,  but  upon 
coming  West,  which  he  did  in  1858,  be  exchanged 
his  former  occupation  for  the  more  congenial  busi- 
ness of  raising  and  racing  horses.  For  thirty  j-ears 
he  was  a  well-known  and  respected  citizen  of  Illi- 
nois. He  was  a  cousin  of  Representative  Dingle^-. 
He  died  in  Joliet,  January  21.  1888.  His  wife  had 
long  preceded  him  to  the  other  world,  having  died 
at  Mount  Blue,  Me.,  November  5,  1856. 

William  Dingley,  Jr.,  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
in  Cochituate.  Mass.,  October  29,  1849,  and  after 
the  death  of  his  mother  lived  with  his  grandparents 
until  he  had  attained  his  twelfth  year.  He  then 
went  to  work  for  a  firm  in  Chicago  in  the  boot  and 
shoe  business,  but  coming  to  Joliet  the  same  3'ear 
he  found  emploj-meut  with  Firman  M.ack,  in  the 
same  line  of  industry.  In  that  business  he  con- 
tinued to  labor  here  and  in  Chicago  until  1876, 
when  he  entered  the  emploj-  of  the  Joliet  Iron  and 
Steel  Company. 

Beginning  as  a  laborer  on  the  lowest  round  of  the 
ladder,  Mr.  Dingley  by  virtue  of  close  application 
to  business,  combined  with  a  natural  aptitude,  rose 
step  by  step  to  the  position  of  foreman  in  the  con- 


verting works,  which  place  he  attained  in  1.S.S5.  and 
has  since  held.  Politicall3\  he  is  a  most  ardent 
Republican.  Tie  has  a  decided  taste  for  music  and 
in  its  gratification  find.s  a  large  measure  of  enjo3'- 
ment.  He  is  a  member  of  the  well-known  Orpheus 
Glee  Club. 

Realizing  that  it  is  not  good  for  man  to  live 
alone  Mr.  Dingley  wooed  and  won  for  his  wife 
Miss  Sarah  Alexander,  of  Lockport,  with  whom  he 
was  united  in  marriage  June  25,  1881.  James  L. 
Alexander,  the  father  of  the  bride,  was  one  of  the 
e:irl3'  setller.s  of  this  county,  whence  he  came  from 
W.-iyne  C'ount3-.  N.  Y.,  in  1857.  He  took  contracts 
on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  first  on  the  sec- 
tion at  Kankakee  and  subsequently  in  other  locali- 
ties. He  was  a  well-read,  thorough  going  business 
man,  and  enjo3ed  the  respect  of  his  neighbors  in  a 
marked  degree.  He  died  December  29,  1876.  His 
daughter.  Mrs.  Dingley,  received  good  advantages 
in  the  wa3'  of  education  and  home  training,  and 
has  made  such  use  of  them  as  fairly 'en  titles  her  to 
a  place  among  the  more  intelligent,  useful,  and 
honored  members  of  the  communit3'. 


I^^SA^ 


'^I^ENNIS  L.  HOGAN.  In  the  village  of  Spen- 
i);  cer  ma3-  be  found  a  general  mercantile  es- 
tablishment, which  is  under  the  control  of 
the  young  gentleman  above  mentioned.  Although 
the  business  is  still  in  its  iufanc3',  having  been  es- 
tablished in  December,  1889,  the  young  pro[)rietor 
is  alread3-  having  excellent  patronage,  as  his  stock 
is  well  selected  and  his  dealing  honorable  and 
courteous.  The  life  of  our  subject  has  been  passed 
in  New  Lenox  Township,  where  his  e3'es  opened 
to  the  light  of  da3'  December  15,  1861.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education  and  excellent  home  train- 
ing, and  bids  fair  to  become  a  man  of  note  in  the 
community. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
this  sketch  comes  of  honorable  Irish  lineage,  both 
of  his  parents  having  been  born  on  the  Emerald 
Isle.  His  mother,  formerly  Miss  Mar3-  McCabe,  is 
a  native  of  Dublin.  Dennis  Hogan  and  his  wife 
came  to  America  a  number  of  3'ears  ago,  settling 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


495 


in  New  Lenox  Township,  this  countj^  at  quite  an 
e:irly  day.  Tliej'  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  biograpliical  notice  is 
Ihe  third  in  order  of  birth.  The  husband  and 
father  breathed  his  last  in  March,  1887,  but  the 
widowed  mother  still  survives. 


,^p*i  Ai'i.  ,iAiui<ia  iuiL.i.tK,  onperin 
|l  the  machiue  department  of  the  G 

^^^iJ;'   chine  Manufactory  of  E.  R.  Brail 


APT.  JAMES  MILLER,  Superintcn<lent  of 

General  Ma- 
factory-  of  E.  R.  Brainard  &  Co., 
was  formerly  chief  engineer  of  the  Illinois  State 
Penitentiary,  and  lias  seen  a  service  of  twenty-two 
years  in  this  line  of  business.  He  is  a  man  highly 
spoken  of  by  those  who  have  known  him  long  and 
well,  and  needs  no  further  introduction  to  the 
people  of  Will  County-. 

Capt.  Miller  comes  from  one  of  the  best  nation- 
alities on  the  face  of  the  globe,  having  been  born 
in  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  the  date  thereof  being 
Jlarch  11,  1828.  He  received  a  practical  educa- 
tion iu  the  schools  of  his  native  shire,  and  when  of 
suitable  years,  commenced  an  apprenticeship  at 
marine  engine  building  on  the  Clyde.  After  be- 
coming master  of  the  business,  he,  in  1853,  when  a 
young  man  of  twenty-five  years,  determined  to 
seek  his  fortunes  in  America.  Upon  crossing  the 
Atlantic,  he  first  located  in  Sharon,  Pa.,  and  estab- 
lished a  foundry  and  machine  shop,  vvhich  be  con- 
ducted successfully  until  about  1857.  Believing 
then  that  he  could  better  his  condition  in  the  far- 
ther West,  he  came  to  this  State  and  established  a 
similar  business  at  Morris,  (irundy  County. 

After  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Miller, 
who  had  become  strongly  attached  to  the  institu- 
tions of  his  adopted  country,  determined  to  assist 
in  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  raised  a  com- 
pany called  the  Mechanics  Fusileers.  He  repaired 
with  them  to  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  but  met  with 
a  great  disappointment  on  account  of  their  services 
not  being  required.  They  were  accordingly  mus- 
tered out,  but  Mr.  Miller,  going  to  Cairo,  enlisted 
in  the  navy  and  was  assigned  to  the  Mississippi 
Squadron.  Soon  afterward,  on  account  of  his  evi. 
dent  understanding  of  the  business  and  his  fidelity 


to  his  duty,  he  was  promoted  from  fireman  to. chief 
engineer,  and  held  this  position  for  three  years, 
participating-  in  many  of  the  engagements  which 
followed,  and  making  for  himself  a  fine  record  in 
connection  therewith. 

Mr.  Miller  continued  in  the  service  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  and  then  being  given  an  honorable  dis- 
missal, returned  to  Morris,  111.,  and  resumed  his 
old  business.  He  now  enjojed  the  reputation  of 
being  a  fii-st-ch\ss  machinist,  and  a  year  later  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  chief  engineer  of  the 
Illinois  State  Penitentiary,  a  position  which  he 
held  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-two  years  and 
until  1889.  He  then  became  Superintendent  of 
the  E.  R.  Brainard  <fe  Co.  machine  shops,  a  position 
which  he  has  since  held.  He  assisted  in  organizing 
the  People's  Loan  &  Homestead  Association,  in 
which  he  is  a  Director,  and  he  is  also  a  Director  of 
the  Joliet  Press  Company,  and  is  connected  with 
various  other  important  enterprises. 

Capt.  Miller  was  married,  in  1857,  in  Scotland  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Miller,  a  distant  relative.  The 
wife  of  Capt.  Miller  is  also  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  was  born  in  1828.  They  are  the  parents  of 
five  children,  viz.:  James, Edw-in,  Frank,  Maggie, 
the  wife  of  A.  W.  Smith,  of  Channahon  Township, 
and  Lillie.  The  children  of  Capt.  Miller  have  re- 
ceived excellent  school  advantages,  and  have  be- 
come fitted  for  their  [jroper  position  in  life.  The 
family  residence  is  properly  located  in  the  east 
part  of  the  city,  among  whose  people  they  count 
their  friends  by  the  score. 

On  another  page  of  this  work  the  reader  will 
notice  a  portrait  of  Capt.  Miller,  who  is  conceded 
to  be  one  of  Will  County's  representative  citizens. 

^^EORGE  LAMBERT.  Among  the  citizens 
III  ,_-,  of  DuPage  Township  who  have  retired 
'^^IJ  from  arduous  labors  and  are  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  former  industry  iu  a  beautiful  home,  is 
George  Lambert,  whose  life  presents  a  picture  of 
perseverance  and  uprightness.  His  home  farm 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixtj'  acres  on  section 
30,  and   his  entire    landed    estate    comprises    two 


496 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


hundred  and  sixty  auies.  He  had  no  financial 
start  in  life  otlier  than  tiie  means  to  reach  Amer- 
ica, therefore  his  comfortable  circumstances  result 
from  his  own  endeavors. 

The  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  ihu  light  of 
of  day  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  July  1,  1827. 
He  is  the  third  child  of  William  and  p:iizabeth 
(Scoffiu)  Lambert,  was  reared  to  farming  and  from 
about  ten  years  of  age  was  hired  out  on  a  farm, 
working  by  the  year  in  that  waj'  until  he  emigrated 
to  America.  In  England  he  had  practically  no 
educational  advantages  and  his  intelligence  is  the 
result  of  natural  talent  and  self  endeavor.  When 
he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  United  States 
he  embarked  on  the  sailer  "Jacob  E.  Westerfleld." 
which  left  Liverpool  early  in  May,  1851.  Cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  to  New  York,  the  voyage  was 
continued  via  the  Hudson  River,  Erie  Canal  and 
Great  Lakes  to  Chicago,  whence  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal  was  the  water-way  to  Lockport. 

The  first  work  done  by  Mr.  Lambert  was  dig- 
ging a  cellar  for  George  K.  Dyer,  of  DuPage 
Township,  and  the  winter  was  spent  at  his  home. 
The  following  spring  work  was  secured  on  the 
farm  of  Leander  Hamlin,  in  Plainfield  Township, 
and  there  onr  subject  remained  three  or  four  years. 
He  then  purcliascd  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  same 
township,  upon  which  he  lived  a  number  of  years, 
removing  from  it  to  his  present  home  farm.  Here 
he  has  erected  all  the  fine  buildings  that  mark  the 
estate,  and  otherwise  made  of  it  what  it  is  to-day, 
a  well-regulated  and  valuable  farm. 

The  first  vote  cast  b\'  Mr.  Lambert  was  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  from  that  daj'  he  has  acted 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  has  manifested  an 
interest  in  all  that  will  advance  the  real  prosperity- 
of  the  section  and  elev,ate  the  standard  of  moralit}', 
and  in  his  own  life  has  borne  himself  in  an  upright 
and  strictly  honorable  manner.  He  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  p]piscopal 
Church  at  Plainfield.  He  has  served  as  School 
Director  with  discretion,  and  none  are  more  deeply 
interested  in  the  cause  of  education  than  he. 

Mr.  Lambert  w-as  fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a 
companion,  gaining  a  true  helpmate  and  wise  coun- 
selor. Miss  Carrie  Bird  became  his  wife  on  Feb- 
ruary 20.  1855.  and   has    borne    him  ten  sons  and 


daughters.  Of  this  family-  seven  are  now  living, 
three  having  crossed  the  River  of  Death  to  await 
their  parents  on  the  farther  shore.  The  survivors 
are  Elizabetii,  wife  of  William  Walker  of  DuPage 
Township;  William,  now  Township  Clerk;  Mary, 
wife  of  Harle}-  AYalker,  of  the  same  township; 
Frank  E.,  an  enterprising  joung  man  who  carries 
on  the  farm;  Enoch,  Hattie  and  Sarah.  All  are 
intelligent  and  are  winning  reputations  such  as  re- 
joice tiie  fond  hearts  of  their  progenitors. 


ILLIAM  JONES.      Among    the   younger 

M  farmers  of  Florence  Township,  Mr.  Jones 
„  ^  occupies  a  leading  position  and  is  in 
possession  of  a  fine  body  of  land  on  section  1. 
Enterprising,  industrious  and  progressive  in  his 
ideas,  he  has  obtained  a  good  start  in  life,  not 
only  as  a  tliorough  and  skillful  farmer  but  as  a 
useful  member  of  the  communitj'.  His  native 
place  was  Yorkshire,  England,  and  the  date  of 
his  birth  June  10,  1S61.  His  immediate  progen- 
itors, John  and  Anna  (Hall)  Jones,  were  also  na- 
tives of  Yorkshire  and  of  pure  English  stock 
as  far  back  as  is  known. 

John  Jones  occupied  himself  as  a  farmer  in  his 
native  shire  until  1870,  and  then  not  satisfied 
with  his  condition  or  his  prosi)ects  resolved  upon 
seeking  his  fortunes  in  America.  He  accordingly- 
crossed  the  Atlantic  with  his  family  when  William, 
our  subject,  was  a  lad  of  nine  years,  and  coming  to 
Illinois  settled  in  Wilton  Township,  this  county. 
He  purchased  a  farm  upon  which  he  made  many 
improvements,  and  upon  which,  with  his  estimable 
wife,  he  still  resides.  He  has  become  well-to-do, 
being  the  owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of  thor- 
oughly imiMoved  land,  which  with  its  various  ap- 
purtenances, buildings  and  machinery,  forms  one 
of  the  most  valued  estates  in  the  township.  The 
elder  Jones  is  now  seventj'-four  3-ears  old,  while 
his  estimable  partner  is  seventy-six. 

Four  sons  were  born  to  the  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject, these  being  named  respectively.  John.  Will- 
iam, Joseph  and  George.  They  are  all  industrious 
and  thrifty  young  men,  and  all   occupied  at  farm- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


497 


ing  in  this  county.  Williara,  our  subject,  like  liis 
brothers,  spent  Ills  boyhood  and  youth  under  tlie 
home  roof,  and  acquired  a  practical  education  in 
the  common  school.  He  assisted  his  father  on  the 
farm  until  reaching  his  majority,  and  then  com- 
menced operations  on  his  own  account  on  the  land 
which  he  now  owns.  He  lived  prudently  and 
economically  and  saved  his  earnings,  and,  in  1884, 
his  wife  received  from  her  father's  estate  his  pres- 
ent farm,  which  embraces  eighty  acres  of  valuable 
land,  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation  and  with 
substantial  improvements. 

About  the  time  of  removing  to  his  present 
homestead  Mr.  Jones  was  married,  March  30,  1880, 
at  the  bride's  home  in  Wilton  Township,  to  Miss 
Emma  Holmes.  Tlie  young  wife  survived  her 
marriage  less  than  a  year,  her  death  taking  place 
December  28,  1880.  On  the  15th  of  November, 
1884,  Mr.  Jones  contracted  a  second  marriage 
with  Miss  Eimma  (5eiss,  of  Florence  Townshi|i. 
The  present  wite  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Jack- 
son Township,  this  county,  June  30,  1865,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  lliram  E.  and  Malinda  E.  (Whit- 
sen)  Geiss,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Illinois,  and  who  are  now  deceased.  The  house- 
hold circle  now  emliraces  three  bright  children, 
viz;  John,  Florence  and  Floyd,  Mr.  Jones  has 
started  in  life  under  favorable  auspices  and  with 
the  best  wishes  of  hosts  of  friends. 


^¥r 


PRED  PLAGGE.  This  gentlemen  is  the 
owner  and  occupant  of  a  fine  farm  on  sec- 
tion 6,  Washington  Township,  where  he  is 
eng.aged  in  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  The 
estate  comprises  two  hundred  acres,  all  improved, 
and  su[>plied  witli  a  com()lete  line  of  well-built 
structures  suitable  for  the  various  purposes  and 
needs  of  his  occupation.  The  present  appearance 
of  the  farm  is  the  best  monument  which  could  be 
erected  to  the  energy  and  untiring  perseverance  of 
the  owner  who  has  brought  it  from  the  primitive 
condition  of  an  unbroken  prairie  to  that  of  culti- 
vated fields. 

Tlic  gentleman   of  whom   vve  write  was  born  in 


the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany,  June  20, 1840, 
and  was  but  a  few  months  old  when  brought  to 
America  by  his  parents, who  settled  in  Cook  County, 
III.  There  he  grew  to  manhood,  obtaining  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  and  acquiring  on  the 
home  farm  a  knowledge  of  agricultural  pursuits. 
In  1863,  he  took  possession  of  his  present  estate 
and  began  his  successful  career  in  this  county.  By 
his  own  efforts  he  has  accumulated  a  sufficiency  of 
this  world's  goods  to  surround  himself  and  family 
with  comforts  and  to  give  the  promise  of  an  ample 
support  in  declining  years. 

The  lady  who  has  been  Mr.  Plagge's  efficient 
helpmate  for  a  number  of  years  was  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Miss  Christina  Kerning.  She  was 
born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  July  16,  1839, 
and  was  sixteen  years  old  when  she  came  alone  to 
America  and  began  making  her  livelihood  as  a  do- 
mestic in  Cook  County.  After  a  few  3'ears  she 
was  followed  by  her  parents,  who  settled  in  that 
county,  dying  there  when  past  sixty  years  of  age. 
They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  The 
happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plagge  has  been 
l)lest  by  the  birth  of  eight  children,  all  at  home 
except  two.  These  are  Augusta,  wife  of  Henry 
Withkeuing,  a  farmer  in  Washington  Townshii), 
■Will  County,  and  Emma,  the  wife  of  William  Nar- 
gers,  who  lives  in  the  village  of  Beechcr.  The 
other  members  of  the  family  are  William,  who  as- 
sists his  father  on  the  farm;  Louis,  Gustaf,  Fred, 
Bertha  and  Herman.  Mr.  Plagge  is  a  Republican 
in  politics.   The  familj'  attend  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  ancestral  line  from  which  our  subject  derives 
his  descent  was  a  respectable  one  and  the  blood 
pure  Hanoverian  German.  His  father,  William 
Plagge,  was  reared  to  farm  work  and  pursued  it  in 
bis  native  kingdom  until  late  in  the  year  1840.  He 
then  with  bis  wife  and  two  sons — Charles  and  Fred, 
— sailed  for  America,  taking  passage  at  Bremer- 
haven.  After  some  weeks  they  landed  in  New 
York  City,  coming  thence  to  Chicago  b}-  the  Hud- 
son River,  Erie  Canal  and  great  lakes.  They  set- 
tled at  Elmhurst,  Cook  County,  fifteen  miles  west 
of  Chicago,  securing  a  small  piece  of  land  tliere. 
About  two  years  later  the  mother  died  in  the  prime 
of  life  when  less  than  fifty  years  old.  The  father 
survived  until  1875,  breathing  his  last  when  sixty. 


-tits 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


five  years  of  ago.  He  had  married  a  second  tiuie; 
liis  wife  is  still  living  in  CV)()k  County  and  is  now 
seventy-three  3'ears  old.  He  had  no  children  by 
this  marriage.  The  parents  of  our  subject,  as  well 
us  the  stepmother  to  whom  he  owes  his  early  train- 
ing, belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 


*^^^^- 


■if/OliN  H.  WHITSON.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  in- 
corporate in  this  volume  the  biography  of  a 
gallant  soldier,  worthy  citizen  and  enter- 
prising farmer,  to  whom  the  town  of  Man- 
hattan owes  its  existence  and  its  name.  The  home 
of  Mr.  Whitson  is  on  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of 
line  land  on  section  20.  the  buildings  being  within 
the  corporation  limits  of  Manhattan.  The  place 
has  been  thoroughl}-  improved  with  a  complete  line 
of  buildings,  orchards,  groves  and  fences,  a;nd  is 
under  eouiplete  and  careful  tillage.  Grain  and 
stock-raising  are  carried  on  by  the  owner,  who  op- 
erates some  one  hundred  and  sist3-  acres  in  all,  and 
he  also  deals  in  real  estate. 

IMr.  Whitson  is  of  English  ancestry,  his  grand- 
father having  removed  from  tlie  mother  country  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  engaged  in  distilling. 
In  that  State,  Benjamin  "Whitson,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  and  reared.  From  Lancaster 
County  he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Reading, 
Ohio,  but  after  sojourning  there  a  few  years  onl}-, 
continued  his  journey  westward,  locating  in  Law- 
rence County,  111.,  about  1840.  Paying  ^500  for 
eight}'  acres  of  laud,  he  operated  it  until  1852  when 
he  sold  for  81,100.  His  purchase  money  had  been 
secured  principally  by  making  apple  butter  and 
selling  at  from  thirty-five  to  fifty  cents  per  gallon. 
After  selling  his  estate  Benjamin  Whitson  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  but  a  year  later  returned  to  his 
former  location,  and  after  a  short  sojourn  came  to 
Will  Count}\  His  new  home  was  near  Plainfield, 
where  he  continued  his  agricultural  labors  on  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  finally  removed  to  .Toliet,  abandoned 
active  pursuits  and,  enjoying  the  comforts  of  life, 
is  still  living  there,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  He 
is  a  memlier  of  the  Evangelical  Methodist  Chnrcli, 


His  wife,  who  died  in  1875,  was  a  native  of  the 
l\e3stone  State,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Leah 
Dudmore.  Her  father,  Philip  Dudmore,  was  an 
early  settler  in  Lawrence  County.  III.,  whence  he 
removed  to  Plainfield,  and  in  which  place  he 
breathed  bis  last. 

The  parental  family  comprised  nine  chihlren,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth; 
William  is  now  living  in  Chicago;  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Cook  in  Joliet;  David  and  Jacob  in  Manhattan 
Township;  Mrs.  Mary  Fouser  at  Ringgold,  Iowa; 
Jackson,  in  Frankfort  Township;  Libb}'  is  deceased; 
Benjamin  lives  in  Frankfort  Township:  William 
was  a  Sergeant  in  the  compan}-  to  which  our  subject 
belonged  and  served  the  same  length  of  time  during 
the  Civil  War;  David  wtis  a  Corporal  in  the  same 
regiment,  enlisted  for  the  same  length  of  time  and 
was  wounded  at  the  siege  of  Ft.  Blakely. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  March  21, 
1839,  in  Reading,  Ohio.  He  was  twelve  months 
old  when  his  parents  journeyed  westward  by  means 
of  horses  and  a  wagon,  and  liis  boyhood  was  spent 
in  Lawrence  County,  111.  He  enjoyed  the  advant- 
ages of  the  free  schools  and  acquired  a  good  prac- 
tical education  in  Lawrence  and  Will  Counties. 
He  was  about  fourteen  years  old  when  the  removal 
to  the  latter  took  place  and  the  family  settled  upon 
the  wild  prairie.  In  the  intervals  of  study  he  was 
emplo3'ed  upon  his  father's  farm,  becoming  thor- 
oughly skilled  in  the  details  of  agricultural  labor 
and  competent  to  judge  of  the  relative  value  of 
lands   and  the  best  means  of  insuring  good  crops. 

When  he  had  reached  his  majority,  Mr.  Whitson 
rented  land  at  Rockville,  Kankakee  County,  and 
there  labored  for  his  own  advancement  until  the 
Civil  AVar  broke  out.  His  heart  was  thrilled  with 
patriotic  fervor  and,  finding  that  the  struggle  was 
likely  to  be  a  more  protracted  one  than  was  at  first 
supposed,  he  and  his  brother  David,  who  was  his 
associate  in  business,  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Sev- 
enty-sixth Illinois  Infantry.  They  were  mustered 
into  the  service  at  Kankakee,  in  August,  1802,  and 
and  sent  to  the  Department  of  the  Southwest,  their 
duties  for  some  time  consisting  chiefly  of  skirmishes 
throughout  Tennessee  and  Mississippi  and  later  in 
INIissouri.  They  then  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Yicks- 
burg,  the   battles  of  Jackson,  Holly  Springs,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


490 


the  others  of  that  campaign,  from  wliich  Ihe}'  re- 
turned to  Vieksburg. 

The  tedious  and  dangerous  duties  which  de- 
volved upon  the  soldiers  during  tlie  Yazoo  expedi- 
tion and  Bank's  expedition  np  the  Red  River,  were 
assisted  in  bj-  our  subject,  wiio  under  all  the  trying 
circumstances  by  which  he  was  surrounded,  dis- 
played the  utmost  devotion  to  the  cause  for  which 
he  was  willing  to  risk  his  life.  Having  joined  Far- 
ragul's  expedition  to  Mobile,  he  and  his  comrades 
had  a  weary  march  to  that  city  and  to  Ft.  Blakely, 
where  they  lost  more  men  than  at  an}'  other  place 
where  thej*  had  been  engaged.  Subsequently  they 
were  sent  to  Galveston,  Tex.,  where  they  spent 
three  weeks  doing  guard  duty.  After  this  they 
returned  to  the  North  and  were  mustered  out  of 
service  and  honorably  discharged  at  Chicago.  At 
Holly  .Springs  Mr.  Whitson  had  been  taken  pris- 
oner by  the  rebels,  but  was  in  the  hands  of  his 
captors  only  one  day  when  the  prisoners  were  left 
by  the  retreating  Confederate  force. 

When  his  services  were  no  longer  needed  to  up- 
holil  the  Government,  Mr.  Whitson  returned  to 
Will  County  and,  with  his  brother  David,  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acies  of  land  in  Manhattan 
Township.  He  operated  his  own  share  of  the  farm, 
improving  it  and  making  it  his  home  until  1880. 
He  then  sold  it  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  where  he  is  now  living,  and  lo- 
cating here  began  its  s^'stematic  improvement, 
which  he  had  continued  but  one  year  when  the 
Wabash  Railroad  came  through.  He  at  once  laid 
out  about  ten  acres  on  the  east  side  of  the  railroad, 
which  is  called  J.  AVhitson's  sub-addition.  When 
the  subject  of  a  name  for  the  village  which  sprung 
up  was  being  agitated,  he  suggested  Manhattan, 
and  thus  it  was  christened. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  any  man  is  his 
choice  of  a  companion,  and  Mr.  Whitson  displayed 
good  judgment  in  his  selection.  He  won  for  his 
wife  Miss  Lucinda  Etter,  who  was  born  in  Cumber 
land  County,  Fa.,  November  5,  1842.  She  was 
educated  in  Ohio  and  Illinois,  Richland  Seminary 
having  been  her  Alma  Mater,  and  when  eighteen 
years  old  began  school  teaching.  Her  professional 
labors  were  principally  at  Plainfleld,  111.,  where  she 
enjoys  an  enviable    reputation   as   an   instructor, 


and  was  considered  a  valuable  addition  to  society 
by  reason  of  her  fine  education  and  pleasing  traits 
of  character.  Her  marriage  to  our  subject  took 
place  in  that  town  February,!,  18G6,  and  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children.  The  first- 
born. George,  attended  Aurora  College  and  spent 
one  year  as  a  teacher,  but  is  now  engaged  in 
Beech's  general  store  in  Joliet;  the  second  child, 
Nettie,  is  the  wife  of  George  Steele,  of  Chicago; 
Jessie,  Walter  and  Edna  are  at  home  with  tiieir 
parents. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  AVhilson  are  Lewis  and 
Mary  (North)  Etter,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
one  of  German  and  the  other  of  .Scotch  descent. 
The  father  was  a  shoemaker  in  his  native  State, 
whence  he  removed  to  Stark  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming  a  number  of  years.  He 
then  came  to  Plainfield,  111.,  where  he  is  now  liv- 
ing, his  age  being  four-score.  He  belongs  to  the 
Evangelical  Methodist  Church.  The  surviving 
brothers  and  sisters  of  JNIrs.  Whitson  are  Louis, 
Ezra,  .lacob,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wirtzbower,  and  Mrs. 
Mariah  Smith.  The  deceased  are  Samuel,  and 
Mary,  wife  of  David  Whitson. 

Mr.  AVhitson  has  served  as  School  Director.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Episcop.al  Church  of  which  he  is  a  most 
active  member,  being  Trustee,  Steward,  Class- 
Leader,  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school, 
and  bearing  a  part  in  every  movement  in  which 
the  congregation  is  interestecL  He  gave  an  acre  of 
ground  upon  which  to  erect  the  house  of  worship 
and  served  on  the  building  committee  while  it  was 
being  constructed. 

!L^,  ENRV  J-  SClIMliriL.  Although  quite 
young,  this  gentleman  is  becoming  well 
known  in  New  Lenox  Township  as  a 
p  farmer  of  ability  and  a  citizen  of  the  most 
honorable  character.  He  owns  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  good  land  on  sections  22  and  23, 
where  he  is  industriously  and  successfully  prosecut- 
ing the  career  to  which  his  taste  led  him,  and  where 
good  buildings  and  other  improvements  arc  to  be 


600 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


seen.  He  is  the  seeonrl  of  five  children  born  to 
Henr3-  and  Mary  (Kitzcrow)  Schmuhl.  who  came  to 
this  neighborhood  in  the  spring  of  1854.  Uotli 
were  natives  of  Germany,  the  one  having  been  born 
Jul}-  G,  and  the  other  Angust  13,  in  the  year  1H26. 
Beside  our  subject  their  family-  includes  Ida  M., 
Cliarles,  William  and  Emma. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  has  lieen  a  life 
resident  of  New  Lenox  Township,  in  which  he 
was  born  Octolier  10,  1859.  He  enjoyed  the 
school  privileges  l\v  which  a  good  practical  educa- 
tion is  insured  to  all  who  desire  to  learn,  and  in 
the  pul)lic  schools  became  well  informed  in  the 
ordinary  branches.  He  remained  with  his  father 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  established  his  own 
household  on  the  farm  which  he  still  occupies. 
Among  the  natives  of  his  own  township,  Mr. 
Schmuhl  knew  many  estimable  ladies,  but  none 
who  were  so  attractive  to  him  as  Miss  Henrietta 
Schoop.  His  regard  for  this  young  lady  being  re- 
ciprocated they  were  united  in  marriage  February 
8,  1883.  Mrs.  Schmuhl  was  born  December  15, 
1863,  and  is  the  elder  of  two  children  comprising 
liie  family  of  Christoph  and  Caroline  (Stricher) 
Schoop.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Germany  and 
her  father  died  in  this  township  May  9,  1882. 
The  happy  union  of  our  subject  and  his  estimable 
wife  has  been  blessed  b}'  the  birth  of  three  children 
— Alma  C.  PZlsa  I.  and  Erwin  C.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Schmuhl  belong  to  the  German  Lutheran 
Church.     He  is  a. stanch    Republican. 

IDNEY  15.  PEASE.  To  the  architectural 
skill  and  reliable  workmanship  of  .S.  B. 
Pease,  .loliet  owes  many  of  her  most 
Iieautiful  and  sulistanti.al  edifices,  among 
being  the  Union  Block,  the  residences  of 
Charles  Th.ajer,  E.  M.  Bray,and  others  too  numerous 
to  mention.  No  citizen  of  this  flourishing  citj'  stands 
higher  in  the  respect  of  the  community  Ihan  he, 
and  b}'  liis  own  efforts  lie  has  risen  to  this  position 
and  a  good  fin.Tucial  standing. 

Mr.  Pease  was  born  in  ]>awrence.  N.  Y.,  June  9, 
1839,  to  Samuel  and    Irene   (Hamlin)    Pease  who 


these 


■were  natives  of  the  Green  ^Mountain  State.  The 
father  was  born  July  4.  1811,  and  died  in  1887;  the 
mother  was  born  in  1810,  and  breathed  her  last  in 
1883.  Their  son  of  whom  we  write  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  remained  in  the  [jhice 
of  his  birth  until  he  was  seventeen  jears  old.  He 
then  in  185G,  came  west  and  locating  at  Dwight, 
111.,  embarked  in  the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  In  that 
occupation  he  continued  until  the  spring  of  18G1, 
when  the  call  for  troops  to  put  down  the  rebellion 
fired  his  spirit  and  he  determined  to  give  his  strength 
to  the  service  of  his  country. 

Cioing  to  Springfield  3'oung  Pe.ase  was  soon  en- 
rolled as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Twelfth  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  under  the  command  of  Capt.  T.  D. 
Moffat,  of  Chicago,  and  Col.  McArtluir.  he  went  to 
the  front.  He  first  smelled  the  smoke  of  battle  at 
Belmont,  after  which  he  took  part  in  the  contest  at 
Ft.  Donelson.  where  he  was  wounded  on  the  bloody 
field  of  Shiloh  and  at  Corinth.  Beside  the  minor 
skirmishes  that  fell  to  the  lot  of  all  .soldieis  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  he  was  in  all  the  engage- 
ments in  and  around  Chattanooga  until  Gen.  .Sher- 
man started  on  the  famous  march  to  the  sea.  He 
accompanied  the  forces  to  Savannah  and  back 
through  the  Carolinas, taking  part  in  the  last  battle  in 
the  campaign,  that  at  Bentonville.  At  Hesaca  he 
had  been  wounded  and  also  before  .\tlanta.  After 
the  surrender  of  Lee  he  took  his  place  at  the  Grand 
Review,  did  some  service  at  Louisville,  Ky..  and 
was  finally  mustered  out  at  Springfield.  He  had 
been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant  for 
meritorious  conduct. 

I'pon  resuming  the  peaceful  arts  of  civil  life 
3Ir.  Pease  took  up  the  pursuit  of  a  contractor  and 
builder  in  which  lie  has  been  activelv  engaged  from 
that  time.  Success  has  crowned  his  efforts  and  he 
has  become  known  as  one  who  fulfills  his  contracts 
in  an  honorahle  manner  and  performs  liis  duties  to 
society  and  bis  family,  as  an  upright  and  kind- 
hearted  man  should.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  and  belongs  to  Bartleson 
Post,  No.  6,  G.  .\.  R. 

The  lady  whom  Mr.  Pease  chose  as  his  compan- 
ion in  life  and  with  whom  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  New  York  State  in  18G7.  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Jennie  Eggleston.     She  w.as  horn  in  Yer- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


501 


mont  whence  she  had  removed  to  the  Empire 
State  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  has  borne  him 
five  children — William  H.,  Mary,  Bertie,  Carrie 
and  Marion.  Mar3'  awl  Bertie  died  in  infancy;  the 
snrvivors  are  a  handsome  and  particniarly  interest- 
ing trio. 


c^.^o' 


<;f]OSEPH  F.  NACHBOUR.  The  sons  of  the 
Fatherland,  upon  the  first  settlement  of  this 
country,  hastened  hither  in  large  numbers 
and  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  ranks  of  life. 
Their  perseverance,  energy  and  industry  are  pro- 
verbial and  they  have  been  no  unimportant  factors 
in  devek>i)ing  the  resonrces  of  the  New  World  and 
especiall}'  the  great  West.  The}'  are  looked  ufion 
as  forming  a  portion  of  the  bone  and  sinew  of 
America.  While  the  fathers  have  passed  awa}' 
they  have  transmitted  to  their  sons  the  qualities 
of  which  they  were  so  admirabl}'  possessed,  and 
tinis  we  find  the  latter  occupying  positions  of 
honor  in  all  the  cliaunels  of  Ijusiness  and  of  so- 
cial life. 

The  subject  of  this  notice,  who  is  the  senior 
member  of  tiie  firm  of  Nachbour  ife  Nicolaus,  the 
leading  dealers  in  dry  goods  in  Joliet,  is  a  son  of 
Lewis  Nachbour,  whc  was  born  in  Germany  and 
came  to  America  in  1847.  The  latter  upon  reach- 
tbis  country  proceeded  from  New  Orleans,  where 
he  landed,  up  the  Mississippi  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
and  thereafter  followed  his  trade  of  a  stonemason. 
He  was  married  in  Germany  to  Miss  Amelia  Wohl 
ganaut,  a  native  of  his  own  counUy  and  tliere 
were  born  to  them  seven  sons,  three  of  whom  .are 
living,  viz:  Frank,  the  Sheriff  of  Cedar  County, 
Iowa;  William,  a  farmer  residing  near  Atalissa, 
that  .State,  and  Joseph  F.  our  subject.  The  parents 
are  still  living  and  residents  of  Atalissa. 

Mr.  Nachb(jur  was  born  in  the  city  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  .lannary  !•").  18')6, and  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools.  He  commenced 
his  business  career  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  A.  D. 
D3er  at  Atalissa  and  remained  with  him  for  a 
period  of  six  years  in  that  place.  He  then  came 
with  Mr.  D\er  to  Joliet  and  continued  with  him 
another  six  3'ears.      In  the    meantime  he  h.ad  been 


prudent  and  saved  what  he  could  of  his  salary  and 
on  the  i;nh  of  February,  1882,  associated  himself 
in  partnership  with  a  dry-goods  firm  of  Joliet  and 
they  commenced  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Dinet,  Nachboin-  &  Co. 

Ten  months  later  there  was  a  change  in  the  bns- 
iness  and  the  firm  iissumed  its  present  style.  It 
has  been  steadily  gaining  ground  and  at  the  [)res- 
enttime  transacts  a  business  of  81  To, 000  annually. 
The  firm  started  with  a  capital  of  82,000.  The 
business  now  occupies  the  lower  lloor  of  the  Bar- 
ber Building,  the  most  elegant  business  block  in 
the  city.  The  firm  carries  a  full  line  of  all  the 
articles  pertaining  to  this  l)ranch  of  trade.  The 
store  is  fitted  up  with  all  the  modern  conveniences 
and  the  courteous  treatment  of  its  customers  is 
made  a  specialty.  B3'  fair  dealing  and  a  thor- 
ough understanding  of  the  business  in  all  its  de- 
tails, this  firm  is  rapidl}-  gaining  prominence  in 
the  county  and  securing  the  patronage  of  its  lead- 
ing people.  Mr.  Nachbour  and  his  partner  are 
also  interested  in-  fine  horses  and  own  some  first- 
class  equines,  principall3'  roadsters. 

l'oliticall3^  Mr.  Nachbour  is  a  sound  Rei)ubli- 
can  and  is  justifiably  proud  of  the  fact  that  he 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  Grant. 
Socially  he  belongs  to  the  Union  Club  and  the 
Irish-American  Club,  at  .Joliet,  also  the  Sunset 
Club,  of  Chicago. 


rf 


^  AJIES  H.  FERRIS,  President  of  the  Joliet 
News  Printing  Compan3',  is  worthil3-  filling 
the  responsible  ixisition,  to  which  he  brings 
a  large  amount  of  experience  and  practical 
knowledge.  The  Ifeirn  was  established  in  April, 
1877,  1)3-  a  rambling  printer,  named  Charles  F. 
Dutcher,  and  published  in  the  Phmnix  office,  then 
under  the  editorial  control  of  Mr.  Ferris.  Octo- 
ber 1,  of  that  year,  a  firm  composed  of  R.  W.  Nel- 
son, James  II.  Ferris  ami  H.  E.  Baldwin,  bought 
the  little  AV»'s  plant  for  a  "song,"  and  continued 
the  publication.  The  last  two  above-named  |)art- 
ners  have  continued  the  business   to  this   date,  ex- 


502 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cepting  the  j-ears  1881-82,  when  'Sir.  Ferris  piib- 
lisbed  a  paper  iu  Maine. 

The  politics  of  the  Daily  Neivs.  with  its  four 
thousand  circulation,  Ikis  been  Green baclv-Labor 
ever  since  the  fall  of  1877,  and  the  weekly  edition 
ten  years  after  that  turned  its  forces  in  with  the 
Prohibition  part}'.  Its  circulation  is  two  thou- 
sand. 

Mr.  Ferris  was  born  in  tlic  town  of  Oswego, 
Kendall  County,  HI.,  in  1849.  His  father,  AVilli.am 
H.  Ferris,  removed  from  Clinton  Count}',  N.  Y.,  in 
the  '40's,  and  now  resides  at  Bristol,  Kendall 
County,  this  State.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Eliza  M.  Brown,  and  hor  native  home,  Erie  County, 
Pa. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  his  newspaper 
career  at  Yorkville,  111.,  where  he  and  Frank  H. 
Hall  published  a  Peter  Cooper  Greenback  paper  a 
year  or  two,  both  finally  coming  to  Joliet  in  1876. 
Mr.  Ferris  married  Miss  Olive  E.  Hunt,  of  Hunts- 
ville,  Canaan  County,  Conn.,  in  July,  1880. 


'SHERRY  KENISTON,  whose  title  of  "Honor- 
I  able"  w.as  gained  as  a  member  of  the  State 
I  Legislature,  I)ut  applies  equally  well  to  his 
^^sjj  private  life,  owns  a  fine  estate  in  Wilton 
Township,  where  he  h.as  lived  since  1854.  A  fine 
tract  of  land  is  the  farm  upon  which  he  devotes 
his  attention  to  farming  and  the  stock  business, 
.and  its  accumulation  has  resulted  mainly  from  his 
own  good  management  and  industry ,as  he  h.ad  but  a 
small  capital  upon  which  to  begin  life.  The  fer- 
tile and  improved  estate  coni(irises  two  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres  on  section  16,  and  is  excelled 
by  few,  if  any,  in  the  vicinity.  For  several  years 
Mr.  Keniston  has  given  the  raising  of  Short-horn 
cattle  considerable  attention.  Wellread  in  abroad 
sense,  more  than  ordinarily  intelligent,  and  full  of 
enterprise  and  public  spirit,  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  this  gentleman  commands  the  re. 
spect  of  all  who  enjoy  his  acquaintance  and  that  he 
is  pointed  out  as  a  worthy  exponent  of  the  Chris- 
tian f.aith  and  practice. 

The  name  donates  the  Scotch  orio^in  of  the  Ken 


iston  family  that  has  been  known  and  honored  in 
New  England  for  many  years.  In  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  Joseph  and  Sallie  (Glidden)  Ken- 
iston were  born,  and  lived  until  1854,  when  they 
came  west  and  took  up  their  residence  in  the  Prai- 
rie State.  A  settlement  was  made  in  Wilton  Town- 
ship, this  county,  and  the  parents  tarried  here  un- 
til 1865,  when  they  removed  to  Aurora,  Kane 
County,  in  which  city  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  both  living  to  an  advanced  age.  The 
elder  Mr.  Keniston  devoted  himself  to  farming 
as  a  life  work,  and  was  in  easy  financial  circum- 
stances. For  many  years  prior  to  their  deaths,  he 
and  his  wife  were  active  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  The  parental  family  consisted  of  eleven 
sons  and  daughters.  John  B.,  Elizabeth,  and 
Sarah,  are  deceased;  our  subject  is  the  fourth 
in  order  of  birth;'  Emeline  is  the  wife  of  William 
Urie,  a  carpenter  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.;  Noah  G. 
is  engaged  in  farming  in  Montgomrey  County, 
Iowa;  Simeon  G.,  is  deceased;  Hiram  B.  lives  in 
Oregon;  Joseph  J.  in  Iowa;  Henry  and  Julia  are 
deceased. 

In  Sheffield,  Caledonia  County,  A't.,  the  eyes  of 
the  Hon.  Jerry  Keniston  opened  to  the  light  of  day 
March  2,  1829.  He  received  a  good  common- 
school  education  and  on  the  farm  acquii'ed  the 
knowledge  of  .agriculture  that  is  the  common  herit- 
age of  farmer's  sons.  When  about  twenty -five 
years,  old  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  aild 
in  this  county  he  resided  until  after  the  Civil  War 
began.  Ho  then  determined  to  assist  his  country 
in  her  hour  of  need  and  abandoning  the  peaceful 
l)ursuits  of  his  former  yerirs,  took  his  place  in  the 
ranks  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  One  Hundredth 
Illinois  Infantry. 

Soon  after  his  enlistment,  Mr.  Keniston  was 
made  Second  Lieutenant  of  his  company  and  at 
the  close  of  the  w.ar  held  a  Captain's  Commission. 
He  took  part  in  every  battle  iu  which  liis  regiment 
w.as  engaged  until  the  contest  at  Chiekamauga, 
where  he  was  captured  by  the  enemy  and  taken 
to  Libby  Prison.  There  he  was  held  a  prisoner 
seven  months,  and  then  removed  to  points  farther 
south,  and  on  March  2,  1865,  released  at  Wilming- 
ton, N.  C.  Returning  to  the  State  whence  he  had 
entered  the  Union  Armv,   Mr.  Keniston  resumed 


**«**»»• 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


605 


the  peaceful  occupation  of  farming,  settling  on  the 
l.ind  wbicii  he  still  owns  and  operates. 

Mr.  Keniston  has  served  as  Township  Supervisor 
three  terms.  In  1879  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  repre- 
sented tiiis  county  ably.  He  has  always  taken  an 
active  interest  in  politics,  believing  that  all  loyal 
citizens  should  understand  fulli'  the  needs  of  the 
Nation  and  aid  in  the  Government  hy  their  vote 
and  influence  on  the  side  of  right  when  no  more 
prominent  work  is  given  them.  He  is  a  member  of 
tiie  Baptist,  while  his  vvife  belongs  to  the  Congre- 
gational Church. 

InlSoS.JIr.  Keniston  married  Miss  Martha  A. 
Tiffany,  of  Pike, Wyoming  County, N.  Y.,with  whom 
ho  lived  happily  until  she  was  called  hence  in  18G2. 
lu  186C,  he  married  Miss  Martha  Lynde  of  Wil- 
liamstown,  Vt.,  who  has  ably  managed  the  house- 
liold  affairs  and  wisely  governed  the  children  com- 
mitted to  her  care,  winning  friends  by  her  graces 
of  heart  and  mind.  The  union  has  been  blessed 
hy  the  birth  of  nine  children — Henry  C,  John  L., 
i,(l:i.  Laura,  Charles  IL,  Mattie,  Carroll,  Raymond 
ami  Daisoy.  Lola  and  Mattie  have  been  removed 
by  the  hand  of  death;  Henry  is  now  living  in  Chi- 
cago; the  others  remain  at  home.      All  are  single. 


\f  OHN  WILLIAMS,  Sr.  The  oldest  settltr  in 
Wesley  Township,  and  one  of  the  oldest  in 
tiie  county,  this  nonagenarian  has  the  love 
and  respect  of  the  entire  neighborhood,  and 
more  especiall3'  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
connnuuity.  Nothing  affords  him  greater  pleasure 
than  to  sit  and  talk  of  the  old  times,  whose  inci- 
dents are  as  vividly  impressed  upon  his  memory  as 
though  they  had  transpired  but  yesterday.  His 
general  health  is  good  and  his  mind  }-et  active,  al- 
though he  so  long  since  passed  the  allotted  age  of 
man.  He  has  a  home  with  his  son  Frank  and  fam- 
ily, but  is  otherwise  alone,  seven  members  of  his 
familj-  being  buried  in  the  cemetery  near  by. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  the   first- 
born in  the  parental  family  and  opened  his  e3-cs  to 


the  light  of  day  in  Greenbriar  County,  Va.,  April 
0,  1801.  Ilis  education,  a  common-school  one, 
was  obtained  in  Greenbriar  and  Monroe  Counties, 
in  the  latter  of  which  the  family  resided  for  a  time. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  began  his  per- 
sonal career  in  life  as  a  farmer,  that  being  an  occu- 
pation to  which  he  had  been  reared,  and  his  whole 
life  has  been  spent  in  open  air  employment.  He 
had  a  deed  for  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
Maj.  Hamilton,  of  West  Virginia,  and  worked  that 
farm  until  September,  1831,  when  he  took  the 
Western  fever. 

On  October  7  of  that  year,  Mr.  Williams  started 
with  a  four  horse  team  toward  the  setting  sun,  and 
upon  arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  Danville,  111., 
made  a  settlement,  remaining  there  until  April, 
1834.  He  then  came  to  Will  County,  and  located 
one-half  mile  from  his  present  home.  At  that  time 
Will  County  had  been  subjected  to  no  improve- 
ment worthy  of  mention,  and  the  laud  was  being 
surveyed  by  the  United  States  Government.  Mr. 
Williams'  nearest  neighbor  was  George  N.  Beck- 
with,  three  miles  distant,  and  he  remained  at  that 
time  but  a  few  daj^s.  Indians  were  here  two  sea- 
sons after  Mr.  AVilliams'  arrival,  but  thej-  were 
peaceable. 

The  house  built  by  Mr.  Williams  was  the  first  in 
this  township.  It  was  of  logs,  and  being  16x18 
feet  in  dimensions,  was  looked  upon  as  quite  a  man- 
sion. The  first  year  our  subject  plowed  forty 
acres,  two-thirds  of  which  he  planted  in  corn,  rais- 
ing from  the  sod  four  hundred  bushels  of  good  corn 
and  enough  soft  grain  to  keep  his  cattle  and  horses 
all  winter.  He  had  twenty-two  head  of  cattle  and 
two  horses.  Having  had  some  money  with  which 
to  start  here,  Mr.  Williams  had  not  the  sti'uggle 
which  some  pioneers  had.  Ilis  first  purchase  was 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  but  he  sold  off 
twenty  to  a  new  neighbor.  Very  few  settlers  ar- 
rived prior  to  183G,  at  which  time  there  was  quite 
an  influx  of  iuniiigrants. 

In  October,  1819,  Mr.  Williams  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  which  he  has 
been  identified  since  that  time,  and  in  the  work  of 
which  he  took  an  active  part  for  many  a  long  year. 
He  helped  to  organize  the  first  congregation  in  this 
township,  in  1835,  and  was  Class-Leader  from  183G 


506 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  1839.  In  1837  the  congregation  numbered  fifty- 
two  members.  Tlie  first  regular  minister  was  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Springer,  father  of  Congressman  Springer. 

The  first  school  in  this  vicinity  was  also  organized 
in  1 835,  and  John  Frazer  selected  as  its  teacher.  Mr. 
Williams  was  one  of  the  first  School  Directors,  and 
has  frequentl3'  served  in  the  same  capacity  in  later 
j-ears.  He  was  here  when  the  count}'  was  organized, 
and  has  therefore  been  as  closely  connected  with 
its  history  as  anj'one  now  living.  The  first  house 
uhich  he  built  is  now  used  by  T.  W.  Jones  as  a 
stable.  In  July,  1871,  he  came  to  his  present  home. 
Mr.  AYilliams  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  poli- 
tics, and  from  the  time  of  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential ballot,  which  was  given  to  John  Qnincy 
Adams,  he  has  never  failed  to  deposit  his  ballot 
in  the  interest  of  good  government.  His  father 
was  a  Federalist,  and  he  h.as  been  a  Whig  and  Re- 
publican. 

The  first  marri.age  of  our  subject  took  place  Sei)- 
tember  5,  1832,  the  bride  being  Miss  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Aaron  lUirr.  cousin  of  Col.  Aaron 
Burr.  That  estimable  lady  survived  until  1845, 
when  she  joined  the  sheeted  nations  of  the  dead. 
She  had  borne  seven  children  of  whom  the  sur- 
vivors are  LeRoy,  now  living  in  California;  John, 
in  Colorado;  Clarke,  in  Kansas;  and  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Withroe  in  Kentland,  lud. 

On  June  22,  1847,  Mr.  Williams  contracted  a 
second  alliance,  his  companion  being  Miss  Susan 
Groff,  whose  home  was  near  LaFa3'ette,  Ind.  This 
union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children, 
with  the  youngest  of  whom,  Frank  L.,  our  subject 
makes  his  home.  The  others  are  James  W.,  Mrs. 
Jennie  Siiefler  and  Mrs.  Lizzie  Grey,  who  live  in 
Kansas.  Mrs.  Susan  (Groff)  Williams  departed 
this  life  in  August,  1860.  The  third  marriage  of 
Mr.  Williams  was  celebrated  March  27,  18G2,  on 
which  occasion  he  was  united  in  marri.age  with 
Miss  Mary  Moiehead.  who  survived  until  Novem- 
ber 13,  1884,  when  she  too  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
silent  tomb. 

riie  father  of  our  subjecli  was  Rich.ard  "Williams, 
who  was  bom  in  fireen briar  County,  W.Va.,  Octo- 
ber 17,  1770.  In  the  same  county  in  1780  a  child 
was  born  who  was  christened  Thankful  Morrison, 
and  who  m  duo  time  became  the  wife  of   Richard 


Williams.  In  1808  they  removed  to  Monroe 
Count}',  of  the  same  State,  settling  upon  a  farm, 
which  they  made  their  home  for  twenty-three  years. 
They  then  returned  to  their  native  county,  where 
Mr.  Williams  breathed  his  last  in  1843,  and  his 
good  wife  in  1852.  This  worthy  couple  were  the 
parents  of  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  three  of 
the  family  yet  surviving. 

A  lithographic  portrait  of  this  venerable  citizen 
of  Will  County  appropriately  accompanies  his  per- 
sonal sketch.  To  attain  to  a  happy  and  healthy 
old  age  is  the  lot  of  only  a  few,  and  Mr.  Williams 
is  fortunate  in  that  principles  of  honor  and  upright- 
ness were  early  inculcated  in  his  mind,  and  thus  he 
is  enabled  to  consider  the  past  without  regret  and 
the  future  without  fear. 


^^^EORGE  W.  YOUNG,  LL.  B.,  is  one  of  the 
II  ^—,  prominent  and  rising  young  members  of 
"'^^,i4l  tiie  bar  of  this  county,  his  office  being  in 
the  Barber  Block,  Joliet.  He  was  born  in  Man- 
hattan, this  county,  March  25,  1864,  and  came  to 
-Toliet  with  his  parents  when  twelve  years  old.  re- 
ceiving his  education  at  the  grammar  and  high 
schools  of  this  city.  In  1883  he  took  a  position  on 
the  staff  of  the  Joliet  llepuhlic  and  Sun,  w^here  he 
remained  until  the  fall  of  1885.  lie  then  entered 
the  School  of  Law  in  Columbia  College,  New 
y  ork  City, taking  also  the  course  in  political  science. 
He  w.as  graduated  in  1887,  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws,  cum  Jaude. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Young  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  Illinois,  and  at  once  began  to  practice  in 
Joliet.  During  the  last  Presidential  campaign 
he  was  elected  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the 
Lincoln  Club,  an  organization  of  young  Repub- 
licans, and  still  holds  the  ofhce.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Township  Campaign  Committee. 
He  is  now  a  Director  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  and  was  recently  elected  A'estry- 
man  in  Clirist  Episcojial  Church.  These  f.acts 
thoroughly  establish  his  reputation  as  one  of  the 
upright,  energetic  and  trustworthy  younaf  men  of 
the  citv.  and  indicate  that  his  life  is  to  be  a  useful 


PORTRAIT  AND  BlOGRArHICAL  ALBUM. 


507 


one,  not  only  in  ad  vancing  his  personal  interests, 
but  in  carrying  forward  the  higher  welfare  and 
civilization  of  the  commnnit}-  to  which  he  belongs. 
It  furtlier  demonstrates  the  fact  tliat  the  famil}- 
name,  wliieli  is  already  an  honored  one,  promises 
to  become  still  more  honorable  tiirougii  the  merits  of 
tlie  younger  generation  of  the  name. 

On  September  5,  1889,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Corabelle  Beers  Rugar,  a  cultured 
and  refined  young  ladj'.  She  was  born  at  (iales- 
burg.  III.,  April  2,  18G-t,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Capt. 
Francis  Rugar,  U.  S.  A.  She  was  educated  at 
Knox  College  and  afterward  pursued  the  study  of 
art  in  the  Art  Institute,  of  Chicago,  and  the  Acad- 
emy of  Design,  of  New  York. 

The  first  memljcr  of  the  Young  famil\-  in  Amer- 
ica was  the  Rev.  John  Young,  wlio  was  sent  to  this 
country  about  1635  as  a  missionar}'  of  the  Church 
of  Kngland,  as  previously  there  had  been  none  in 
Xew  England.  He  made  a  permanent  home  near 
Sag  Harbor.  L.  I.  He  had  two  sons,  Edward  and 
Alexander,  who  left  home  about  1700.  the  former 
going  to  New  Jerse}'  and  the  latter  to  Westchester 
Count3',  N.  Y.,  where  the  descendants  of  Alex- 
ander Young  lived  for  many  years.  His  son,  also 
named  Alexander,  was  the  father  of  Edw^ard,  and 
tlu!  grandfather  of  a  third  Alexander,  who  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Lawrence  about  1787.  Jliss  Law- 
rence was  the  daughter  of  John  Lawrence,  of  New- 
York  Cit}',  and  cousin  of  the  noted  Capt.  John 
Lawrence,  of  the  United  States  frigate  "Chesa- 
peake," whose  memorable  command  "Don't  give 
up  the  sliip"  is  still  a  popular  motto  in  the  navy. 

Tlie  last-named  Alexander  Young  was  a  promi- 
nent Orthodox  Friends  preacher,  well  known 
throughout  the  country.  He  owned  and  operated 
an  extensive  mill  at  Esopus,  Ulster  County,  on 
the  Hudson.  He  and  his  wife  reared  a  family  of 
six  children,  the  thiril  of  whom  was  John  Young, 
tlie  grandfather  of  our  subject.  He  was  born  in 
Esopus  July  18,  1798,  was  considered  one  of  the 
most  liighly-educated  men  of  his  day,  and  was  for 
some  time  in  charge  of  a  private  school  in  New- 
York  City.  He  had  previously  established  the 
Brooklyn  Collegiate  Institute,  which  lie  continued 
until  1841.  In  182C  he  was  appointed  United 
States  Surveyor  for  tlie  District  of  Cincinnati,  but 


never  undertook  the  active  duties  of  the  office.  In 
the  fall  of  1848  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  locating 
in  Jlanhattan,  this  county,  was  joined  bj'  his 
faiiiilj'  in  the  spring  of  1849.  He  became  well- 
known  throughout  the  count}',  being  a  prominent 
and  extensive  farmer,  and  serving  as  Supervisor  of 
his  township  for  ten  years.  In  1876  he  re- 
tired from  active  life,  removing  to  Joliet  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  bis  days  with  his  son  Edward.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  St.  Paul's  Epis- 
co|ial  Church,  at  ^lanhattan,  and  was  largely  in- 
strumental in  l)uilding  the  church  edifice.  He  was 
for  several  years  before  his  retirement  President  of 
the  Will  County  Agricultural  Society.  He  was 
also  patentee  of  several  agricultural  implements. 

In  1825  John  Young  became  the  husband  of 
Miss  Caroline  Thompson,  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
James  Thompson,  a  well-known  Episcopal  clergy- 
man, of  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.  Four  children  sur- 
vive him.  Thej'  are  James  Thompson,  President 
of  the  Staten  Island  Dyeing  Establishment  in  New- 
York  Cit}';  Mansfield,  a  resident  of  Hartland, 
Kan.;  Caroline  E.,  wife  of  Fr.ancis  L.  Cagwiu,  of 
Joliet;  and  Edward. 

The  youngest  son,  Edward,  who  is  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Durham,  N.  Y.,  February 
6,  1837,  and  came  to  this  county  with  the  famil}' 
in  1849.  He  received  his  education  at  private 
schools  in  New  York  City,  and  after  reaching  his 
maturity  succeeded  Jiis  father  in  the  management 
of  the  farm,  upon  which  he  remained  until  1876. 
He  then  removed  to  Joliet  and  engaged  in  the  hay 
and  grain  business,  buying  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  and  .shipping  to  tiie  South  and  East, 
carrying  on  an  extensive  trade.  In  order  to  still 
further  extend  the  business  he  has  recently  re- 
moved to  Kansas, witli  his  headquarters  at  Anthony, 
where  he  gives  his  attention  exclusively  to  grain 
dealing.  He  married  Miss  Ann  Eliza,  daugliter  of 
tlie  Hev.  Warner  Hoyt,  an  Episcopal  clergyman 
[jt  RidgeBeld,  Conn.  She  was  born  .Tune  !.">.  1S?,ri. 
and  educated  at  Pelbam  Priory. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Young  is 
m.ade  up  of  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  George 
Warner,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  being  the  eld- 
est. The  second  one  is  Charles  Herbert,  w-lio  is 
now-  attending  Trinity   College.  Hartford,  Conn., 


508 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


being  a  candidate  for"  the  Episcopal  ministry;  the 
third  is  John  Mansfield,  citj^  editor  of  the  .Toliet 
Press;  Hensted  T.,  the  fourth  child,  is  private  sec- 
retarj'  to  the  General  Freight  Agent  of  the  Erie 
Railroad,  at  Chicago.  The  j-ounger  members  of 
the  family  circle  are  Francis  Edward,  who  is  now 
in  school,  and  Slargaret  Hoyt.  The  family  have 
long  been  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  the 
father  having  been  Vestryman  and  Warden  of 
Christ  Church,  of  .Toliet.  since  1876. 

,,.2==S_ 


jILLIAM  LAMBE.  Among  the  many  at- 
f/  tractive,  rural  homesteads  of  this  county 
none  are  more  deserving  of  a  special  men- 
lion  than  that  belonging  to  Mr.  Lambe,  and  which 
in  its  appointments  is  in<lieative  of  the  true  char- 
acter of  both  himself  and  his  excellent  wife.  The 
farm  comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  on  section  30.  embellished  with  good  buildings 
and  all  the  other  appurtenances  naturally  suggesleci 
to  the  mind  of  the  enterprising  and  progressive 
agriculturist.  iVlr.  Lambe  is  well-to-do  flnaneially, 
owning,  besides  this  farm,  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Clinton  County.  He  is  largely  interested 
in  stock  raising  and  h,as  liiat  thorough  understand- 
ing of  his  calling  which  seldom  fails  of  success. 
Mrs.  Lambe  is  in  all  respects  the  suitable  partner 
of  her  husband  and  their  hospitable  doors  are  eon- 
tinuoush"  kept  open  to  the  hosts  of  friends  whom 
they  have  made  since  their  sojourn  in  this  county. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone, Ireland, September,'20.  1820.  and  lived  there 
until  18.i2,  occupying  himself  mostly  as  a  farmer. 
He  obtained  such  education  as  was  afforded  b}' 
the  common  schools  and  at  an  early  age  contracted 
those  habits  of  industry  and  economy  which  have 
been  the  secret  of  his  later  success.  Before  leav- 
ing his  native  land  he  w.as  for  five  or  six  j'ears  a 
resident  of  the  city  of  Belfast,  emploj'ed  in  the 
Government  Custom  House. 

Upon  reaching  America  in  the  fall  of  18.52,  Mr. 
Lambe  sojourned  briefly  in  New  Yoik  City  upon 
landing,  and  thence  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,Mo., 
wliere  for  three  years  he  was  employed  as  a  i)ork- 


packer,  conducting  his  own  business.  His  estab- 
lishment and  its  contents  were  destro3'ed  by  fire 
and  for  four  years  afterward  he  engaged  as  a  rail- 
road contractor.  Subsequently  he  was  in  the  trans- 
fer business  for  the  Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad  Companj-,  and  later  engaged  as  a  dealer 
in  coal  and  ice  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  j'e.ars  while  at 
tlie  same  time  retaining  his  connection  with  the 
transfer  business,  in  compan}'  with  his  brother,  the 
late  Charles  B.  Lambe,  of  St.  Louis. 

About  1866,  Mr.  Lambe  came  to  Clinton  Countj'. 
this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  lived 
until  probably  1882.  In  the  meantirar  he  has 
been  accompanied  in  his  migrations  by  the  lady 
to  whom  ho  was  first  married,  in  Count}-  Down, Ire- 
land— Miss  Letitia  Martin — who  bore  him  tiiree 
children.  The  eldest  of  these  is  a  daughter,  Sarah, 
and  now  the  wife  of  .lames  Allen,  of  Clinton 
County.  The  two  younger — Emma  and  .lolin — 
died  when  small.  Mrs.  Letitia  L,ambe  departed  this 
life  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1853. 

Our  subj.ect  was  married  to  his  present  wife  in 
Homer  Township,  this  county,  March  C,  1867.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Louise  Barnet,  ,and  she  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  George  Barnet  who  died  in 
Homer  Township  about  1861.  Mrs.  Louise  (Bar- 
net)  Lambe  was  born  in  Canada,  November  6, 
1838,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  seven  children,  viz:  George 
who  died  when  three  months  old;  Georgiana,  AVil- 
liam  B..  Anna  B.,  Emma  H.,  Minnie  L.  and  Charles 
B.  Mr.  Lambe,  ijolitic.ally,  is  a  sound  Republican. 
He  h.as  had  a  lengthv  experience  as  a  School  Direc- 
tor, holding  this  office  for  man}-  years  both  in  Will 
and  Clinton  Counties.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  both  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 


-^3* 


#^ 


eYRUS  A.  LEWIS.  Among  the  leading  men 
in  the  community  of  New  Lenox  Town- 
^^  ship,  none  are  held  in  more  genuine  respect 
than  Mr.  Lewis.  He  possesses  all  the  qualities 
of  "a  gentleman  to  the  manor  born."  being  liberal, 
enterprising  and    public  spirited  as  a  citizen,  skill- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


509 


fill  and  thorough  as  a  farmer,  and  has  surrounded 
his  family  with  all  of  the  comforts  of  life.  He  is 
now  ai)proachiiig-  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age, 
the  date  of  liis  birth  being  July  19,  1824,  and  his 
native  plate  was  the  town  of  ]>ccatur,  Otsego 
County,  N.  Y.  He  was  the  joungest  of  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  the  offspring  of  Justus  and 
Caudac'c  (Spencer)  Lewis,  who  were  both  natives 
of  New  Hartford,  Conn.  The  father  served  three 
years  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  and 
l)y  uci'upation  was  a  skilled  mechanic.  After  mar- 
riage the  parents  settled  in  Decatur,  Otsego  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming,  and 
where  both  parents  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives,  the  mother  dying  in  the  fall  of  1833  and  the 
father  in  the  fall  of  18-17. 

Mr.  Lewis  spent  his  bo3"iiood  ami  j'outh  in  his 
native  county  remaining  there  until  1850.  He  be- 
came familiar  with  the  various  employments  of 
farm  life,  and  when  approacliing  the  twenty  third 
year  of  his  age,  was  married,  February  23,  1847, 
at  Decatur,  to  Miss  Emeline,  daughter  \)f  .lesse  and 
Zurviah  (Peek)  .Seward.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Lewis 
was  a  cousin  of  William  H.  Seward,  Secretary  of 
Stale  during  President  Lincoln's  administration, 
wliile  Mrs.  Seward  was  a  relative  of  ex-Governor 
Marcy.  of  New  York  State.  Mrs.  Seward  died 
there,  while  Mr.  Seward  die<l  in  the  city  of  Joliet, 
III.  Mrs.  Lewis  was  born  in  Decatur,  N.  Y.,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1825,  and  remained  there  with  her  par- 
ents until  her  marriage  and  until  the  spring  of 
1850. 

In  the  above-mentioned  year  Mr.  lyid  Mrs.  Lewis 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  section  30,  New 
Lenox  Tow]iship,  this  cuuntj'.  Mr.  Lewis  is  the 
owner  of  nearlv  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  which 
he  lias  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  A 
part  of  this  was  purchased  by  him  at  554  per  acre, 
but  under  his  caieful  management  it  has  now  be- 
come more  valuable  propcrt}%  Nine  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis,  the  eldest  of 
whom,  a  daughter,  JMarj',  is  the  wife  of  William 
Greenwood,  of  New  Lenox  Township.  The  eldest 
son,  .Spencer,  was  piously  inclined  from  his  30uth, 
and  is  now  a  missionar}-  under  tlie  auspices  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  stationed  at  Chunk 
King,  in  which  is  located  the  West  China  Mission. 


He  is  an  earnest  laborer  in  the  Master's  vineyard 
and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree  the  talents  and 
ability  suitable  to  his  responsible  position.  Can- 
dace  is  tlie  wife  of  Calvin  Armagast,  of  Joliet; 
Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Julian  Barnes,  of  that  city; 
C.  Ahnon  is  an  architect,  of  Spokane  Falls,  Wash.; 
Sherman  and  Jennie  remain  at  home  with  their  par- 
ents. Florence  Ida  died  aged  two  years,  and  an 
infant  died  unnamed. 

Mr.  Lewis  has  for  some  time  entertained  a  warm 
interest  in  the  temperance  movement  and  in  jioli- 
tics  is  now  a  Prohil)itionist.  He  anil  his  family 
are  .all  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Lewis  being  a  Trustee  of 
the  Ottawa  Street  Church,  at  Joliet,  and  one  of  the 
chief  pillars.  Aside  from  holding  the  offices  of 
Road  Commissioner  and  School  Trustee,  he  has 
kept  aloof  from  the  cares  and  responsibilities  of 
public  life. 


3^ii^^ 


lOBERT  HUSTON,  Sheriff  of  Will  County, 
was  elected  to  this  otlice  in  188(j  and  the 
cii  \\\  indications  are  that  he  is  thoroughly  ada()ted 
to  the  discharge  of  its  duties.  He  is  a  man 
of  large  experience  and  keen  observation,  having 
a  good  understanding  of  human  nature  and  has 
proven  himself  competent  to  deal  with  the  motley 
characters  which  frequently  come  under  his  juris- 
diction. 

A  native  of  New  York  City,  Jlr.  Huston  was 
born  August  7,  1845,  to  Robert  and  Elizabeth 
(Shaw)  Huston,  who  were  natives  of  the  North  of 
Ireland.  The  Huston  family  is  of  Irish  descent 
while  the  Shaws  originated  in  .Scotland. 

The  father  of  our  sul)ject  emigrated  to  America 
in  1831,  when  a  young  man,  and  two  3ears  later 
was  married  to  Miss  Shaw.  The  union  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  five  daughters  and  four  sons,  of  whom 
Robert  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  The  fam- 
ily, in  1850,  removed  to  Grundy  County,  this 
Slate.  Robert  Huston,  Sr.,  had  in  his  own  country 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpet  weaver,  but  now  en- 
caged in  farming  upon  the  rich  soil  of  the  Prairie 
State.     Mrs,  Elizabeth    (Shaw)    Huston    departed 


510 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


this  lifu  at  her  home  ill  Ganlner,  111..  May  11,1885. 
One  son.  ,lohn  W.,clied  in  the  lios|)it:iI  .at  St.  Louis. 
Mo.,  from  sickness  contracted  in  the  army  during 
llie  late  Civil  War.  Thomas  .L,  for  the  past  nine- 
teen years  has  been  the  railroad  agent  at  Leinont, 
J 11.  William  prosecutes  farming  at  llie  old  home- 
stead in  Bracewell  Township.  The  sisters  are  all 
living  and  all  married.  One  is  residing  in  Braid- 
wood,  one  in  Hastings,  Neb.,  and  three  in  Gardner, 
111.  The  aged  father  who  has  now  numbered 
eight3--two  years,  is  passing  his  days  quietly  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Grundy-  County". 

Robert  received  the  advantages  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  and  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  although  only  a  little  over  sixteen 
years  old,  enlisted  December  20,  I8G1,  as  a  Tnion 
soldier  in  Corapanj'  I,  Fiftieth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  participated  with  his  comrades  in  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  army  life  and  in  man^-  important  battles. 
At  the  battle  of  Yellow  Bayou,  La.,  May  14,  1864, 
he  belonged  to  the  color  guard,  of  whom  four  were 
wounded  and  two  killed,  Mr.  Huston  upon  that 
occasion  suffering  the  loss  of  his  right  leg.  He 
was  confined  in  the  hospital  at  Jefferson  Cit}',  Mo., 
until  sufflcientlj'  recovered  to  return  home  and 
received  his  honorable  discharge  in  February,  1865, 
being  mustered  out  as  corporal. 

After  leaving  the  arm3'  Mr.  Huston  supplemen- 
ted his  education  by  an  attendance  at  school  two 
years,  part  of  the  time  at  Fulton,  111.,  where 
arrangements  had  been  maile  by  the  .State  for  free 
tuition  and  l.oard  for  soldiers.  He  subsequeutlj^ 
taught  school  two  jears  in  Grundy  Count3-,and  then 
for  eiglileen  months  was  employed  as  a  weighraau 
at  coal  shafts  at  Braidwood.  Later  he  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  that  point  for  twelve  or  thirteen 
years.  At  the  expii'ation  of  this  time  he  sold  out 
and  subsequently  served  as  Postmastei-  of  Braid- 
wood  one  terra.  He  assumed  the  duties  of  Sheriff 
in  the  fall  of  1886. 

Mr.  Huston  contracted  matrimonial  ties  P^ebruary 
6,  1 872,  being  wedded  to  Miss  Emma  A.,  daughter  of 
AVilliam  and  Augustine  Blanchard.  Mrs.  Ilusion 
was  born  December  22,  1845,  in  Geneva,  111.  She 
received  careful  parental  training  and  remained 
under  the  home  roof  until  her  marriage.  Of  this 
union   there  have    been   born   four   children,    viz: 


Maud  J.,  Charles  E.,  William  B..  and  .Jessie  O.  Mr. 
Huston  is  |)ioniinently  connected  with  the  (!rand 
Arni3'  of  the  Kepublic,  the  Ancient  Order  of  I'nited 
Workmen  and  the  American  Legion  of  Honor,  in 
the  latter  of  which  he  has  been  the  .State  Treasurer 
for  the  i)ast  six  jears.  It  is  hardly  necessary'  to 
state  that  politically,  he  is  a  sound  Republican. 

He  has  been  partially-  reimbursed  for  the  loss  of 
his  limb  b3'  the  granting  of  a  monthly  pension 
from  the  Government. 


~     ..isSfeJ.. 


f;  LONZO  B.  SHARP.  The  firm  of  A.  B. 
Sharp  ife  Co.,  occupies  a  prominent  posi- 
tion among  the  business  and  industrial  in- 
terests of  Joliet,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  |)aints,  oils,  varnishes,  axle  grease, 
etc.  The  senior  member  of  the  firm,  of  whom  we 
here  present"  a  sketch,  has  been  engaged  in  this 
business  since  1871.  He  commenced  in  a  modest 
manner  and  gradually  added  to  his  facilities  and 
the  variety'  of  articles  manufactured,  making  all 
house,  railroad  and  fence  wire  brands  of  paint, 
Excelsior  Axle  Grease,  Harness  Alabastine,  and 
cnjoj'S  a  trade  of  ?  100.000  annuallj-.  He  thinks, 
however,  of  retiring  from  business  in  the  near  fu- 
ture, and  spending  his  declining  jears  in  the  east 
and  comfort  which  he  has  so  justlj'  earned.  He 
has  a  fine  plant,  the  lot  comprising  one  hundred 
and  sixty-six  f^et  front  on  Ottawa  Street,  running 
back  to  Canal  and  connecting  with  Jackson  at  the 
upper  bridge.  He  is  the  owner  of  other  valuable 
propertN'  in  the  city,  including  a  fine  home  at  the 
intersection  of  Eastern  Avenue  and  Clinton  Street, 
one  of  the  Quest  residence  localities  of  the  cit_\',  and 
which  is  valued  at  §10,000. 

A  nativeof  Windom,  Conn.,  .Mr.  Sharp  was  born 
four  miles  from  the  noted  frog  pond  of  that  re- 
gion, July  28,  1823.  His  parents  were  Elder  Elias 
and  Fanny  Sharp,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont.  Elias  Sharp  when  a  young  man 
went  to  Connecticut,  as  a  minister  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  became  an  eloquent  pulpit  orator. 
He  marrieil    Miss    Fanny,  daughter  of    Benjamin 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


)11 


Garrluer,  a  seafaring  man,  and  they  lived  in  Con- 
nectifut  until  their  son,  Alonzo  15.,  had  reached 
his  niajoriiy.  and  tiiey  spent  their  hist  years  in 
Lockport,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Sharp  attended  tlie  eoninion  scliools  of  his 
native  place.  He  lived  in  New  London,  Conn., 
five  years,  then  came  West  as  far  as  Logansport, 
Ind.,  wliere  he  was  engaged  five  years  in  the  gro- 
cery* business.  Next  he  removed  tu  a  farm  in 
Kendall  County,  across  the  line  from  Plainfiehl, 
and  from  tliere  went  to  Montana  at  the  time  of 
the  gold  excitement.  After  a  year's  absence  he 
returned  via  tlie  I'latte  and  Yellowstone  Rivers, 
Virginia  City  and  .Salt  LalvC,  paying  $300  stage 
fare  from  tlie  Mormon  metropolis  Lo  Atchison, 
Kan.,  and  being  seventeen  da3's  and  nights  on  the 
road,  much  of  the  time  delayed  by  snow.  He  suc- 
ceeded fairly'  well  in  the  mines,  but  decided  that 
that  experience  would  suflice  as  far  as  the  wild 
West  was  concerned.  He  then  came  to  Joliet,  111. 
Mr.  Sharp  engaged  in  butchering,  and  tilled  five 
'contracts  with  the  lllin(jis  State  Penitentiarj'  in  a 
satisfactory  manner,  and  was  thus  occupied  aI)out 
ten  years.  In  1871  lie  established  his  present  en- 
terprise, wliich  has  likewise  netted  him  ample  re- 
turns. He  is  looked  upon  in  business  circles  as  a 
fair-minded  man,  square  in  his  dealings  and  one 
whose  word  may  be  considered  as  good  as  his 
bond. 

Mr.  Sharp  was  first  married,  in  184G,  to  Miss 
Sarah  L.  Brown,  daughter  of  Maj.  Brown,  a  sol- 
dier in  tlie  War  of  1812.  Of  this  union  there  was 
born  one  child,  Eugene  D.,  who  is  in  business 
with  his  father;  the  mother  died  when  this  boy 
was  a  lad  of  twelve  years.  Mr.  Sharp  then  mar- 
ried her  younger  sister.  Miss  Emily  M.,  and  there 
were  born  to  them  three  cliildren,  only  one  of 
whom  is  living,  viz.:  Lina,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  P.  Barstow,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  they 
have  two  children.  Eugene  married  Miss  Sarah 
Noble  and  is  the  father  of  five  cliildren. 

Elias  Sharp  came  to  the  AVest  about  1860,  and 
became  interested  in  lands  and  fine  wool  sheep. 
He  also  engaged  extensively  in  the  nursery  busi- 
ness at  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  prior  to  this,  and  during 
the  panic  of  1837  lost  probalily  $40,000.  He  had 
been  obliged  to  abandon  the  ministry  on  account 


of  ill-health.  He  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty- two  years,  and  died  about  1876  in  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y.  The  wife  and  mother  survived  him 
four  \ears  and  was  about  eiglit3'-f'/ur  years  old  at 
the  time  of  her  decease. 

Dr.  Sharp  obtained  his  title  during  the  reign 
of  the  epizootic,  in  1871,  having  been  especially 
successful  in  treating  this  disease,  which  made 
such  havoc  among  the  horses.  He  hiis  three 
hrotliers  living,  namely,  M.  G.,  Lovando  and  C. 
A.  The  three  carr^^  on  tlie  nursery  business  at 
Lockport,  N.  Y.,  and  have  one  of  the  largest 
fruit-evaporating  establishments  in  the  Empire 
State,  with  a  capacitj^  of  six  hundred  bushels  per 
day. 


*^^ 


^  that    -our 
countiy " 


HAKLES  CURTIS.  It  lias  been  well  said 
schools  are  the  hope  of  our 
and  all  who  desire  the  perpetua- 
tion of  the  national  life  and  the  fulfillment  of  its 
glorious  promise  as  the  center  of  the  highest  civil- 
ization, recognize  tlie  fact  that  the  educators  of 
our  land  are  clothed  with  a  high  responsibility  and 
that  those  in  whose  care  the  3'oung  are  [ilaced 
slioukl  be  selected  witli  judgment.  Prof.  Curtis  is 
one  to  whom  his  fellow- men  look  up-.as  an  instructor 
capable  not  only  of  guiiling  30uth  in  the  ascent  of 
the  hill  of  knowledge,  but  of  leading  them  b3"  ex- 
ample and  precept  toward  moral  and  upright  lives. 
His  own  mind  lias  been  well  disciplined  and  is  a 
storehouse  of  knowledge,  while  the  moral  and 
spiritual  qualities  have  been  strengthened  and 
developed  as  j-ears  have  passed  b^-. 

Prof.  Curtis  was  born  in  Orange  Countv-,  Vt., 
and  in  the  Green  Mountain  Slate  his  parents, 
Francis  and  Julia  (Richardson)  Curtis,  also  first 
saw  the  light  of  d.ay.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  quite  3'oung,  but  his  father  is  still  living.  The 
educational  privileges  bestowed  upon  the  lad  were 
excellent,  and  after  an  attendance  at  the  public 
schools  he  entered  Barrie  Academ3'  from  which  he 
was  graduated  vvitli  high  honors  in  1875.  The 
same  3'ear  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  locating  in 
Chenoa,  began  his  career  as  a  pedagogue.  After  a 
successful  experience  of  six  3'ears  he  was  elected 


512 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Principal  and  Siiperiiitendeiit  of  the  Higli  Scliool  in 
Dilell,  ill  wliicli  place  he  remained  four  years.  lie 
was  elected  for  auother  j-ear  but  resigned,  being 
chosen  Superintendent  of  Scliools  at  Lockport  and 
entered  upon  tiie  duties  of  that  position  in  .Scpleiu- 
ber,  188G. 

Prof.  Curtis  h:is  graded  tiie  schools  of  this  place, 
introduced  a  curriculum  that  is  well  suited  to  the 
practical  demands  of  the  age,  and  has  established 
the  custom  of  holding  graduating  exercises  and 
awarding  diplomas  to  those  who^e  thoroughness 
entitles  them  to  that  honor.  The  schools  have 
steadily  grown  in  attendance  uulil  the}'  are  models 
in  their  way,  and  have  become  a  |)Ower  for  good 
which  proves  the  high  executive  talent  and  strong 
personal  influence  of  their  Superintendent.  He 
gives  a  fair  share  of  ciedit  for  these  good  results  to 
his  subordinates,  recognizing  that  in  their  co-oper- 
ation there  is  a  strong  factor  to  accomplish  good. 

The  wife  of  Prof.  Curtis  is  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  a  member  of  an  excellent  family, 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hattie  M.  Lord. 
She  was  educated  in  Barrie  Academy'  and  is  a  la(iy 
of  fine  culture  and  a  consistent  Christian  character. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  belong  to  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  and  the  former  takes  an  active  part 
in  the  labors  of  both  church  and  Siindaj'-school. 
He  belongs  to  the  social  order  of  Modern  AYood- 
men,  and  and  to  the  Masonic  frateruit}-.  His  in- 
fluence is  not  confined  to  those  who  are  under  his 
instruction  and  guidance,  but  is  felt  throughout  the 
community  as  that  of  an  educated  man  always  is 
when  exerted  in  behalf  of  true  civilization. 


-^ 


-4- 


^  OHN  KILLEY.  In  a  county  that  contains 
''  so  many  finely  improved  farms  and  beauti- 
ful rural  dwellings,  it  is  hard  to  claim  pre- 
J  eminence  for  any,  but  certainly  an}'  trav- 
eler through  Weslej'  Township  would  at  first  glance 
decide  that  that  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  held 
a  conspicuous  place.  The  landed  estate  comprises 
two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres  on  section  6,  all 
under  careful  tillage  and  supplied  with  excellent 
improvements.     The  fine  residence  was  erected,  in 


1884,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  and  with  its  attractive 
rural  surroundings,  is  represented  on  another  page. 
It  is  furnished  with  all  the  modern  conveniences, 
and  gives  evidence  in  its  adornment  and  air  of 
neatness  and  comfort  that  its  interior  is  presided 
over  by  acapable  and  tasteful  housewife.  Mr.  Kil- 
ley  liegan  his  residence  in  this  township  at  a  very 
early  age  and  at  a  period  which  was  antedated  b}- 
fi'w  now  living.  For  many  years  he  has  held  an 
honored  place  among  the  citizens  and  proved  him- 
self worth}-  of  their  esteem. 

Going  back  a  few  generations  in  the  patern-d 
line  we  find  James  Killey,  a  farmer,  and  following 
him  his  son  William  Killey,  a  seaman.  The  next 
in  the  direct  line  was  another  William  Killey,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  who,  like  those  before  men- 
tioned, was  born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  the  date  of 
his  birth  being  1793.  He  married  Mary  Cowley, 
who  was  born,  in  1795,  on  the  same  island,  their 
marriage  riles  being  celebrated  in  1818.  The 
worthy  couple  continued  to  reside  in  the  land  of 
their  nativity  until  1827,  when  they  emigrated  to 
America,  making  their  first  settlement  on  a  farm 
near  Cleveland,  Ohio.  There  they  remained  until 
1839,  at  which  time  they  removed  to  Will  County. 
111.,  settling  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  our  sub- 
ject. There  they  both  laid  down  the  burdens  of 
life,  the  mother  breathing  her  Last  in  18G1.  and  the 
father  in  1873.  Their  family  comprised  nine  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  now  living.  Some  of  the 
paternal  relatives  resided  in  ]>oston,  Mass.,  pre- 
vious to  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  one  cousin 
belonged  to  the  English  Arm}-  twenty-one  years. 
Tlie  family  is  of  Celtic  origin. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  w-as  the 
third  in  the  parental  family  and  was  born  April  2, 
1825,  on  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  was  therefore  still  in 
his  early  childhood  w-hen  America  became  the  family 
home,  and  in  this  country  he  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education.  He  remained  with  his  par- 
ents, caring  for  them  until  their  death,  and  having 
charge  of  the  farm  from  eighteen  years  of  age. 
Since  the  farm  which  he  now  occupies  was  pur- 
chased, he  has  never  resided  elsewhere.  The  first 
residence  was  a  log  house,  built  in  1834  by  the 
man  of  whom  the  Killeys  bought.  The  farm  was  a 
timbered  one  and    had  but  ten  acres  cleared  when 


^;aM.*S^3--.-;- 


^";>  ,'>!:>,  rr;vi--v:v^,- 


Residence  or  Lorenzo  A.  Strong, 5ec.11.  LockportTp.  Will  Co.Ill. 


Residence  of  John  KilleYj Sec. 6. Wesley  Tp.  Will  Co.  111. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


515 


they  took  possession.  Mr.  Killey  has  added  nearly 
all  the  improvenients  which  the  place  uow  bears. 
lie  still  carries  on  the  farm  himsolf,  devoting  his 
attention  to  general  fanning,  both  croi)s  and  stock- 
being  of  good  grades  and  snfHcient  in  <ni:intily 
and  nnmber  to  afford  all  the  comforts  and  m.-nij' 
of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride,  November  l."»,  18G.), 
Ml.  Kille3'  was  united  in  marriage  with  Aliss  Jane 
.Schoonmaker,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Harriet 
(Kortriglit)  Schoonmaker.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Kille}-  were  natives  of  New  York,  and  had  six 
children,  but  one  of  whom  is  uow  living.  The 
parents  are  now  ileceased.  Mrs.  Killey  was  born 
December  7,  18;}7,  and  died  October  15,  1868, 
leaving  one  child,  a  son,  George  AV.  This  son  has 
attended  select  school  at  Wilmington,  is  well  edu- 
cated, and  exhibits  many  of  the  sterling  qualities 
which  afford  good  ground  for  parental  pride,  and 
give  the  promise  of  extended  usefulness. 

A  second  marriage  was  contracted  by  Mr.  Kil- 
ley, December  25,  1870,  his  bride  being  Mrs.  Ma- 
ria Singleton,  nee  Butler,  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State  and  a  woman  of  many  virtues.  Tliis  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  child,  a  daugh- 
ter, Mary. 

The  first  newspaper  ever  read  bj'  Mr.  Killey  was 
the  Cleveland  Herald,  now  numbered  among  the 
things  of  the  past.  He  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  politics  and,  having  first  been  a  Whig, 
almost  as  a  matter  of  course  became  a  member  of 
the  Republican  pai'ty  when  the  old  organization 
was  abandoned.  His  fellow-citizens  have  enjoyed 
the  benefit  of  his  intelligence  and  energy  as  Road 
Commissioner,  and  Director  on  the  local  School 
Board.  He  was  baptized  in  the  Episcopal  Church, 
but  his  membership  therein  does  not  prevent  him 
from  taking  a  cordial  interest  in  the  good  work 
which  is  being  done  by  other  religious  bodies. 


#^^ 


-<,.A«K> 


kORENZO  A.  STRONG   owns   and  occupies 
j)i  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and    fourteen  acres 
i.    in  Lockport  Township,  to  which  he  came  in 

March,  187G.     His  possessions  are  the  result  of  bis 


own  industry  and  good  judgment,  and  his  commo- 
dious residence  with  its  surroundings  is  repr(-sented 
by  a  lithographic  view  elsewhere  in  this  volume, 
lie  is  engaged  in  the  business  of  general  farming 
and  dairying,  conducting  his  worldly  affairs  with 
the  same  |)rudenco  which  has  heretofore  charac- 
terized his  successful  career,  and  in  his  personal 
life  perpetuating  the  strict  integrity  and  devotion 
to  principles  whicli  he  has  inherited  from  honorable 
ancestry. 

Mr.  Strong  is  a  <lcscendant  in  the  stn'ciilh  gene- 
ration of  Elder  .lohn  Strong,  of  Taunton,  England, 
who  came  from  the  mother  country  in  the  ship 
"Mary  and  John,"  which  landed  at  Nantasket, 
Mass.,  May  30,  1630.  His  immediate  i)rogonitors 
were  Amasa  Strong,  born  in  Hawle^',  Mass.,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1814,  and  Lucy  (Fuller)  Durkee,  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  Durkee,  of  Brimfleld,  whose  natal 
d.iy  was  July  1,  1821. 

Tlie  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  in  Clari- 
don,  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  December  8,  1841, 
and  he  remained  with  his  parents  until  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  He  then  began  life  for  himself  as  a 
farmer,  continuing  his  peaceful  pursuits  until  Au- 
gust 23,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-eighth  Ohio  Infantiy.  He  was 
enrolled  at  Sandusky  in  Company'  I,  under  Capt. 
McDonald,  and  with  his  comrades  did  duty  on 
Johnston's  Island  under  Col.  Hill,  Commander  of 
that  post.  Mr.  Strong  faithfully  discharged  the 
duties  which  were  set  before  him  until  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  receiving  his  discharge  July  17, 
1865.  He  then  returned  to  his  native  State  and  to 
the  pursuits  in  which  he  had  form*'ly  been  en- 
gaged, changing  his  location  after  some  years, 
and  since  March  2,  of  the  Centennial  year,  being 
numbered  among  the  residents  of  Will  County, 
111. 

The  estimable  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject,  and  under  whose  care  his  dwelling  place 
is  a  home  of  comfort  and  enjoyment,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Ryder.  She  was  born  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  during  her  maidenhood  lived 
in  Branch  County,  Mich.,  and  later  in  the  Prairie 
State.  The  happ}-  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  one  son,  Ito^al  Walter,  who  was  born 
J    July   28,    1889,  and    bids    fair   to  perpetua,te   the 


5u; 


PORTRAIT  AND  UIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


sturdj'  qualities  of  iiis  long  line  of  ancestr}-.  The 
Strong  family  has  been  characterized  by  deep  re: 
ligioiis  convictions,  and  he  of  whom  we  write  is  as 
steadfast  in  his  determination  to  do  wliat  he  thinks 
rigiit.  as  any  who  have  preceded  liira. 


>4-<-ieg?^4-i-4- 


J]  OHN  B.  PIK^EO  takes  a  prominent  place 
among  the  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Troy 
'  Township  and  is  no  unimportant  factor  in 
'  advancing  those  interests  iu  this  county, 
lie^is  a  Nova  Scotian  by  birth.born  October  2G, 
183G,  to  Charles  and  Mary  E.  (Baxter)  Pinneo. 
The  Baxters  were  a  prominent  family  in  Nova 
Scotia,  of  English  origi)).  and  Baxter's  Harbor  was 
named  for  them.  John  Baxter,  the  maternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  son  of  Dj-.  Baxter,  a 
prominent  physician  of  England  and  later  of  Nova 
Scotia.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the 
United  States,  his  mother  going  from  Nova  Scotia 
after  the  death  of  her  iiusband.  Tlie  parenls  of  our 
subject  came  to  this  State  in  1844  witii  liini  and 
located  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  which  at  that  time 
was  called  Reed's  Grove,  they  coming  to  this  county, 
with  six  children,  in  a  wagon  from  Chicago,  and 
here  they  made  their  home  until  called  to  a  higher 
bv  death,  the  father  dying  in  1879  and  the  mother 
surviving  until  1888,  when  siie,  too,  passed  awa}-. 
The  son  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  Jackson  and,  displaying  a  taste  for  mechanics, 
he  w^as  set  to  learn  the  trades  of  a  carpenter  and 
wagon-maker,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of 
years  in  Ehvood.  this  count}-,  and  then  turned  his 
attention  to  farming.  His  farm  iu  Troy  Township 
comprises  three  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  of  which  he  uses  for  pastur- 
age, as  he  pays  much  attention  to  the  raising  of 
stock  of  good  grades. 

Mr.  Pinneo  has  been  twice  married,  the  maiden 
name  of  his  first  wife  being  Kate  Conklin,  and  to 
them  were  born  four  ciiildren:  John  B.,  who  is 
married  and  lives  on  a  farm  in  this  county;  Flor- 
ence, wife  of  Duane  Dibble,  a  farraa  in  Tro}' 
Township;  George  L.,  who  tlied  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  in  March,  1888;  Rush,  ^cho  died  March 


4,  1890,  of  typhoid  fever,  a  young  man  of  eighteen 
years. 

The  present  wife  of  our  subject  was  formerl}- 
Mrs.  O.  T.  Fargo,  and  they  were  married  in  1876 
and  in  1884  moved  onto  the  farm.  Mrs.  Pinneo's 
parents,  Horace  and  Diana  (Brown)  Haff,  were  of 
German  and  English  descent  and  came  from  near 
Albany,  N.  Y..  making  the  entire  journey  to  Will 
County  in  a  covered  wagon.  Mr.  Haff  was  the 
j-oungest  son  of  Joshua  Haff.  There  is  a  romantic 
incident  related  concerning  the  matrimonial  ven- 
ture of  his  grandfather.  He  was  Captain  on  board 
a  vessel  sailing  along  the  coast  of  France,  and  dur 
ing  an  earthquake  a  young  schoolmistress  and  her 
scholars  took  refuge  on  i)is  boat.  The  result  was 
she  and  the  Captain  were  mutuallj-  attracted,  mar- 
ried and  came  to  America  to  found  a  family  in 
tills  country.  They  settled  near  Albanj-,  N.  Y.. 
w'hile  there  were  many  Indians  there  and  two 
of  their  children  were  stolen  from  them,  taken  to 
the  West  and  were  never  heard  from  afterward. 
Mrs.  Haff,  Mrs.  Pinneo'  s  mother,  was  a  daughter 
of  Peter  au<l  Thedocia  (Green)  Brown,  tlie  father 
of  English  descent.  Tliey  lived  near  Albany  where 
he  was  engaged  as  a  merchant  for  many  years, 
coming  from  there  to  Auroral,  this  .Stale,  in  1855. 
After  marriage  Mr.  Haft'  settled  on  a  farm  near 
Albanj'  and  lived  there  until  Mrs.  Pinneo  was  three 
years  of  age,  and  then  sold  it  and  in  1836  came  to 
this  county,  as  before  mentioned.  He  took  con- 
siderable lanil  here,  including  the  farm  on  which 
his  daughter  and  our  subject  now  make  their  home. 
About  four  j-ears  before  his  death  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Joliet  and  there  departed  this  life  No- 
vember 11,  1865.  His  wife  had  died  many  years 
previousi}-,  wlicn  Mrs.  Piiiueo  was  eight  years  of 
age,  she  being  their  only  child.  He  married  again 
and  had  two  children,  daughter  and  son;  Edwin  G. 
Haff,  the  son  is  still  living. 

Mrs.  Pinneo  hiis  four  children:  Hiram  DeWitt 
is  now  in  New  Mexico;  Ella,  wife  of  Er.astus  AVIiit- 
tlesey,  who  has  a  farm  in  Pocahontas  County ;  Ed- 
win Guy  was  married  and  has  one  son,  Chester 
DeWitt. 

Mr.  Pinneo  is  a  man  of  strong  common  sense,  of 
excellent  business  tact  and  of  honorable  character, 
and  exerts  a  good  influence  in  the  community'  of 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


517 


wiiii-h  he  is  one  of  the  liest  and  most  triisled  citizens. 
Possessing-  a  good  degree  of  [lublic  spirit  onr  siiliject 
interests  himself  in  all  scliemej  to  promote  the  ad- 
vnnceaient  of  township  or  eounty  and  is  active  in 
local  politics.  idenMfying  himself  with  the  Repub- 
lican part}'.  A  man  of  enlightened  views,  well 
niiderstanding  the  value  of  a  good  education  in  any 
walk  in  life,  he  has  always  taken  a  marked  interest 
local  educational  matters,  and  as  School  Director 
is  exerting  his  inlluence  for  the  good  of  the  town. 


fLMON  WILDER.  In  making  note  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Crete  Township,  the 
name  of  ftlr.  Wilder  should  occupy  a  prom- 
inent position.  Acting  upon  the  maxim 
that  a  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss,  he  has  for  the 
long  period  of  forty-eight  years  maintained  his 
residence  upon  the  same  farm,  this  embracing  land 
wliieh  he  entered  from  the  Government  in  1844, 
for  the  consideration  of  'i!  1.2.5  per  acre.  He  owns 
eighty  acres  of  the  original  entry,  and  forty  acres 
which  he  purchased  from  another  party.  He  has 
effected  all  the  improvements  upon  it,  this  being 
accomplished  solely  by  persevering  industry  and 
good  management.  The  roof  which  shelters  him 
and  the  comforts  which  surround  him  are  a  stand- 
ing monument  to  his  unremitting  toil  and  his  fru- 
gality, which  made  him  careful  to  live  within  his 
income  and  make  a  wise  provision  for  the  future. 
Mr.  AVilder  came  to  Will  County  from  Ashata- 
bnla  County,  Ohio,  of  which  he  had  been  a  resident 
for  many  years.  He  was  born  in  Onondaga  Count\-, 
N.  Y.,  May  21,  180(5,  and  is  consequeutl}'  eightj'- 
four  j-ears  old,  but  notwithstanding  his  years  he  is 
bright  and  active,  well  informed  and  intelligent 
and  possesses  such  a  clear  recollection  of  past  events 
that  an  hour  may  alwaj's  be  spent  pleasantly  and 
profitably  in  his  compan}'.  During  his  younger 
years  Mr.  Wilder  was  one  of  the  leading  politicians 
of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  original!}'  voted 
with  the  Democratic  party,  but  after  the  outbreak 
of  the  Rebellion  transferred  his  support  to  Repub- 
lican principles.  He  served  as  Township  Supervisor 
nearly  five  terms,  and  for  many  jears  was  Assessor 


and  Collector.  lie  maintains  thai  his  exceptional 
good  health  has  been  the  result  of  correct  habits 
and  inhaling  the  pure  country  air.  He  has  always 
followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  was  uni- 
formly successful  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil. 

The  iirmediate  progenitor  of  our  subject  was 
Ruben  AVihier,  Jr.,  a  native  of  Vermont  and  of 
Xew  England  parentage.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  Ruben  Wilder,  Sr.,  who  was  likewise  born  in 
A'ermont,  and  who  emigrated  first  to  New  York 
State  and  then  to  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  spent  his  last  days  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  dying  when  quite  aged.  The  removal  to 
Ohio  was  made  as  early  as  1810.  oi  perhaps  1808. 
lie  was  married  in  his  native  State  to  a  lady  who 
was  also  born  in  Vermont,  and  who,  like  him,  lived 
to  be  quite  aged.  ( uandfather  Wilder  was  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Old  School  Baptist  Church,  a 
man  of  decided  vie>vs  and  opinions,  and  who  exer- 
erted  no  small  inaueuce  among  the  people  of  his 
community. 

Ruben  Wilder.  Jr.,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  the  eldest  child  of  his  parents  and  was  but  a 
la<i  when  they  left  his  native  State  of  Vermont 
and  settled  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  He  was 
there  reared  to  manhood  and  married  Jliss  Polly 
Herring.  She  was  born  in  A'ermont  and  was  taken 
by  her  parents  to  New  York  State  when  a  child. 
After  her  marriage  to  Ruben  Wilder,  Jr.,  they 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y., where 
their  three  eldest  children  were  born,  one  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  When  Almon  was  a  few  3ears 
old  they  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in  the  woods  of 
Ashtabula  County,  where  the  father  obtained  a 
tract  of  Government  land  and  opened  up  a  farm. 
When  quite  well  advanced  in  years  they  left  the 
Bucke3-e  State  and  removed  to  Dyer,  Lake  County, 
Ind.,  where  they  both  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
They  were  consistent  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  adorned  their  profession  by  their  daily 
walk  and  conversation,  being  kind  and  tender  par- 
ents, hospitable  neighbors,  and  doing  good  as  they 
had  opportunity  to  those  around  them. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  one  of  the  elder 
members  of  a  family  of  six  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, and  after  the  removal  of  the  family  toOh''o  he 
went  to   live   with    his    Grandfather  Wilder,  with 


518 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


whom  he  made  his  home  until  reaching  his  major- 
it}-.  Soon  afterward  he  was  married,  in  Ashtabula 
Countj',  to  Miss  Anna  Corey.  This  lad}-  was  born 
in  New  York  and  was  taken  to  Ohio  liy  her  parents 
when  a  child,  tliey  settling  in  Ashtabula  Count}', 
where  Mr.  Corey  followed  farming  and  where  both 
he  and  his  good  wife  spent  the  closing  years  of  their 
lives. 

Mrs.  Anna  Wilder  was  carefully  trained  by  her 
excellent  parents  and  received  her  education  in  the 
common  sciiools.  She  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  her  marriage  and  accompanied  her  hus- 
band to  Lake  County,  Ind.,  where  her  death  took 
place  in  1840.  She  was  then  comparatively  a  young 
woman,  but  the  mother  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  She  proved  the  faithful 
partner  of  her  husband  and  was  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Six  of 
their  children  are  still  living,  and  with  two  excep- 
tions they  are  all  married.  Eliza  is  the  wife  of 
Alfred  Robinson,  wiio  officiates  as  receiver  in  a 
Street-car  Railroad  Company  in  Ckieago;  jVIaria  is 
the  wife  of  Jlyron  ^Mordorff,  and  they  live  on  a  farm 
in  DeKalb  County,  this  .St.ate;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
William  C.  Adams,  a  retired  farmer  of  Crete  Town- 
shii);  Martha,  Mrs.  John  Dodge,  lives  on  a  farm  in 
Crete  Township;  Melissa  M.  is  a  well-educated  lady 
and  for  many  years  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  city 
schools  of  Chicago;  Edward  A.  served  in  the  Union 
Army  during  the  Civil  War  and  since  its  close  has 
been  a  resident  of  Eldorado  County,  Cui.;he  is 
single. 

Mr.  Wilder,  in  1842,  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage in  Cook  Count}',  this  State,  with  Mrs.  Louisa 
(Wilson)  Raymond.  This  lady  was  born  near 
Lonilon.  England,  and  is  of  pure  E^nglish  stock  as 
far  back  as  is  known.  She  emigrated  to  America 
when  quite  young,  settling  with  her  parents  in 
Canada,  where  she  was  married  to  her  first  husband, 
George  Raymond.  They  afterward  removed  to 
Michigan,  where  Mr.  Raymond  died  when  a  young 
man.  leaving  three  children.  John  died  when  thirty 
years  old.  The  survivors  are  Christiana,  the  wife 
of  H.  P.  Gray,  a  machinist  of  Chicago,  and  Ann 
who  married  Clark  Holbrook,  a  farmer  of  Cook 
County,  this  Stiite.  Of  this  marriage  of  our  sub- 
ject there  luive  been  born  two  children:  George  11. 


married  Miss  Augusta  Brown,  and  is  farming  in 
Cook  County;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of  C.  S.  Howard, 
a  leading  business  man  of  Denver,  Colo.,  very 
wealthy  and  extensively  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilder  are  prominently 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  Mr.  Wilder  for  many  years  has  been  a  lead- 
ing officer  and  to  which  he  has  always  contributed 
a  liberal  support. 


-^ 


^1 


m 


vOHX  O.  MEIER,  Supervisor  of  Crete  Town- 
ship, has  represented  this  township  in  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  for  a  period 
of  nineteen  years — a  f.act  which  sufficiently 
indicates  his  standing  among  the  people.  In 
former  years  he  prosecuted  farming  successfully, 
but  in  1885,  retired  from  active  labor  and  took  up 
his  abode  in  tlie  village  on  the  2nd  of  November, 
that  year.  He  is  the  owner  of  considerable  town 
property  and  has  three  hundred  and  iifty  acres  of 
some  of  the  finest  farming  land  of  Will  C(iunty. 
besides  thirty  acres  of  timber.  His  land  is  now 
operated  by  his  sons.  Eighty  acres  of  it  was  se- 
cured !)}•  him  from  the  Government  and  through 
his  industry  and  perseverance  was  brought  to  its 
present  fertile  condition  and  added  to,  until  the 
acreage  now  amounts  to  three  hundred  and  eighty. 
A  settler  of  February,  1848,  Mr.  ;Meier  pur- 
chased in  Crete  Townshii)his  first  tract  of  Govern- 
ment land,  this  comprising  eighty  acres  which  he 
bought  in  1847.  He  commenced  without  means  and 
owes  all  his  possessions  to  his  industry,  economy 
and  perseverance.  He  is  of  German  birth  and  an- 
cestry, his  early  home  being  in  Hesse-Cassel.  where 
he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  January  17, 
1824.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  the  summer  of 
1844,  and  for  a  year  thereafter  was  a  resident  of 
Chicago.  Thence  he  removed  to  DuPage  Town- 
ship, Will  County,  and  worked  by  the  month  until 
earning  sufficient  money  to  become  a  landowner. 
The  fatlierof  our  subject  was  Conrad  Meier,  also 
a  native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  and  a  miller  by  trade. 
He  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native  province,  dy- 
ing at  the  age  of  fifty -five  years.     He  was  a    Lu- 


PORTRAIT  AIsD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


519 


thcran  in  religion  and  married  a  lady  of  his  own 
province — Miss  Sophia  Scliweer.  She  survived  her 
husband  nian3-  years  and  died  at  her  native  place 
at  the  advanced  age  of  cigiitj'-two  and  one-half 
3'ears.  She,  like  her  husljand.  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Cliurch  from  her  jouth. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  liorn  a 
family  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
lived  to  mature  years,  were  married  and  had  fam- 
ilies. Of  these  John  O.,  is  the  onlj-  survivor,  and 
the  onlj'  one  who  came  to  the  United  States.  lie 
attended  school  until  fourteen  years  old,  in  the 
meantime  also  worked  at  his  father's  mill.  At  that 
age  he  set  out  for  liimself  and  when  a  j'oung  man 
of  twenty  years  embarked  on  his  voyage  to  Amer 
ica,  from  Bremerhaven  on  the  sailing  vessel  "West- 
phalia," a  three-masljlr,  which  after  fort3'-three 
da^'s  landed  him  safely  in  New  York  City.  Thence 
he  proceeded  to  Alban3'  b^^  steamer  and  from  there 
by  rail  to  'Buffalo.  where|he  took  a  lake  vessel  to 
Chicago,  at  which  he  arrived  after  seven  daj-s'  pas- 
sage. 

Mr.  Meier  now  began  work  on  farm  land  which 
is  now  included  in  the  citv  limits  of  the  World's 
Fair  Citj',  remaining  in  that  vicinitj'  for  twelve 
months.  While  crossing  the  Atlantic  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  maiden  of  his  own  country- — 
Miss  Anna  Rinne — wjio  was  accompanied  b}-  her 
parents.  This  acquaintance  resulted  in  their  mar- 
riage October  18,  1848,  at  Chicago,  where  the  pa- 
rents of  Mrs.  Meier  settled.  This  union  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  eleven  children  and  after  remaining 
the  devoted  helpmate  and  companion  of  her 
husband  for  a  period  of  more  than  twenty' 
j'ears,  Mrs.  Meier  departed  tiiis  life  at  her 
home  in  Crete  Township,  April  27,  1869.  Five 
of  their  children  are  yet  living.  John  W.  married 
Miss  Sophia  Scheiwe,  who  is  now  deceased,  and  he 
lives  in  Ash  Grove,  this  State;  Sophia  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Wassman,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  in 
Crete  Township;  AVilliam  II.  married  Miss  Rena 
Tadger,  and  they  live  on  Mr.  Meier's  farm  in  Crete 
Township;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  William  Picpen- 
brink,  a  farmer  of  Crete  Township;  Louisa  lives 
with  her  brother  John,  in  Ash  Grove. 

Mr.  Meier,  on  December  23,  1869,   was  married 
to  Miss   Engel   Scheiwe.     This  ladj-  was  born   in 


Hesse-C'issel,  Germany,  November  28,  1832,  and 
lived  there  until  December,  18G9,at  which  time  she 
emigrated  to  America,  coming  aione.  Of  tiiis 
union  there  have  been  born  two  children — one  of 
whom  Leo,  died  when  ten  months  old;  Henry  E. 
operates  one  of  his  father's  farms.  Mr.  Meier  and 
his  present  wife,  as  was  also  the  first  wife,  are  mem- 
bers in  good  standing  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr. 
Meier  has  given  to  his  church  a  liberal  support  and 
officiated  as  a  Trustee  for  a  period  of  thirty  }'ears. 
Politically,  he  is  a  pronounced  Republican.  He  has 
been  quite  prominent  in  local  politics  and  has  held 
all  the  township  offices,  discharging  the  duties 
thereof  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to 
all  concerned.  He  is  Treasurer  and  Director  of 
the  Crete  Farmer's  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
which  was  established  in  1861,  and  which  has  been  a 
great  success. 


f  RTHUR  C  CLEMENT,  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Clement  <fe  Oliver,  is  with  his 
partner  transacting  quite  an  extensive 
business  in  real  estate,  loans  and  insurance, 
making  a  specialty  of  his  own  property.  He  was 
born  in  tlie  city  of  Joliet,  Jannarj-  16,  1852,  and 
is  a  son  of  one  of  its  earliest  settlers,  Charles  Cle- 
ment, who  at  the  tinae  of  his  death  was  the  oldest 
living  resident  of  the  place. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  3'ears  spent  in  New 
Hampshire,  Mr.  Clement  has  passed  his  entire 
life  in  the  city  of  liis  birth.  When  a  small  cliild 
his  parents  removed  to  the  Granite  State,  and 
made  their  home  in  Chester  until  the  spring  of 
1862,  the  father  in  the  meantime  coming  to  Illinois 
when  necessary  to  attend  to  his  business.  After 
returning  to  tiiis  State,  in  1862,  for  permanent  set- 
tlement, Arthur  C.  remained  with  his  parents  and 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  cit3'  schools  until  1868. 
Then  going  to  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  he  entered  Cornell 
Universit3-  where  he  took  a  four  years'  course  and 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1872,  with  the  de- 
gree of  B.  S. 

After  leaving  the  Universit3'  Mr.  Clement  re- 
turned to  Joliet  and  during  the  winter  following 
occupied  himself  as  a  school  teacher  in  Will  Town- 


520 


PORTllAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ship.  In  the  spring  of  1873,  he  entered  the  office 
of  Oliii  &  Phelps,  attorneys,  and  took  up  thi' 
stud}-  of  law  to  which  he  gave  his  close  attention 
for  a  year  and  then  entered  the  law  department 
of  Chicago  Universit}',  and  was  soon  afterward 
admitted  to  tiie  bar.  lie  then  associated  himself 
with  a  partner  and  the  firm  of  Phelps  &  Clement 
transacted  a  successful  business  until  the  year  pre- 
vious to  the  deatli  of  Mr.  Clement's  father,  in 
1878. 

Mr.  Clement  being  chosen  to  administer  uiion 
his  father's  estate,  he  found  his  time  so  taken  up 
that  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  law  practice 
and  give  his  attention  to  that  in  which  he  is  now 
engaged.  In  1885  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Stephen  A.  Oliver,  and  the_v  added  insurance 
-  to  the  business  which  is  being  extended  steadily  as 
they  are  becoming  known.  Mr.  Clement  has  Dem- 
ocratic tendencies,  but  has  never  had  anj-  political 
aspirations. 

On  the  15th  of  Septembci',  1875,  Mr.  Clement 
was  united  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Georgia  M. 
Smith,  at  the  bride's  home  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.  This 
lady  is  the  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Laura  Smith, 
who  are  now  residents  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.  There 
have  been  born  of  this  union  a  son  and  daughter, 
namely,  Charles  Alfred  and  Laura. 

Charles  Clement,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Windsor,  Vt.,  in  January,  1810,  and  there 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  life.  After  removing  to 
Joliet  he  was  married  to  Miss  Cordelia,  sister  of 
Edmund  Wilcox,  who  was  a  partner  of  Mr.  Cle- 
ment upon  first  coming  to  -loliet.  Mr.  Clement 
settled  here  in  tlie  spring  of  1833,  after  which  he 
went  to  Peoria  and  sojourned  until  the  fall  of  that 
j-ear.  Miss  Wilcox  had  come  to  the  West  on  a 
visit  to  her  brother  and  was  married  to  I\Ir.  Cle- 
ment in   1844. 

The  father  of  our  subject  about  1835,  pui-chased 
one  acre  of  ground  situated  at  what  is  now  the  cor- 
ner of  Exchange  and  Uluff  Streets,  paying  there- 
for ^\0()  and  upon  it  put  uj)  the  fii'st  frame  build- 
ing in  the  town,  this  being  the  Old  American  House 
and  which  during  the  boom  that  followed  two 
years  later,  he  sold  for  the  sum  of  •^15,0(10,  taking 
in  part  payment  a  stock  of  goods.  Then  in  i)art- 
nersliip  vvilh  Mr.  Wilcox  he  engaged  in    the   mer- 


cantile busines.s  two  years.  He  in  the  meantime 
become  a  prominent  man  and  was  one  of  the  Vil- 
lage Trustees  prior  to  leaving  for  New  Hampshire. 
After  the  return  from  New  Hampshire  he  again 
embarked  in  the  dry-goods  business  at  the  corner 
of  Jefferson  and  Ottawa  Streets,  and  was  thus  oc- 
cupied until  1865,  while  in  the  meantime  he  dealt 
largely  in  real  estate.  He  finally  retired  from  ac- 
tive business  and  died  Decendicr  11,  1878,  at  his 
home  in  Joliet,  111. 

After  Joliet  had  assumed  the  proportions  of  a 
city,  Charles  Clement  repiesented  his  ward  in  the 
Council  for  a  number  of  j-ears.  When  first  com- 
ing to  the  place  he,  in  company  with  Messrs.  Wil- 
cox &  Allen  established  the  Jo'.iet  Courier,  the 
first  issue  of  which  bore  the  date  April  20,  1839. 
This  w.as  the  first  paper  published  in  the  county, 
and  Mr.  Clement  still  preserves  with  care  a  copj' 
of  the  first  issue  which  contains  a  rejiort  of  the 
proceedings  at  the  incorporation  of  Joliet  Town- 
ship. Ui)on  that  occasion  the  following  officers 
were  elected;  William  Scofleld,  President,  Charles 
Clement,  Treasurer,  Charles  (iardner.  Clerk,  and 
William  Adam,  Street  Commissioner.  In  1837, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Wilcox,  made  a  trip  overland  with  a  horse  and 
wagon  through  Northwestern  lown,  during  wiiich 
Ihcj'  spent  only  two  nights  at  a  hotel.  'I'here  are 
still  living  of  the  parental  family  only  two  chil- 
dren— Artinir  C,  our  subject,  and  Alice  C.  who  re- 
mains with  her  mother  at  the  olil  place.  Mr. 
Clement  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Andrew 
Jackson  and  was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Demo. 
erat  party. 


JILLIAM  S.  NICCOLLS  is  the  occupant  of 
the  old  Haven  homestead,  on  section  24, 
„  ^  New  Lenox  Township,  and  the  owner  of 
two  bundled  acres  of  fine  land  in  McLean  County'. 
His  occupation  is  that  of  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
in  both  of  which  lines  of  work  iie  lias  liecome  a 
master. 

The  Keystone  State  claims  Mr.  NiccoUs  as  one 
of  her  sons  and  in  that  Stale  his  parents  also  first 
oi)ened  their  eyes  to  the  light  of  day.      Ilis  father, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


621 


John  Niccolls,  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County, 
in  April,  1810,  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Maria  Steele,  in  Fayette  Connty  in  1807. 
After  their  marriage  this  worthy  couple  settled  in 
Westmoreland  County,  remaining  there  until  1817, 
when  they  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Cadiz,  Har- 
rison County,  Ohio.  Thence  they  journeyed  to 
])looniington,  III.,  in  1851,  and  are  now  living  in 
that  city  at  an  advanced  age.  Tliej*  are  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children  named  respectively,  William 
S.,  Sarah  J.,  .Tolin,  A'iolet,  Cassius,  Hattie,  Albert, 
and  Elliott. 

The  subject  of  this  biograi)hical  notice  was  born 
in  West  Newton,  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  Oc- 
tober 13,  1834.  He  accompanied  his  parents  in 
tlieir  removals,  remaining  in  Bloomington,  this 
State,  from  their  arrival  in  1851,  until  185G.  lie 
then  came  to  this  county,  s|)ending  three  years  as 
a  resident  of  New  Lenox  Tovvnshi[),  after  which  he 
returned  to  Bloomington  for  a  3ear.  Coming  again 
to  tills  county  he  spent  three  years  in  farming  at 
Reed's  Grove,  after  which  he  went  again  to  Bloom- 
ington, remaining  at  tluit  place  until  December, 
1886.  During  the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  has 
been  engaged  in  tr.ading  in  stock. 

Mr.  Niccolls  has  been  twice  married.  The  first 
engagement  was  eonsumated  in  Bloomington,  Oc- 
tober 3,  1854,  the  bride  being  Miss  Klizabetli, 
daughter  of  Calvin  and  Luciuda  (Keyser)  Barnes. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Niccolls  shared  her  husband's  joys 
and  sorrows  until  October  10,  1879,  when  she  was 
removed  from  her  sorrowing  houseliold  b}-  the 
hand  of  de'ilh.  Slie  had  borne  her  husband  ten 
children,  six  C'f  whom  died  in  infancy.  Those  who 
lived  to  years  of  maturity  are  John  V.,  Josephine, 
William  and  Calvin  15. 

The  second  marriage  of  IMr.  Niccolls  took  place 
in  New  Lenox  Township,  September  7,  1886,  the 
bride  on  this  occasion  being  Mrs.  Lydia  E.  Haven 
nw  Francis.  She  is  a  daugliter  of  the  late  Abra- 
ham and  Mary  A.  J.  (Davison)  Francis,  whose 
history  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  lier  brother, 
A.  Allen  Francis.  She  was  liorn  in  this  township, 
April  9,  1845.  and  is  the  sixth  child  in  tiie  parental 
family.  She  was  reared  to  womanhood  on  her 
ather's  farm  where  she  resided  until  her  marriage 
to  Alvin  S.   Haven,  which  was  celebrated  Decem- 


ber 19,  1865.  Mr.  Haven  was  the  youngest  son  of 
the  late  Samuel  and  Ilepsibah  (Denny)  Haven, 
whose  history  is  included  in  the  sketch  of  the  Hon. 
Dwight  Haven.  He  was  born  on  his  father's  home- 
stead in  New  Lenox  Townshi|).  February  0,1842, 
was  educate  1  in  the  common  schools  and  grew  to 
m.anhood  on  the  farm.  He  engaged  in  agricultural 
[lursuits,  becoming  the  owner  of  the  old  homestead, 
wiiich  consisted  of  about  one  hundred  and  ten  acres, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  owned  two  hundred 
and  seventy  one  acres,  which  is  now  the  property 
of  Mrs.  Niccolls.  He  jjassc^d  from  earth  November 
29,  1878,  mourned  by  many  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, having  gained  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  a  live  Republican  and  had  served  as 
Collector  two  terms.  He  was  the  father  of  three 
children — Fred  S.,  Charles  F.  and  an  infant  who 
died  unnamed.  Charles  F.  died  Decemlier  22, 
18S6,  aged  sixteen  years,  eight  months  and  five 
days. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niccolls  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  have  high  standing  among 
ils  members,  and  throughout  the  community  are 
looked  u[)on  with  respect  for  the  consistent  lives 
wluch  they  lead  as  i)rofessors  of  Christianity.  Both 
are  well  versed  in  general  information  and  ])0ssess 
the  cordial,  friendly  manners  which  favorably  im- 
press strangers,  and  are  known  by  their  friends  to 
be  the  outward  token  of  kind  hearts. 


'  OHN  WILKENING.  After  a  series  of  years 
spent  in  persevering  toil,  the  subject  of  this 
notice  is  now  living  retired  from  active  la- 
bor and  enjf)ying  the  comforts  of  a  quiet 
country  homestead,  comprising  one  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  of  land  on  section  22,  Crete  Town- 
ship. He  has  passed  in  and  out  among  the  people 
of  his  community  for  the  long  period  of  forty-one 
years,  liaving  come  to  this  section  in  the  spring 
of  1849.  He  then  took  up  a  tract  of  wild  land 
comprising  a  part  of  his  [iresent  farm,  besides 
eighty  acres  in  another  part  of  the  township,  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Washington 
Township,  all  of  which  he  brought  to  a  good  state 


522 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  cultivation,  with  the  exception  of  ten  acres  upon 
which  is  a  fine  growth  of  timber. 

The  possessions  of  Mr.  Wilkening  have  been  ac- 
cunuilatcil  liy  his  own  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment, as  he  commenced  in  life  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder,  without  means  and  entirely  dependent  upon 
his  own  resources.  lie  w.is  born  in  Hesse  Cassel, 
Geimanj-,  Jul^-  2,  1819,  and  was  the  second  in  a 
family  of  six  sons,  four  of  whom  came  to  America 
and  one  of  whom  died  in  his  native  Germany. 
The  eldest  of  the  family  is  still  living  at  tlie  old 
homestead  in  Hesse-Cassel,  unless  having  died  re- 
cently. All  those  who  came  to  the  United  States 
are  residents  of  WilJ  County,  111.,  and  occupied  in 
farming  pursuits.  They,  like  their  brother  John, 
are  well-to-do,  industrious  and  reliable  citizens, 
and  holding  a  good  position    in  their  eommunitj'. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  reared  at  the  lit- 
tle farm  in  Hesse-Cassel,  and  received  a  ver^'  good 
education  in  his  native  tongue.  He  remained  a 
resident  of  his  native  province  until  a  man  of 
tweut}--six  jears  and  then,  still  unmarried,  deter- 
mined to  seek  liis  fortunes  in  America.  He  era- 
barked  at  the  port  of  Bremerhaven  on  a  small 
sailing  vessel,  the  "'Marburg,"  which  after  a  voy- 
age of  six  weeks  landed  him  in  New  York  City, 
July  3,  1815.  Thence  he  proceeded  to  Albany, 
jS".  Y.,  via  the  Hudson  River,  and  from  there  to 
Buffalo,  where  he  boarded  a  lake  vessel,  and  in  due 
lime  reached  Cliicago,  111.,  which  was  then  an  un- 
important town.  He  at  once  sought  emplo3'ment 
ami  worked  by  the  day,  being  occupied  in  a  simi- 
lar manner  until  lie  could  obtain  sufficient  capital 
to  secure  his  land. 

In  Chicago,  Mr. Wilkening  was  married,  in  18-17, 
to  Miss  Mary  Kollir.  This  lady  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Cassel,  Germany,  August  12,  1827,  to  John  and 
.Sophia  (Miller)  Kollir,  who  were  natives  of  the 
same  province,  wliere  they  owned  a  small  farm. 
He  was  a  weaver  b^'  trade.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  two  childi-en  only,  who  were  born  before 
they  emigrated  to  America,  in  the  spring  of  1845. 
Tliev  likewise  m.ide  the  vo^'age  in  a  sailing  vessel, 
landing  in  New  York  Cit^-,  whence  they  proceeded 
in  the  same  manner  as  our  subject  to  Chicago,  and 
from  there  to  Will  County,  III.  Mr.  Kollir  se- 
cured a  tract  of  land  in  Crete  Township,  and  with 


the  assistance  of  his  estimable    wife    im]>roved    a 
good  farm,  where  thej-   both   spent  the   remainder 
of  their  days.      Mrs.   Kollir   died,  in   1868,  when 
sixt^-hve  3-ears  old.     Mr.  Kollir  survived  his  wife 
a  number  of  years,  dying  in  1879,  aged  eighty -five 
years  and  six  months.     The}'   were  people  greatly 
resiiected    in    their    community   and    prominently 
identified  with  the  German-Lutheran  Church. 
I        Mrs.  Wilkening   was  the  elder  of  the  two  chil- 
dren born    to  her    parents.      Her    brother    Henry 
died   soon  after  coming   to  this  country,  when  a 
promising  youth  of  nineteen  j'ears,  in  the  bottom 
of  a  well  from  the  effects  of  fonl  gas.      Mrs.  Wil- 
kening was  about  eighteen  j'ears  old  when  her  par- 
ents came  to  America.      She    was   trained  in  all 
Iiouscwifelj'  duties  bj-   her  excellent   mother,  and 
has  proven  a  devoted   wife  to  her  husband  and  a 
kind  mother  to  her  children.     The  latter  were  nine 
in  number,  but  two  died  when  quite  j'oung:  John 
at  the  age  of  six  years;    and   Anna,  aged   twelve. 
The  survivors  are  recorded   as   follows:    l\Iary   is 
the  wife  of  John  Brockman,  a  teacher  in  the  Chi- 
cago city  schools;  Ilenrj'  married  Miss  Mary  Stei- 
ver,  and  operates  the  homestead   in  Crete  Town- 
ship;   Conrad    is   represented   on   another  page  in 
this  volume;  Sophia  is  at  home   with  her  parents; 
Lena   is  the   wife  of  Dr.   Otto  Miessler,  of  Crete; 
Frederick  is  occupied  with    his  brother  in   a  store 
at  that  place;  Augustus  remains  under  the   home 
roof. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilkening  and  ail  tlieir  children 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  Crete,  to 
whicli  they  give  a  liberal  support.  Politicall^y, 
Mr.  Wilkening  is  a  sound  Republican.  He  has 
held  the  local  offices  of  his  township,  and  has  al- 
ways borne  the  repu-tation  of  a  man  honest  and 
upright  in  his  dealings  and  one  whose  word  is  as 
good  as  his  bond.  He  furnishes  a  fine  illustration 
of  the  results  of  persevering  industry  .ind.  while 
surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  many 
of  its'  luxuries,  be  may  justlj-  feel  that  he  has 
fairly  earned  them,  and  at  the  same  lime  he  has 
ever  been  willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those 
less  fortunate. 

The  f.ather  of  our  subject  was  H.  Wilkening, 
likewise  a  native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  Gei-many,  and 
wlio  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  place  of   his   birth. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


525 


While  perhaps  not  tlie  hero  of  any  thrilling;  event, 
hu  was  au  honest,  liaid-woriiiDU  man,  who  made  a 
comfovtaKle  living  for  his  family  and  earned  the 
good  will  of  liis  neighbors.  He  lived  to  number 
three-score  and  ten  years,  and  from  early  manhood 
was  an  active  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
His  wife  bore  tlie  maiden  name  of  Catherine  S. 
Buck.  She  liliewise  was  of  German  birlh  and 
parcmlago,  and  jiroved  the  faithful  helpmate  of 
iier  husband,  being  industrious  and  economical 
.nnd  remaining-  witli  liim  until  he  no  more  needed 
her  wifel3'  offices.  After  his  death  she  joined  her 
ciiildren  in  this  countr}',  and  died  of  cholera,  in 
1853,  at  the  home  of  her  son  Christof,  in  Chicago. 
Site  was  about  seventy  years  old  and,  like  her 
husband,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 


i        IVILLIAM  J.  PADDOCK.  Prominent  among 


T /'y'/i  those  who  spent  their  younger  years 
wiselv  and  prohlably  and  are  now  living 
retired  from  life's  active  labors,  may  be  properly 
mentionfid  Mr.Paddock, whose  well-regulated  home- 
stead is  on  section  21,  Homer  Tow^nship.  His 
surroundings  indicnte  a  man  of  more  than  or- 
dinary enterprise,  the  farm  being  embellished 
with  suital)le  buildings  and  having  about  it  the  air 
of  thrift  and  prosperity',  which  is  the  inevitable 
result  of  induslr\',  prudence  and  good  management. 
Personally,  Mr.  Paddock  is  genial,  liberal  and  pub- 
lic spirited,  a  man  who  is  held  in  high  esteem  in 
his  community,  and  who  has  acquitted  himself  in  a 
worthy  manner  among  his  fellow-men. 

The  subject  of  tins  notice  was  the  third  in  a 
family  of  fourteen  children,  and  was  born  May  5, 
1816,  in  Camillus.  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  He 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  county,  where 
he  lived  until  coming  to  Illinois,  witli  the  excep- 
tion of  one  \'ear  spent  in  Ca^'uga  County-.  AVe 
first  find  him  a  resident  of  this  county  in  the  win- 
ter of  1836,  when  he  located  on  the  laud  which  his 
father  had  previously  secured  on  section  21,  Homer 
Townsliip.  lie  has  thus  been  a  resident  of  this  town- 
ship  for   the  long   period  of  fifty-four  years,  and 


until  retiring  from  labor  was  continuousl}' engaged 
ill  farming  pursuits.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  tiiirty  acres  of  good  land,  which 
tiirough  his  careful  management  has  not  onl\' 
yielded  him  a  handsome  income,  but  enabled  him 
to  lay  by  something  for  a  rainy  dav. 

Mr.  Paddock  was  married  in  Homer  Township, 
October  30,  1838,  to  Miss  Emily  K.  Oliver.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  August 
13,  1815,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  be- 
came tiie  mother  of  three  ciiildren.  The  eldest 
horn,  Edgar  L.,  died  when  about  two  years  old; 
Eliza  E.  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  W.  Jones,  and  they 
live  witli  our  subject;  Frank  E.  married  Miss  Anna 
Murphy,  and  resides  in  this  tovvnship.  Mr.  P.ad- 
dock  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Harrison, 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  iiolilical 
affairs,  giving  his  uniform  support  to  the  Rc[)ub- 
lican  party.  He  has  lield  the  office  of  Townsliip 
Collector,  and  has  been  a  Highway  Commissioner 
for  several  years.  His  long  experience  and  close 
observation  of  men  and  things  have  conspired  to 
make  him  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, and  he  has  watched  the  various  events  dur- 
ing a  long  and  useful  life  with  a  thoughtfulness 
which  has  maintained  him  in  a  position  in  the  front 
rank  among  the  readers  ami  thinkers  of  the  pres- 
ent day. 

A  fine  portrait  of  Mr.  Paddock  appears  on 
another  page. 


EORGE  E.  ROCKEY.  For  over  a  quarter  of 
-,  a  century  this  gentleman  has  made  his  home 
Ja\  in  Joliet,  and  perhaps  no  resident  of  the 
place  takes  greater  interest  in  its  growth  and  up- 
building than  he.  He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  citi- 
zen, who  has  taken  little  part  in  politics,  except  to 
generally  vote  the  Democratic  ticket  and  who  has 
borne  his  part  in  public  life,  content  to  perform  his 
duties  as  an  individual  and  suHlciently  occupied 
with  his  personal  affairs. 

The  parents  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write 
were  William  and  Elizabeth  (Maize)  Rockey,  whose 
family  comprised  three  children,  of  whom  George 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


E.  is  tlie  ouly  survivor.  The  fallier  w.is  a  harncss- 
inaiicr,  and  their  iionie  was  in  the  Kej-stone  State. 

George  E.  Rockey  was  born  in  Mifflinbiirg,  Pa., 
October  4,  1819,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter, although  he  never  followed  it  except  to  do  the 
wood  work  on  threshing  machines  for  a  brother-in  - 
law.  David  Herr.  He  went  to  Center  County,  where 
he  opened  a  foundry  in  1844,  and  where  he  resided 
ten.  3-ears.  He  then  came  to  Illinois  and,  locating 
in  IMainfield.  this  county,  worked  for  Dilhnan  it  Co. 
until  1862,  when  he  removed  to  .loliet.  In  186G 
he  bought  a  planing-niili.  which  he  operated  until 
1886,  when  he  transferred  it  to  his  son  Franklin. 

In  Miss  Susan  Wolf.  Mr.  Rockey  difcerned 
the  qualities  of  mind  and  character  which  won  his 
regard,  and  after  a  successful  wooing  she  became 
his  wife  December  15.  1842.  Throughout  their 
long  and  happy  married  life  they  have  found  ho 
cause  to  regret  the  union.  They  have  had  Bve 
children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living  in  .Joliet, 
the  other  having  died  in  infancy.  The  survivors 
are:  Mrs.  Margaret  Dice,  Franklin,  Mrs.  Jennie 
Pomeroj'  and  P^dward. 


«  )^ILLI.\M  DANBY  has  for  thirty  years  been 
\wil  "  resident  of  this  county,  and  since  corn- 
's^ ing  here  has  attained  an  honorable  place 
among  its  farmers  and  stock-growers,  who  are  sus- 
taining .and  advancing  its  magnificent  agricultural 
resources.  He  is  a  well  known  resident  of  Will 
Townsliip,  in  which  his  farming  operations  are 
centereil.  Our  subject  is  of  English  birth  and 
breeding,  born  M.aj'  9,  1822,  in  West-Riding,  of 
Yorkshire,  a  son  of  Robert  and  Rebecca  (Latham) 
Danbj-,  who  were  born  in  the  same  shire  as  himself. 
His  father  was  a  farmer.  He  and  his  wife  reared  a 
family  of  six  children,  nameh':  Caroline,  George, 
•larvers,  Charles,  William  and  Richard,  of  whom 
George,  Richard  and  William  became  citizens  of 
this  countrj'.  George  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1853,  settled  in  Will  Township,  and  was  con- 
nected with  the  Illinois  Centr.al  Railroad.  Richard 
came  in  1853  and  settled  in  Croton,  JC.  Y. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  came  to 


this  country  with  his  wife  in  the  year  1858.  He 
spent  the  following  two  years  in  Matteson,  111.,  being 
emploj'ed  on  the  Central  Railroad.  Desiring  to 
give  his  attention  to  farming  pursuits  and  having 
i  heard  of  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  soil  of  Will 
County,  and  of  the  success  that  followed  the  labors 
of  its  enterprising  farmers  and  stock-raisers,  he  se- 
lected this  region  as  the  most  desirable  location, 
and  in  1860  took  up  his  residence  here.  For  six 
years  he  rented  land  until  he  accumulated  sufficient 
money  to  place  him  on  an  independent  basis,  and 
in  1865  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Will 
Township.  In  November,  1870.  he  located  on  the 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  same 
township,  which  he  still  occupies.  He  has  added 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  to  it  and  now  has  a 
choice  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which 
he  has  under  admirable  cultivation  and  is  constantly 
improving.  He  is  much  interested  in  the  cattle  bus- 
iness, and  for  eight  j-ears  has  been  a  breeder  of  Here- 
ford cattle.  When  Mr.  Dan  133^  first  set  foot  on  these 
shores  he  had  a  capital  of  $200  with  which  to  make 
his  new  start  in  life.  B3'  superior  man.agement  and 
excellent  business  tact  he  has  greatlv  increased  this 
and  may  now  be  considered  one  of  the  moneyed 
men  of  the  township. 

March  24,  1850,  Mr.  Danby  and  Miss  Ann  Kil- 
ling beck  united  their  lives  and  fortunes,  and  in  her 
he  has  found  a  prudent  helpmate  and  a  true  wife. 
She  was  born  November  4,  1826,  in  the  town  of 
Snaith,  Yorkshire,  England,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Hannah  (Ellison)  Killingbeck,  likewise  natives 
of  I'orkshire.  The}^  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren— John,  Thomas.  Ann  and  Harriet.  John  came 
to  this  county  and  first  settled  here  and  then  took 
up  his  residence  in  Kansas.  He  married  and  had 
one  son — Wilson.  Thomas  remained  in  England, 
two  of  his  sons  are  living.  Harriet,  now  Mrs.  Hor- 
ner, lives  in  England;  she  has  three  sons — Fred, 
William  and  Herbert.  The  marri.age  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife  has  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth 
of  six  children:  Caroline;  Annie  E..  wife  of 
Thomas  Stewart;  Blanche,  wife  of  Joseph  Jackson, 
of  White  County,  Ind.;  Arthur  W.,  Charles  A.  and 
William  A. 

A  man  of  sound  intellect  and  of  unswerving 
integrit3-,  our  subject  has  made  his  life  record   an 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


527 


example  of  worth  to  others,  and  he  is  greatly  re- 
spooled  for  what  he  is  and  for  wliat  he  has  accom- 
plishod.  He  is  a  good  worker,  his  laliors  being 
directi'd  by  admirable  judgment  and  far-reaching 
forethought.  He  is  a  man  of  sincere  religious 
principles,  as  is  shown  by  his  every-day  conduct, 
and  in  liis  wife  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
finds  i)ne  of  its  most  valuable  and  conscientious 
members.  He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  his  adopted  country,  of  which  he  is  a  loyal  citi- 
zen, and  identifies  himself  with  the  Republican 
part. 


fOHN  COKLETT,  a  well-known,  wealthy 
farmer  and  stock-grower  of  Wesley 7 Town- 
ship, has  b}'  his  liberality,  public  spirit  and 
large  enterprise,  been  a  i)otent  instrument 
in  bringing  this  section  of  the  country  to  the  front 
as  a  leading  agricultural  count)\  He  is  the  fortu- 
nate owner  of  an  extensive  farm,  that  in  point  of 
cultivation,  improvement  and  productiveness  is 
considered  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  Northern 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Corlett  was  born  August  4,  1832,  on  the 
homestead  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  to  John  and  Ann 
(  McGregor)  Corlett,  and  his  father  was  a  native  of 
the  same  place  as  our  subject,  and  was  there  reared 
to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He  subsequentl}'  became  a 
soldier  in  the  English  Arm}-,  and  fought  with  valor 
under  the  Dnke  of  Wellington  all  through  the  lat- 
ter's  campaigns  in  the  Spanish  Peninsula,  and  was 
also  with  the  Iron  Duke  in  the  battle  of  Waterloo. 
He  lost  his  left  arm  in  Holland,  and  was  discharged 
from  the  army,  and  pensioned  at  a  six2:)ence  a  day 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  After  leaving 
the  service  he  married  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  his  wife 
being  a  native  of  Scotland.  She  was  about  eight 
\  ears  of  age  when  her  parents  removed  to  the  Isle 
of  Man,  where  she  still  makes  her  home  at  the  ven- 
erable age  of  ninety-three.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject died  in  1870,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
SIX  of  whom  are  now  living,  five  of  whom  are  resi- 
dents of  tliis  country. 

The  subject  of  this  review   was  the  fifth  child  of 


his  parents,  with  whom  he  made  his  home  until  he 
■was  twenty-oue.receivirg  the  benefits  of  a  common- 
school  education.  At  eleven  j-ears  of  age,  a  manly, 
si)irited,  self-reliant  lad,  he  began  life  for  himself  as 
a  farm  hand.  In  the  spring  of  1855,  ambitious  to 
make  more  of  life  than  he  could  in  the  land  of  his 
birth,  he  came  to  this  country,  and  from  New  York 
proceeded  directly  to  Chicago,  and  from  there  to 
Kankakee  City,  thence  to  Rockville  in  the  same 
county.  He  remained  there  four  years,  and  after 
his  marriage  in  1859,  came  to  this  county,  settled 
on  his  present  farm  and  has  ever  since  been  a 
valued  citizen  of  Wesley  Township.  He  has  pur- 
sued his  calling  with  more  than  ordinary  success  and 
now  has  a  large  farm  of  four  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  besides  owning  six  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  Kansas.  He  has  provided  his  farm  with  roomy, 
conveniently-arranged  buildings,  with  the  best  ma- 
chinery for  carrying  on  agriculture  after  the  most 
approved  methods,  and  has  made  it  one  of  the  most 
desirable  estates  iu  this  part  of  the  county,  and  be- 
sides raising  rich  harvests  of  grain,  devotes  much 
attention  to  rearing  stock  of  fine  grades. 

January  4,  1859,  Mr.  Corlett  was  united  in  mar- 
raige  to  Mrs.  Betsey  McGilvery,  nee  Franklin,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Betsey  (Appleby)  Frank- 
lin, natives  of  Vermont  and  New  York,  respec- 
tively. Her  parents  were  married  in  the  latter 
State  and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  early  days  of  its 
settlement  and  were  among  the  early  pioneers  of 
this  township.  In  1850,  her  father  started  over- 
land for  California,  died  on  the  way,  and  was  buried 
at  Ft.  Kearney.  Her  mother  did  not  long  survive 
the  death  of  her  husband  but  departed  this  life  in 
1854.  They  were  parents  of  twelve  cliildren,  three 
of  whom  are  now  living.  Mrs.  Corlett  was  born 
October  9,  1829,  in  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.  Of 
the  children  born  to  her  and  our  subject,  four  are 
ncnv  living:  William  who  was  born  October  15, 
1859;  Mary,  September  2G,  1863,  is  the  tvife  of 
Ed.  McKiramy,  of  Kansas  City;  Minnie,  born 
March  22,  1865,  is  the  wife  of  Eugene  Babcock,  of 
Wesley  Township,  and  they  have  one  child;  Ella, 
born  September  14.  1867.  is  the  wife  of  Geor"-e 
Lancaster,  of  Wesley  Township,  and  they  have  two 
children.  William  Corlett  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order. 


528 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mr.  Corlett  is  a  man  of  strong  character,  with  a 
moral  and  mental  make-up,  that,  plac-es  him  among 
our  most  intelligent  ami  honorable  citizens.  He  is 
well  dowered  with  practical  energy,  activity'  and 
tenacity  of  purpose,  and  these  traits  besides  lead- 
ing him  to  wealth  have  eminently-  fitted  him  for 
public  service,  and  make  him  an  influence  as  a  pol- 
itician and  supporter  of  the  Republican  parly,  of 
wiiich  he  has  been  a  stanch  member  since  its  or- 
ganization. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  local 
.Sehool  Board  for  twelve  years  and  has  earnestly 
foi  warded  the  educational  interests  of  the  townsliip. 
In  1885  and  1886  lie  represented  Wesley  on  tlic 
County  Board  of  Supervisors.  He  lias  been  the 
Higliway  Commissioner  for  six  years,  and  in  that 
office  has  done  much  to  better  the  highw.ays  and 
byways  of  the  township.  He  built  the  dry  run 
near  .lolin  Riciiey's  place.  He  interests  himself  in 
the  questions  of  the  d.ay,  particularly  that  of  tem- 
perarce,  and  in  word  and  act  is  a  firm  temperance 
man.  He  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  is  Stew- 
ard. He  lias  alwa\'s  Uiken  a  prominent  part  in  the 
Sundaj'-school  and  under  his  able  administration  as 
Superintendent  for  the  past  fourteen  years,  it  has 
greatl}'  increased  in  numbers  and  influence. 


APT.  ROBERT  STEVENS  is  numbwed 
among  the  pioneers  in  Will  County  .in  which 
he  settled  in  the  spring  of  1831.  Those 
who  have  never  visited  a  frontier  settlement,  but 
who  have  been  accustomed  from  childhood  to  the 
surroundings  of  our  present  civilization,  can  have 
but  a  faint  conception  of  the  life  of  the  pioneers  or 
of  the  credit  due  those  who  led  the  wa}-  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  country'.  Nowhere  lias  greater 
enterprise  and  sturdy  manhood  been  exhibited  than 
throughout  t'ae  Mississippi  Valley,  during  the  early 
days  of  the  various  grand  States  into  which  its  fer- 
tile expanse  is  now  divided,  and  in  no  life  are  the 
more  rugged  virtues  of  character  and  the  milk  of 
human  kindness  more  rapidlj'  developed  than  in 
the  primitive  scenes  of  a  new  countr3\  Among 
those   to  vvhom  this  section  owes  much,  we  misht 


saj-  all,  of  its  present  prosperous  condition  and  ad- 
vanced development,  Capt.  Robert  Stevens  occu- 
pies an  important  place. 

Not  less  worth}-  of  honor  than  her  husband,  is 
the  widow  of  Capt.  Stevens,  who  began  her  resi- 
dence in  this  count}^  in  1830,  and  who  as  a  young 
lad3%  as  a  wife,  mother  and  neighbor,  has  earned 
the  deep  respect  of  those  among  whom  her  life  has 
been  spent  and  a  place  side  bj'  side  with  her  hus- 
band on  the  roll  of  the  pioneers.  They  endured 
privations  and  toils,  such  as  try  men's  souls, 
cheered  bj-  their  belief  in  a  bright  future  and  by 
mutual  sj-mpath}',  their  labors  being  rewarded  by 
worldly  prosperit\-.  a  liapp}'  home  and  friendly 
feeling  from  without. 

In  Mason  Count}^  K3'.,  July  20,  1802,  the  eyes 
of  Robert  Stevens  opened  to  the  light.  He  was  a 
child  two  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed 
to  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  being  ap- 
prenticed at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  tanner  and  currier.  On  the  expiration 
of  his  apprenticeship  he  went  to  Indiana,  where  he 
labored  nntil  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Will 
Count)'.  Here  he  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  just 
east  of  Joliet,  developing  a  fine  estate  and  in  the 
course  of  j'ears  becoming  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred acres  in  one  body,  all  of  which  was  put  in  a 
fine  condition  and  thoroughly  improved.  Although 
his  services  were  desired  in  a  public  capacity  he 
found  tliat  his  time  was  fully  occupied  by  the  con- 
duct of  his  personal  affairs,  and  to  his  farm  he  de- 
voted himself  almost  exclusively. 

The  first  wife  of  Capt.  Stevens  was  Miss  Lj-dia 
Ann  Pence,  who  died  in  1833.  She  had  borne  three 
children,  all  of  whom  are  deceased.  In  what  was 
then  Cook  County,  but  is  now  Joliet  Township, 
Will  County,  October  29,  1835,  our  subject  con- 
tracted a  second  matrimonial  alliance.  His  bride. 
Miss  Nancy  Kercheval,  was  born  in  Prelile  County, 
Ohio,  October  28,  1814,  but  had  resided  in  this 
county  since  she  was  sixteen  3'ears  old.  The  happy 
union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children, 
named  respectively:  Lewis.  Thomas  J.,  James. 
Sarah  A.,  Mary  A.,  and  Albert.  The  husband  and 
father  was  removed  by  death  January  6,  18G4.  all 
tlie  efiforts  put  forth  liy  his  devoted  wife  and  lov- 
ing children   having  been   fruitless  to  prolong  his 


''<^\ 


^^>.« 


RoB'T  Steven^s. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


529 


life.  His  mortal  remains  were  deposited  in  Oalf- 
wood  Cemeterjs  being  followed  to  their  last  resting 
place  by  a  larpje  concourse  of  citizens,  to  whom  tlie 
pioneer  had  endeared  himself  and  who  sympatliized 
deeplj-  in  the  bereavement  wliich  had  come  upon 
his  family. 

Capt.  .Stevens  toolc  an  active  part  in  political 
affairs,  being  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the 
countr}'  ard  anxious  that  [H'oper  men  sliould  be 
elected  to  otflee.  For  a  short  time  onl^'  he  served 
as  Sheriff,  having  been  the  first  one  elected  in  Will 
County,  but  giving  up  tiie  position  because  his 
farm  required  his  attention.  lie  also  lield  the 
office  of  Highway  Commissioner.  Since  ids  death 
his  widow  has  remained  on  the  homestead.  She 
possesses  an  abundance  of  vitality,  keenness  of 
judgment  and  energy,  and  Ijoth  looks  and  acts 
much  j^ounger  than  her  years.  She  has  been  a 
member  of  the  iVIethodist  Cliurch  since  1834,  her 
confession  of  faith  being  but  the  initiatory  step  in 
a  life  of  consistent  Christianity. 


-^is- 


^LMER  E.  HENRY.  The  trade  circles  of 
i^  Joliet  and  vicinity  recognize  in  Mr.  Henry 
,  ^ — ^  one  of  its  most  promising  3-oung  business 
men.  He  is  principally  interested  in  the  glass  and 
queensware  trade,  in  which  he  has  had  a  ripe  ex- 
perience, and  is  meeting  with  unqualified  success. 
Eor  the  past  three  j-ears  he  has  been  proprietor  of  the 
most  elegAnt  establishment  of  this  kind  to  be  found 
in  Northern  Illinois.  His  straightforward  methods 
of  doing  business,  his  genial  disposition  and  his 
courteous  treatment  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact,  is  a  matter  that  is  often  made  the  subject 
of  remark.  His  establishment  is  prominentlj'  lo- 
cated on  Chicago  Street,  and  he  carries  a  $10,000 
stock  of  goods,  from  which  iluring  the  year  1889 
he  effected  sales  to  the  amount  of  $30,000. 

A  native  of  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.,  our  sub- 
ject was  born  July  9,  18G2,  in  the  village  of  White 
House,  to  William  E.  and  Susan  C.  Henry,  now 
living  in  Joliet.  AVhen  but  a  small  child,  Jlr. 
Henry  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Joliet,  and  in 


this  city  received  his  education.  He  commenced 
his  business  career  at  an  early  age,  and  is  an  apt 
illustration  of  the  m.nxim  that  '-a  good  business 
well  stuck  to  is  sure  to  win."  He  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  ten  years  as  a  clerk  before  embark- 
ing in  business  on  his  own  account,  and  was  thus 
equii)ped  with  a  thorough  experience,  avoiding  the 
mistake  which  so  many  make  of  attempting  to  do 
that  of  which  they  know  nothing.  Mr.  Hcniy  is 
unmarried. 


E^ 


[(',--,  ENRY  KIPP  owns  a  farm  one  and  one-half 
If  )||  miles  from  the  village  of  DuPage,  or  Chan- 
nahon,  as  it  is  called,  which  is  sui)plied  with 
S^  good  buildings  and  all  the  needed  improve- 
ments to  make  it  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  this 
part  of  the  county.  A  skillful  and  business-like 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  our  subject  is  also  pos- 
sessed of  those  characteristics  that  make  him  a 
trusty  and  capable  civic  official,  and  he  bears  an 
honorable  part  in  the  manageniont  of  local  public 
affairs. 

]Mr.  Kipp  is  a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  the 
township  of  Troy,  February  17,  1847,  to  A.  P.  and 
Jane  (Davis)  Kipp,  well-known  pioneers  of  this 
county.  The  maternal  grandmother  of  our  subject 
died  in  1872,  at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-three 
years.  She  came  from  Wales  when  she  was  eighteen 
j'ears  old,  and  settled  in  Kendall  County  in  an 
early  day.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  came  from  there  to 
Will  County  in  1837,  in  the  prime  of  active  man- 
hood. He  was  accustomed  to  handling  horses,  and 
he  became  a  stage-driver  on  the  Frink  &  Walker 
line  from  Chicago  to  Peoria.  He  was  well  known, 
was  a  fine  man  for  his  business,  and  was  noted  as 
being  a  good  judge  of  horses,  and  the  company 
emplojed  him  to  match  horses  and  train  them  for 
them.  In  1849  he  determined  to  follow  the  gold 
seekers  to  California,  traveling  by  the  way  of  New 
Orleans  and  Mexico.  He  remained  there  until 
1  8.')2,  engaged  as  before,  and  at  one  time,  while 
driving,  his  horses  or  mules  became  frightened  at 
some  Indians  who  came  suddenly  upon  them,  and 


530 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


he  was  thrown  off  and  went  under  the  wheel  of  the 
wagon,  which,  with  its  loarl,  weighed  over  seven 
thousand  pounds,  lie  was  so  badly  injured  tlial 
he  liad  to  give  up  his  employment  there  and  return 
to  the  States,  as  the  expenses  of  staying  there  wore 
so  great,  the  doctors  charging  $30  for  a  visit,  and 
lie  had  to  pay  |!10  a  day  for  board.  He  returned 
by  the  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  coming 
to  Joliet,  established  a  livery  stable  there.  lie  re- 
turned to  the  farm  in  ISAG,  where  he  rernaineci  till 
1858,  when  he  came  to  Channahon.  In  1881  he 
purcliased  the  place  in  whicli  oursubject  now  lives, 
and  made  his  home  with  him  until  his  death,  De- 
cember 31,  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years, 
four  months  and  sixteen  days.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried, the  maiden  name  of  his  first  wife,  tl-e  mother 
of  our  subject,  being  Jane  Davis,  and  she  was  of 
AVelsh  parentage.  She  died  in  her  twenty  fifth 
year,  nine  months  after  the  birth  of  our  subject, 
leaving  two  children,  the  eldest  being  Frances  J., 
now  the  wife  of  B.  Schermerhorn,  of  Joliet.  ]\Ir. 
Kipp  was  married  a  second  time,  in  185.5,  to  Mrs. 
E.  W.  Adams. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in  Channahon, 
and  received  a  substantial  education  in  the  High 
School  of  that  place.  He  then  adoi)ted  the  profes- 
sion of  teaching,  and  was  thus  successfuUv  engaged 
in -this  county  for  fourteen  3-ears,  commencing  in 
1869,  and  leaching  steadil}'  each  winter,  while  giv- 
ing his  attention  to  farming  in  the  summer,  and 
during  that  time  he  missed  but  one  day  from  his 
school.  The  place  which  he  now  owns  was  willed 
to  him  by  his  father,  and  although  he  has  suffered 
greatly  from  rheumatism,  he  has  been  prospered  in 
his  agricultural  undertakings. 

October  21,  1871,  was  the  date  of  Mr.  Kipp's 
marriage  with  Miss  Ella  F.  Bailej-,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Susan  (Zarley)  Bailey.  They  were 
among  the  pioneers  of  the  count}-,  and  the  Zarleys 
were  also  early  settlers,  being  a  noted  famil}'  here 
in  early  da^'S.  Mrs.  Bailey  was  born  June  2,  1820, 
and  is  still  living  with  her  husband  in  Channahon. 
Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  daughters,  namely:  Alma  M.,  Helen  Z.,  Grace 
B.  and  Jane  K.,  a  little  miss  of  nine  years. 

Mr.  Kipp  is  a  frank,  warm-hearted  man,  gifted 
with  foresight  in  a  large   degree,  ai.d   in   him   this 


township  finds  a  good  citizen,  his  fellow-townsmen 
a  kind  and  obliging  neighbor,  and  his  familj'  a  true 
husband  and  liuvoted  father.  He  is  a  sturdy  IJ(- 
|)nblic-an  in  his  political  views.  al'.va3's  supporting 
his  party  ticket.  His  fellow-citizens,  valuing  his 
intelligence  and  capacity,  have  called  him  to  office, 
and  for  two  terms  he  has  been  Township  Clerk, 
and  for  one  term  was  Collector  of  the  Township. 


— ifr- 


-^3- 


^ 


^|i  KA  OWEN  KNAPP,  M.  D.  Among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  count\'  who  played  an  important 
part  in  its  development,  the  pioneer  phy.:.ician 
held  a  prominent  and  influential  position,  and  as  a 
noble  type  of  the  profession,  we  place  before  tlie 
patrons  of  this  work,  to  many  of  whom  he  is  well 
known  and  bound  by  no  common  ties,  a  brief  life 
record  of  Dr.  Ira  Knapp.  Coming  to  Northern 
Illinois  at  an  early  da}-,  fresh  from  his  studies  and 
in  the  ardor  and  vigor  of  the  opening  years  of  a 
splendid  manhood,  our  subject  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  sturdy  pioneers  whom  he  found  already  liere, 
and  immediately  entered  upon  an  honorable  career 
in  his  calling.  In  those  daj-s  the  life  of  a  physician 
was  fraught  with  hardships  inconceivable  at  the 
present  time,  but  our  subject  with  cheerful  and 
courageous  self-sacrifice,  bore  them  uncoiuplain- 
ingl}',  and  soon  won  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts'  of 
those  whom  he  so  faithfully  served  in  their  sick- 
ness and  became  the  friend  and  counselor  of  his 
patients,  and  was  known  and  welcomed  in  manj^  a 
household  far  and  wide.  Ill  health  obliging  him  to 
give  up  the  practice  of  his  beloved  profession  as 
its  duties  were  too  exacting,  he  has  given  his  at- 
tention to  improving  the  land  that  he  Ijought  from 
the  Government  fifty-seven  years  ago,  which  he  has 
developed  into  a  choice  farm,  one  of  the  pleasant- 
est  places  on  the  DuPage  River  and  Canal,  located 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Channahon  Vill.-ige. 
Mr.  Knapp  was  born  in  Barre,  adjoining  the  cit}' 
of  Montpelier,  the  capital  of  Vermont,  February 
12,  1810.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
excellent  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  then  went 
into  the  office  of  Dr.  James  Spaulding,  of  Montpe- 
lier, and    while  there  attended    medical  lectures  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


J31 


Dartmouth  College.  He  subsequently  became  a 
student  at  the  Woodstock  ftledical  School,  in  Ver- 
mont, whence  he  was  (graduated  in  1833,  hav- 
ing attained  a  higli  standing  for  scholarsliip  in 
his  class.  He  was  then  twenty-three  years  of  age 
and  he  determined  to  enter  upon  his  profession  in 
the  AVest,  and  selecting  this  count}'  as  a  suitable 
field  for  tlie  exercise  of  his  calling,  he  left  his  home 
among  the  green  hills  of  his  native  State  on  Sep- 
tember 17,  anil  on  October  12,  arrived  as  his  desti- 
nation. He  was  accompanied  by  his  bride,  and 
with  them  came  George  and  Russell  Tryon,  and 
Miss  Emily  S.  Knapp,  (afterward  the  widow  of 
Mr.  Lyman  Foster,)  now  a  resident  of  Aurora,  111., 
residing  with  her  daughter.  The  Doctor  and  his 
uncle,  George  Trj'on,  the  only  other  surviving 
members  of  the  parlj-  are  now  eight}'  and  eighty- 
five  years  of  age. 

Our  suliject  came  to  Channahun,  opened  an  of- 
fice occupying  it  but  one  da}',  when  he  was  called 
seven  miles  to  visit  his  first  i)atient.  He  continued 
the  i)ractice  of  ii.is  profession  for  fifteen  years,  his 
patients  being  scattered  over  a  wide  area  of  coun- 
try, and  he  has  ridden  as  far  as  Rockford,  on  Rock 
River,  some  ninety  miles  distant,  in  pursuit  of  his 
calling.  The  country  being  so  sparsely  settled,  this 
was  a  very  lonely  route  and  there  was  a  stretch  of 
twenty-five  miles  on  which  there  was  not  a  house 
to  be  seen.  The  Doctor  is  a  man  in  advance  of 
his  profession.  AVhen  he  was  graduated  blood- 
letting was  taught  and  advised  by  his  instructors 
as  under  the  old  medical  regime,  but  the  Doctor 
when  he  left  scliool,  left  that  and  many  other  cus- 
toms that  were  in  use  at  that  time,  behind.  Our 
subject  had  a  good  opportunity  to  study  the  vari- 
ous forms  of  malarial  fever  that  was  so  prevalent 
in  the  early  d.ays  of  the  settlement  of  the  country, 
and  he  had  great  success  in  treating  the  disease, 
which  he  observed  abated  to  a  great  extent  after 
the  people  had  subdued  the  soil  and  had  it  well 
cultivated.  When  he  first  came  here,  there  were 
five  times  as  many  Indians  as  whites  aud  he 
has  seen  as  manj'  as  five  hundred  together.  They 
usually  camped  along  the  river  and  often  visited 
the  home  of  our  subject  and  would  sit  with  Mrs. 
Knapp,  who  enjoyed  the  company  of  the  squaws 
and  their  little  papooses.     Having  been  among  the 


Indians  for  at  least  ten  years  and  carefully  ob- 
served their  customs  and  character,  he  thinks  them 
ver}'  much  maligned  and  ill-treated.  In  liis  inter- 
course with  them  he  followed  the  Golden  Rule,  and 
seems  to  have  found  his  red  brethren  truthful 
and  honorable.  Many  years  he  lived  among  them 
and  under  no  circumstances  did  he  ever  put  any- 
thing under  lock  and  key;  his  house  was  always 
open  da}'  and  night  and  they  never  offered  to  molest 
a  thing,  which  lie  accounts  for  by  the  fact  that  ho 
always  treated  them  as  he  would  wished  to  be  used. 
They  have  come  to  his  house  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  night,  often  under  the  influence  of  liquar, 
and  never  did  they  otfer  to  injure  a  thing.  He 
never  met  one  of  tliem,  l>utwhat  he  would  advance 
and  shake  him  politely  by  the  hand  aiul  say:  "I5u- 
slui  Nic-Kan,"  which  means  '-How  do  you  do  my 
friend."  The  Doctor  tells  the  following  incident 
of  those  days  as  showing  the  grateful  character  of 
the  untntore<l  savage:  A  Mr.  Treat,  who  was  a 
great  friend  of  the  Indians,  made  a  claim  on  a  piece 
of  land  on  the  Des  I'laiucs  River,  the  place  on  sec- 
tion 11,  of  this  township,  now  owned  by  Oscar 
Mills.  He  had  no  money  to  pay  for  the  land,  and 
the  Indians  refused  to  treat  with  the  Government 
officials  until  they  agreed  to  give  him  $1,000  to 
buy  land  with.  He  iiad  always  treated  the  In- 
dians with  consideration,  and  they  held  him  in 
great  affection.  He  took  care  of  the  grave  of  one 
of  their  chiefs  who  was  buried  on  the  place  that  he 
owned,  now  known  as  Millsdale. 

The  Doctor  located  on  his  present  farm  which  he 
bought  from  the  Government  in  the  month  of 
June,  183?.  He  built  a  log  house  in  which  he 
lived  for  ten  years,  and  in  that  his  children  were 
born.  He  then  replaced  it  by  his  present  substantial 
and  comfortable  dwelling.  He  retired  from  his 
profession  about  1850,  ai\d  since  then  has  de- 
voted himself  to  the  improvement  of  his  place, 
which  at  one  time  comprised  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  but  he  has  disposed  of  several  acres, 
and  now  has  a  farm  of  one  bunilred  acres  that  is 
one  of  the  most  desirable  in  the  locality. 

Dr.  Knapp  has  been  twice  married.  In  July,  1833, 
he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Almyia  Joslyn,  daughter  of 
Luke  Joslyn.  She  bore  him  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,    as    follows:     George,  a   carpenter   and 


532 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


joiner,  of  Wisconsin,  married  and  lias  one  child  ; 
Orrin  S.,  a  farmer  living  near  liis  fallier,  married 
and  has  four  boys  and  one  girl;  Melinda  S.,  the 
wife  of  Silas  I.  Parlier,  a  mechanic  and  farmer,  of 
Miller  County,  Mo.  The  bekivcd  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject who  shared  with  him  the  privations  and  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  and  aided  him  in  the  building 
up  of  their  home,  passed  to  eternal  rest  in  1861. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  to  his  present 
worthy  wife  was  consummated  in  1864,  and  has 
proved  of  mutual  benefit  to  both,  as  thereby  he  se- 
cured a  true  helpnwte  and  companion,  and  she  a 
devoted  Inisband.  Jlrs.  Knapp  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage  "ith  our  sul>jecl  was  Jlrs.  Ann  S.  Peebles, 
11  e  widow  o'  tJobert  Peebles,  who  came  from  Eng- 
land. She  is  the  mother  of  two  children  by  that 
marriage:  Charles,  a  young  raairied  man;  R.  W., 
a  resident  of  Egypt,  111.,  who  is  married  and  has 
two  children,  one  of  whom  lives  with  its  grand- 
mother, Mrs.  Knapp. 

A  man  of  superior  intelligence  and  sound  princi- 
ple, and  of  blameless  character,  and  an  earnest 
supporter  of  what  be  considers  right  in  every  walk 
in  life,  Dr.  Knapp  has  a.  ways  exerted  a  wholesome 
influence  in  this  communit}'  with  whose  interests 
his  own  have  been  bound  for  a  period  of  more  than 
half  a  century.  He  has  earnestly  labored  in  behalf 
of  the  social  and  religious  development  of  Channa- 
hon,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  and 
his  wife  are  consistent  members.  Politically,  he 
has  always  voted  according  to  his  honest  convic- 
tions, and  has  sided  with  whichever  party  he  thinks 
to  be  the  nearest  right  at  the  time,  and  he  is  now 
identified  with  the  Prohibitionists. 


^f/SAAC  T.  MILLSPAUGH,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Joliet,  was  first  elected  to  that  office 
in  1877,  serving  four  years;  in  1886  he  was 
again  elected,  Uliis  time  to  fill  a  vacanc}',  and  at 
the  expiration  of  the  term  was  continued  in  the 
position.  His  character  is  an  honorable  one,  his 
nature  enterprising  and  genial,  and  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  usefulness  and  good  citizenship.    As 


a  public  servant,  he  proves  worthy  of  the  suffrage 
of  the  people,  laboring  for  the  peace  and  good 
order  of  the  community  faithfully  and  abl}'. 

In  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  February  26,  1820, 
the  eyes  of  Isaac  .Millspaugh  first  saw  the  light  of 
day.  His  father,  Charles  Millspaugh,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  county  and  a  farmer  there.  He  mar- 
ried Mehitable  VanTassell,  of  the  same  county, 
who  bore  him  seven  sons  and  one  daughter.  When 
the  son  of  whom  we  write  was  fifteen  j'ears  old  the 
parents  removed  to  the  village  of  Bloomingburg, 
where  tlie  father  died  in  1837.  and  the  mother  a 
j'ear  later.  Both  n-ere  members  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  and  respected  in  the  community. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  lived  with  his  parents 
until  the  death  of  his  father,  when  he  went  into 
Tompkins  County  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith, passing  his  apprenticeship  at  Dryder.  Cro- 
ners.  He  woiked  at  the  trade  nearly  twenty  years, 
all  told.  In  1844  he  came  to  Illinois,  arriving  at 
Joliet  in  Maj',  and  at  once  beginning  the  labor  in 
which  he  had  previoush'  been  engaged.  He  made 
the  first  steel  plow  manufactured  in  Joliet,  and  was 
the  first  blacksmith  in  the  Chicago  &  Alton  round 
house,  that  being  the  last  of  his  Dlacksmithing.  He 
fired  the  engine  that  p\illed  the  first  train  out  of 
Chicago,  and  ran  the  first  engine  that  came  into 
Joliet  over  the  Rock  Island  Railroad,  that  being 
in  1852.  He  also  ran  as  an  engineer  on  a  construc- 
tion train  of  the  same  road. 

At  the  time  that  he  abandoned  his  trade,  Mr. 
Millspaugh  was  elected  Assessor  for  Joliet  City 
and  township,  and  being  re-elected  at  each  success- 
ive election,  served  about  ten  years.  The  duties 
of  the  office  occupied  th(!  most  of  his  time,  and 
soon  after  this  long  term  of  oflSee  he  was  made 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  the  organizer  of 
Millspaugh's  Orchestra,  that  furnished  music  for 
social  gatherings  here  for  forty-two  3'cars.  During 
his  entire  mature  life  Mr,  Millspaugh  h.as  been  a 
stanch  Democrat.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, holding  membership  in  the  Blue  Lodge, 
the  Chapter  and  the  Commandory. 

In  March,  1842,  Mr.  Millspaugh  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Charlotte  E.  Noyes,  the  cere- 
mony taking  place  at  McLain.  Tompkins  County, 
N.  Y.     One  living  son  is   the  fruit  of  the  union — 


■%■ 


^'^'^^^KL^'^^^,— 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


535 


Charles  H.,  of  this  eit3'.  The  second  wife  of  Mr. 
Millspangh  was  in  lier  girlliood  Miss  Marj'  L. 
Roberts,  of  L()cl<port,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  Joliet, 
in  Januar_y,  1882. 


'^EOROE  F.  GURNEV.  Among  the  large 
land  owners  and  vvealtliy  agricultnrists  of 
Will  County,  George  F.  Gurne}'  holds  a 
prominent  place."  lie  is  the  owner  of  nine  hundred 
and  sixt\-six  acres  of  land,  which  withont  any 
si)ecial  irain-ovements  would  in  this  section  of  the 
^Mississippi  Valley  be  a  valuable  possession.  Its 
worth  li.as  been  enhanced  b\'  various  improvements, 
among  them  being  a  complete  line  of  buildings 
adequate  to  shelter  tlie  stock,  store  the  crops  which 
are  raised  upon  the  broad  acres,  and  protect  from 
wind  and  weather  the  farm  machinery  and  imple- 
ments which  the  progressive  ideas  of  Mr.  Gurney 
demand.  Seven  liuudred  and  forty  .acres  of  this 
fine  landed  estate  are  included  in  Jackson  Town- 
!.lii[),  and  on  section  -36, stands  the  family  residence. 
It  attracts  tiie  attention  of  every  passer-bj',  its  out- 
ward appearance  leading  une  to  believe  tiiat  it  is  a 
home  in  more  than  name,  a  belief  which  is  borne 
out  by  the  hospitable  spirit  and  intelligence  which 
rule  its  inmates. 

The  parents  of  our  sul>ject  were  William  and 
Rutii  (Cooper)  Gurney,  both  natives  of  England, 
whence  they  came  to  Will  Count}'  in  the  spring  of 
1845.  Thej'  m.ade  their  residence  in  Joliet  two  or 
three  years,  and  then  removed  to  the  country,  both 
.  dying  in  the  township  of  Channahon.  They  were 
accompanied  to  this  country  by  their  son  of  whom 
we  write,  who  was  then  about  thirteen  years  of  age. 
His  natal  day  was  July  2,  1832,  and  his  birthplace 
Gloucestershire,  England.  His  taste  led  him  to 
adopt  farming  as  his  avocation,  and  his  possessions 
.afford  abundant  proof  that  he  chose  well.  With 
the  exception  of  a  short  time  during  which  he  lived 
in  Grundy  Couuty,  111.,  the  county  to  which  he 
first  came  from  England  has  been  his  home  since 
boyhood.  He  fettled  in  Jackson  Township  in  the 
spring  of  1865. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Gurney  w,as  celebrated  in 


AVilmington,  III.,  his  chosen  companion  being  Miss 
Eliza  Brydon.  who  possesses  many  virtues  and 
graces  of  mind  and  heart.  Under  her  eflicient 
man.agement  the  home  is  ever  neat  and  orderl}-, 
good  cheer  is  abundant  for  both  the  inner  and 
outer  man,  and  the  members  of  her  household  have 
reason  to  bestow  upon  her  the  deepest  affection. 
She  is  the  mother  of  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
have  left  the  parental  roof  for  homes  elsewhere. 
Frances  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Losh;  Elsie  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  Pohlman;  and  Elmer  is  now  living 
in  North  Dakota.  Arno,  Lizzie,  Nellie  and  Otto 
still  linger  under  the  parental  rooftrce. 

The  political  views  of  ilr.  Gurney  coincide  with 
the  principles  laid  down  in  the  Republican  plat- 
form, and  he  exercises  the  right  of  suffrage  in  be- 
half of  that  party,  taking  quite  an  active  part  in 
political  affairs.  While  living  in  the  town  of  Wil- 
ton, he  was  Township  Assessor,  and  he  has  accept- 
ably filled  the  ofliee  of  School  Director.  It  would  be 
but  natural  to  suppose  that  he  is  interested  in  the 
progress  of  the  cause  of  education  as  well  as  in 
other  civilizing  and  improving  movements,  and 
such  is  the  case.  He  has  for  many  years  been  one 
of  the  largest  cattle  feeders  in  the  county,  and  is 
also  extensively  engaged  in  breeding  p]nglish  Shire 
horses.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  is  one  of  the 
mcst  active  business  men  in  this  section  of  Illi- 
nois. 

In  connection  with  the  personal  sketch  of  Mr. 
Gurney  we  present  his  portrait,  to  which  we  invite 
the  reader's  attention.  It  represents  a  man  who, 
together  with  his  family,  stands  high  in  the  regard 
of  others. 

-^^ 


^^^^EORGE  EIB.  The  name  of  this  gentleman 
is  conspicuous  among  the  old  settlers  of 
this  county,  in  which  he  began  his  residence 
while  it  was  still  a  part  of  Cook  County  and  he  but 
a  lad.  From  the  time  when  he  accompanied  his 
father  here  he  has  been  a  continuous  resident,  and 
has  borne  a  share  in  the  agricultural  development 
which  has  made  the  wilderness  blossom  like  the 
rose,  and  which  makes  of  this  broad  State  one  of 
the  most  prosperous  commonwealths  of  the  nation. 


536 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


His  iK'Uiitifiil  faiin  is  located  on  section  7,  Jackson 
Townsliip,  and  comprises  t^vo  liiindiedaiid  seventy- 
two  and  a  half  acres,  on  which  good  improvements 
liave  been  made  by  the  present  owner. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Peter  and  Mad- 
allna  (Gili)ert)  Kib,  the  former  of  whom  was  born 
in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  The  early  years  of  their 
wedded  life  wi're  spent  in  Harrison  Count3',  VV.  Va., 
whence  they  removed  to  Colund)us,  Ohio,  Mrs.  Eib 
dying-  in  the  Buclteye  .State.  The  family  afterward 
removed  to  Fountain  County,  Lid.,  and  in  1833, 
made  settlement  where  George  Eib  now  lives.  The 
father  died  in  this  township  in  1858.  His  first 
marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  the  tliird  in  order  of  birth. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
Clarksburg,  Harrison  County,  W.  Va.,  March  17, 
1816.  He  was  ten  years  old  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Oliio,  and  seven  j'eary  later  lie  accom- 
panied liis  father  to  Hlinois.  Farming  has  been 
his  life  work,  and  success  has  attended  his  labors. 
He  has  not  sought  for  office,  but  has  preferred  the 
quiet  of  his  home  and  the  association  of  his  many 
friends  to  the  rivalries  and  excitements  of  public 
life.  He  is  a  Democrat,  always  ready  to  cast  his 
vote  when  occasion  demands.  Mr.  Eib  possesses  a 
genial,  social  nature,  and  the  hospitable  spirit  which 
makes  his  society  sought,  and  by  his  quiet  pur- 
suance of  duty  and  honorable  character  he  retains 
the  friendship  of  those  who  are  predisposed  toward 
him  bj'  his  social  qualities. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride,  in  Joliet  Township, 
May  18,  1844,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated 
between  George  Eib  and  Mary  Ann  Zumwalt.  This 
lady  was  born  in  Adams  Count}',  Ohio,  January 
31,  1824,  being  the  second  in  a  familj'  of  fourteen 
brothers  and  sisters.  Her  parents  were  Joseph 
/Sumwalt,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  Mary  (Ogle) 
Zumwalt,  who  was  born  in  Adams  Count}',  Ohio. 
Their  wedded  life  began  in  the  Buckeye  State, 
wh(iiee  the}'  removed  to  Hancock  Count}',  Ind., 
and  in  1834  to  this  section,  which  was  then  in- 
cluded in  Cook  County.  They  settled  in  what  is 
now  Joliet  Township,  continuing  to  reside  there 
until  1849,  when  they  removed  to  California.  They 
made  tlieir  home  On  the  Pacific  Slope  from  that 
time,  the  mother  dying  there  in    1885.     Mr.  Zum- 


walt still  survives  at  a  very  advanced  age,  having 
been  born  in  1800. 

It  will  be  har<l  to  find  a  woman  who  possesses  a 
greater  number  of  the  qualities  of  ideal  womanhood 
than  Mrs.  Eib,  of  whom  her  husband  can  truly  say 
"her  price  is  far  above  rubies."  She  is  the  mother 
of  nine  children,  two  of  whom  died  when  young, 
the  survivors  being  Peter  B.,  Louisa,  Almeda, 
Mary  O.,  Catherine  A.,  George  J.  W.  and  Jacob 
L.  Peter  and  Louisa  live  in  California,  the  lat- 
ter being  the  wife  of  iVilliam  Ash;  Alnie<la  is 
the  wife  of  George  Hibner,  of  Grundy  County; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Shelly,  of  Nebraska; 
Catherine  and  George  are  yet  at  home,  and  Jacob 
is  farming  in  this  county. 


OHN  U.  CASEY,  M.  D.  The  subject  of  this 
notice  bears  the  distinction  of  having  been 
a  resident  of  Joliet  for  the  long  period  of 
ij^^  thirty  years.  He  came  to  Will  County, 
when  the  city  where  he  now  resides  was  little  more 
than  a  hamlet  and  while  watching  its  growth  and 
progress,  he  has  been  no  unimportant  factor  in 
bringing  it  to  its  present  condition.  As  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon,  he  has  made  for  himself  a  good 
record,  while  at  the  same  time  he  has  been  promi- 
nent in  local  affairs  and  now  represents  the  Second 
AVard  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council. 

A  native-born  citizen  of  the  Prairie  State,  Dr. 
Casey  was  born  January  28,  1835,  in  the  town  of 
Mt.  Vernon,  Jefferson  County.  The  name  of  his 
father,  Zadok  Casey,  was  familiar  to  the  people  of 
Illinois  over  fifty  years  ago,  he  having  been  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  the  Slate.  The  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Rachael  King.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  are  now  deceased. 
Their  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  four  now 
living. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  pursued  his  studies  in 
the  common  schools  until  a  youth  of  sixteen  years, 
and  was  then  admitted  as  a  student  of  McKendree 
College  at  Lebanon,  111.  After  completing  his 
studies  in  this  institution  he  began  reading  medi- 
cine under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Charles  A,  Pope, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


537 


of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  When  sufficiently  advanced  he 
entered  in  1857,  Pope's  Medical  College,  from 
which  in  due  time  he  was  graduated,  equipped  with 
the  knowledge  necessary  to  enter  upon  the  duties 
of  his  cIhisou  calling. 

The  young  physician  commenced  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Olne}',  Uiehhuid  County,  this  State, 
but  remained  there  only  a  comparatively  short  time, 
removing  in  ISoi)  to  Joliet,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  a  resident.  In  the  meantime  he  has  built  up 
an  extensive  and  lucrative  practice  and  has  become 
widely  and  favorably  known  to  the  i)eoplc  of  Will 
County.  He  was  Physician  and  Surgeon  at  the 
Penitentiary  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  He  is 
prominently  connected  with  the  Will  County  Med- 
ical Societ3',  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  the 
President. 

Dr.  Casey  was  married  June  10,  1863,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Joliet,  111.,  to  Miss  Ada  Vander- 
pool,  a  native  of  New  York  City.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing and  at  home,  namely:  Florida,  who  remains 
with  her  father;  Willis;  Dwight,  who  is  attending 
school  in  Delafield,  Wis.,  and  Laura,  who  is  pursu- 
ing her  studies  in  Hannibal,  Mo.  Mrs.  Ada  Casej- 
departed  this  life  at  her  home  in  Joliet,  July  4, 
188L  The  Doctor,  politically,  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat and  he  finds  his  religious  home  in  Christ 
Episcopal  Church,  of  Joliet. 


KRAUSE  occupies  a  prominent  and  worthy 
place  among  the  thrifty,  well-to-do  agricul- 
turists of  Will  County,  and  his  well-man- 
aged farm  in  Channalion  Township  attests  to  his 
skill  and  success  as  a  farmer.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  the  Piovince  of  Rradenburg,  about  eighty  miles 
east  of  Berlin,  German}-,  November  2,  1829.  He 
was  there  reared  and  received  excellent  educational 
advantages,  his  father  desiring  him  to  attend  col- 
lege. Our  subject  did  not  care  for  that,  however, 
as  his  ambition  lay  in  another  direction,  and  shortly 
after  his  marriage,  in  1856,  to  Miss  Hattie  Sabath, 
he  came  to  America  to  try  his  fortunes  in  this  land 
of  promise.     He  first  went  to  Milwaukee  and  from 


there  to  Watertown,  Wis.,  where  he  was  actively 
engaged  in  farming  for  eight  years.  In  1864  he 
took  a  trip  to  Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  to  survey  the 
country  with  a  view  lo  locating  in  that  vicinity. 
He  lived  there  a  year  but  as  it  was  during  the  war 
he  found  it  not  a  veiy  .agreeable  abiding  place  and 
wished  to  move  where  he  could  secure  greater 
freedom.  He  was  a  member  of  the  militia,  and 
while  serving  he  was  taken  seriously  ill,  and  as  soon 
as  able  came  to  Joliet  and  was  sick  there  for  sev- 
eral months,  but  under  the  skillful  care  of  Dr.  Hays 
he  recovered  in  the  spring  and  then  went  on  a  farm 
on  the  same  section  where  he  now  lives,  renting 
it  for  awhile.  In  1  S68  his  wife  bought  twenty  acres 
of  land  which  tliey  still  own.  But  he  did  not  think 
it  sufUcient  for  a  farm,  and  in  1870  he  bought  the 
eighty  acres  adjoining,  on  which  he  has  liuilt  up  a 
roomy  and  substantial  home.  His  hovise  and  liarn 
are  the  result  of  his  own  handiw(n-k,  as  he  was  al- 
ways very  proficient  in  the  use  of  tools,  and  while 
living  in  JMissouri  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
After  coming  here  Jir.  Krause  had  the  misfortune 
lo  lose  his  wife,  as  she  died  after  giving  birth  to 
their  only  daughter,  Minnie,  who  is  now  the  wife 
of  John  Hobner,  of  Jackson  Township.  Our  sub- 
ject was  again  married,  taking  for  his  wife  Miss 
So[)hia  Fritz,  of  Waterlown,  Wis.,  and  she  has  been 
a  faithfid'  helpmate  to  him.  She  came  from  the 
same  part  of  Germany  as  himself,  originall}-.  They 
have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  two  of  Mrs. 
Krause's  neices  have  a  home  with  them,  Alvina  and 
Lena  Druham,  children  of  Mrs.  Krause's  sister. 

Mr.  Krause  is  a  very  intelligent  gentleman  and 
is  well  posted  in  all  the  current  events  of  the  day. 
ye  and  his  wife  are  whole-souled,  kind-hearted  peo- 
ple, and  their  pleasant  home,  about  eight  miles  from 
Joliet,  is  the  seat  of  true  hospitalit}'.  Although  of 
foreign  birth,  Mr.  Krause  takes  a  patriotic  inteiiest 
in  his  adopted  country'  and  is  a  Ivei)ublican  in  pol- 
itics, his  experience  with  the  Democratic  party  hav- 
ing been  such  as  to  make  him  lose  confidence  in 
its  methods  from  the  start.  He  says,  while  in 
Milwaukee,  when  Buchanan  was  running  for  the 
Presidency,  the  Democratic  politicians  tried  to 
make  him  vote  in  the  Sixth  Ward,  although  he 
was  not  a  resident  of  that  part  of  the  city  and 
was    not,  in    fact,    a    legal  voter,    not   having  ob- 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tained  hisnaturalizaliun  papt'is.  Anntliti' (it'iinan 
asked  him  wliy  he  would  not  vole,  and  remarked 
that  he  had  voted  six  times  that  day  and  got  a 
glass  of  beer  each  time.  When  Lincoln  was  the 
Presidential  candidate,  our  subject  was  a  legal  voter 
and  was  at  that  lime  working  for  a  Democrat. 
Both  being  busy  in  the  cornfield  they  paired  off, 
each  agreeing  not  to  vote.  Towards  evening  his 
employer  made  an  excuse  to  go  to  the  house,  and 
there  got  on  a  swift  horse,  rode  to  town  and  voted 
just  before  the  polls  closed,  thus  cheating  Mr. 
Krause  out  of  his  vote.  His  personal  contact  with 
the  same  partj-  during  his  stay  in  Missouri,  in  the 
excitement  during  tlie  war.only  served  to  strengthen 
his  prejudice  against  it. 


bENRY  H.  LICHTENWALTER.  In  noting 
j  the  leading  inci<lents  in  the  life  record  of 
y        this  gentleman,   who   is  numbered   among 

j^;  the  leading  men  in  Florence  Township,  we 
find  that  he  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 28,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Cather- 
ine (Hane)  Lichtenwaltsr,  who  were  both  descen- 
dants of  highly  respectable  families.  Solomon 
Lichtcn waiter  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  in 
1797.  He  emigrated  to  Ohio  when  a  3'oung  man, 
locating  in  Stark  County,  and  secured  a  farm' upon 
which  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  probablv 
about  fifl}'  jears.  He  was  a  plain,  unassuming 
citizen,  conscientious  in  his  dealings  with  his  fel- 
low-men, and  one  who  enjoyed  the  esteem  and 
eomlidence  of  all  who  knew-  him. 

The  father  of  our  subject  started  in  life  a  poor 
boj'  and  obtained  a  foothold,  financially,  working 
out  bj-  the  mouth  and  daj'.  He  became  well-to-do 
in  later  j'ears,  and  was  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in  whose  welfare  and 
prosperitjf  he  took  a  warm  interest,  engaging  ac- 
tive!}' in  religious  work  and  giving  to  the  church 
a  liberal  support.  He  was  one  of  the  few  who 
were  instrumental  in  the  erection  of  the  church 
edifice  in  Jackson  Township,  Stark  Count}-,  and 
assisted  in  upholding  the  society  when  at  times  it 
was  liable  to  be  dismembered.     Politically,  he  was 


a  stanch  Democrat  from  the  first  to  the  last  of  his 
voting  days,  but  aside  from  this  did  not  meddle 
with  public  affairs.  He  departed  this  life  at  the 
old  homestead  in  1885.  His  father  was  Abraham 
Liclitenwalter,  likewise  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  extraction.  The  latter  died  in 
Ohio,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to  lest  in  the  cem- 
eter}-  in  Canton. 

Mrs.  Catherine  Lichtenwalter,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Lebanon  Count}',  Pa., 
about  1806.  She  died  in  ISOO,  aged  about  fifty- 
four  years,  in  Stark  County,  Ohio.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Christian  Hane.  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
who  spent  his  last  years  in  Ohio.  To  the  parents 
of  our  subject  there  was  born  a  family  of  fourteen 
children,  eight  of  whom  lived  to  mature  years; 
Samuel  is  a  farmer  and  carpenter  and  lives  at  Mc- 
Donaldsville,  Ohio;  Mary  became  the  wife  of  .Sam- 
uel Braucher,  a  farmer  of  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
and  is  deceased;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Martin 
Metz,  a  farmer  and  carpenter  of  Elwood,  this 
county;  John,  a  farmer  and  carpenter,  also  lives 
at  Elwood;  William  pursues  the  same  calling  in 
Manhattan,  this  State;  Henry  H.,  our  subject,  is 
the  next  in  order  of  birth;  Christian  carries  on 
farming  and  carpentering  in  Thayer  County.  Neb. ; 
Amanda  is  the  wife  of  William  Young,  a  farmer 
of  Stark  County.  Ohio.  The  other  six  children 
died   in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  one  of  Ihe 
younger  members  of  the  parental  family,  and 
was  reared  at  the  old  homestead  in  his  native 
county,  where  like  several  of  his  brothers,  he 
learned  both  carpentering  and  farming.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  1856,  then  decided 
upon  seeking  his  fortunes  in  the  farther  West,  and 
coming  to  this  county  followed  carpentering  for 
a  year  or  so,  and  then,  about  1860,  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  11,  Jackson  Town- 
ship. He  gave  his  attention  to  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  this  until  1869,  then  removed 
to  his  present  farm,  which  comprises  two  hun- 
dred anrl  forty  acres,  and  is  located  on  section  1. 
He  also  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  ad- 
joining, the  latter  lying  oi.  section  6,  Wilton 
Township,  and  he  has  eighty  acres  on  section  31, 
Manhattan  Township,  besides  another  quarter  sec- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


539 


tion  elsewhere  in  that  township.  In  addition  he 
has  eighty  acres  on  section  23,  Jackson  Town- 
ship and  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  on  section 
36. 

Mr.  Lichtenwallcr  began  life  at  tlie  foot  of 
the  ladder  and  lias  accumulated  his  property  b}' 
ills  own  unaided  efforts.  He  was  made  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  hard  wt)rk  at  an  early 
period  in  his  life  and  foimcd  llic  habit  of  econ- 
omy and  i)rudence  which  have  been  the  secret  of 
ills  later  success.  I^ince  becoming  a  voter  he  has 
given  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party. 
He  served  one  term  as  Supervisor  of  Florence 
Township,  and  with  his  family  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Evangelical  Church. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  mari'ied  Sep- 
tember 2,  1858,  to  Miss  Leah  Geiss,  of  Jackson 
Township.  This  lady  was  born  in  1838,  in  Leb- 
anon County.  Pa.,  to  John  and  Erb  Geiss,  tlie  for- 
mer of  whom  was  a  native  of  Pennsvlvania  and 
who  came  to  Illinois  in  1854.  He  is  still  living, 
making  his  home  with  our  subject. 

Of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  and  iAIrs.  J>ich- 
teuwalter,  the  eldest,  a  daughter,  Martha,  died 
when  six  weeks  old;  Orlando  is  unmarried  and  re- 
mains with  his  parents;  Franklin  married  Miss 
Ella  Kirkham,  has  two  children,  Floyd  and  Bue- 
lah,  and  is  occu|)ied  at  farming  in  Wilton  Town- 
ship; Harvey  died  when  twenty-five  years  old; 
Albert  and  Frances  are  unmarried  and  living  at 
home;  Mary  and  Owen  died  at  the  ages  of  three 
and  two  years  respectively.  The  next  child  died 
at  birth;  John  and  Addie  are  at  home. 


ENRY  C.  WASSMANN  is  the  owner  and 
occupant  of  a  fine  property  on  section  25, 
Crete  Township,  consisting  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres  of  land  marked  with 
the  im|irovements  that  are  generally  to  be  found 
on  the  estates  of  men  of  enterprise.  A  full  line  of 
substantial  buildings  stands  upon  it,  and  it  is  well 
stocked  with  farm  animals  and  useful  machinery, 
together  wnth  the  household  conveniences  which 
properly  accompan}^  a  well-arranged  establishment. 


This  farm  has  been  the  home  of  Mr.  Wassmann 
about  twent3'  years  and  has  been  owned  by  him 
since  the  death  of  his  father  in  1875.  He  has  made 
most  of  the  improvements  and  is  successfully  pros- 
ecuting the  labors  of  a  general  farmer. 

In  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  which  forms  a 
part  of  the  Germanic  Confederation,  Chi-istoph 
Wassmann,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born.  He 
married  Miss  Sophia  Kphe,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  the  same  Kingdom,  and  soon  afterward 
set  out  with  his  bride  for  America.  They  landed 
at  New  York  and  made  a  settlement  in  the  coun- 
try near  the  metropolis,  but  a  few  years  later  re- 
moved to  Lake  County,  Ind.  Locating  on  a  farm 
at  Brunswick,  Mr.  Wassmann  continued  the  farm 
labors  to  which  he  had  been  reared  in  iiis  native 
land,  remaining  in  that  locality  until  about  1870, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois.  He  purchased  the  farm 
now  owned  l)y  his  son,  our  subject,  and  here 
breathed  his  last  when  fifty-two  years  of  age.  His 
wife  survived  him  two  years, dying  at  her  home  when 
slie  also  was  about  flfly-two  year.*  old.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  well  known 
to  the  best  people  of  the  township.  Mr. Wassmann 
was  a  practical  and  hard-working  farmer,  and  was 
a  fine  specimen  of  German  citizenship. 

Of  the  three  childien  born  to  his  parents,  our 
sul)ject  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  light  in  the  Empire  State,  March  17, 
1850,  and  was  quite  young  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  and  not  yet  of  age  when  they 
became  residents  of  this  State.  His  education  was 
completed  in  the  German  schools  of  this  county 
and  ho  assisted  his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  home 
continuing  the  work  begun  by  iiis  parent,  when, 
by  that  [larent's  death,  he  inherited  the  estate.  He 
follows  the  example  and  teaching  of  his  parents 
in  being  a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  to  which  his  estimable  wife  also  belongs. 
In  politics  he  is  a  sound  Republican. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride,  in  this  township,  De- 
cember 10,  1874,  Mr. Wassmann,  of  whom  we  write, 
became  the  husband  of  Miss  Sophia  Aleier.  This 
lady  was  born  in  this  township  Februar\'  20,  1854, 
and  is  the  oldest  daughter  of  John  O.  Meier  (of 
whom  see  sketch).  She  was  educated  in  Crete  and 
I    was  the  recipient  of  careful  home  training  by   her 


540 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


parents,  acquiring  useful  and  upright  habits.  Her 
union  with  our  subject  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  seven  children,  and  none  of  the  interesting 
group  are  missing  from  the  home.  The^'  are 
named  respectivcl}- :  Millie,  John,  Herman,  Ada, 
Henr\-,  Frederick  and  Louis, 


IMON  MILLER,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Monee  Township,  h.is  held  an  important 
place  among  the  business  men  of  Will 
Counly  for  several  years,  and  has  aided  in 
putting  it  upon  a  sound  financial  basis,  and  is  one 
of  its  best  civic  officials.  He  was  born  in  Kaiseri- 
Lautoru,  in  the  Province  of  Bavaria,  October  9, 
1834,  his  birth pl.ace  being  near  the  River  Rhine. 
His  parents.  Getu-ge  and  A'eronika  (Imlioff)  Miller), 
were  both  natives  of  Bavaria,  the  father  born  Sep- 
tember 10,  1800,  and  the  mother  May  4,  1804. 
They  came  to  the  I'niled  States  in  the  spring  of 
1849,  and  located  in  Cook  County*,  living  in  Chi- 
cago for  three  or  four  j-ears.  Mr.  Miller  was  su- 
perintendent of  a  large  lumber  trade  in  the  ohl 
country,  and  subsequently  was  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness on  the  southeast  corner  of  Clinton  and  Madi- 
son Streets.  He  bought  a  buililing  on  Clark  Street 
for  *oO,  and  moved  it  across  the  river,  about  1850, 
the  removal  being  made  on  a  flat-boat:  the  build- 
ing is  still  standing  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Jliller  then 
took  up  his  residence  in  the  town  of  Richtou,  where 
iiis  death  occurred.  He  and  his  wife  were  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Evangelical  Protestant 
Church,  and  took  an  active  part  in  its  work.  They 
had  ten  children,  and  the  following  seven  came  to 
the  United  States:  Catherine,  Frederick,  Adam, 
Simon.  Lena,  Louisa  and  Henrietta. 

Tlie  son,  of  whom  we  write,  at  fifteen  years  of 
oge  <vas  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  tin  and 
coppei-smith,  and  worked  at  that  ten  years.  Then 
going  to  Richton  he  built  the  Richton  House,  and 
for  three  or  four  years  was  engaged  as  a  hotel 
keeper.  He  then  bought  a  fine  store  in  Madison, 
which  he  managed  till  1867,  when  he  came  to  Mo. 
nee,  and  with   Conrad  Tatge  and  August  Herbert 


established  himself  in  the  general  merchandising 
business,  and  was  extensively  engaged  in  buying 
grain,  under  the  firm  name  of  Tatge,  Miller  ifc  Her- 
bert. The^-  were  together  some  3-ears,  but  after 
1877  he  was  alone.  In  September,  1888,  he  turned 
over  his  business,  which  had  greatlj-  increased  un- 
der iiis  able  management,  to  his  son  and  son-in-law. 
He  has  acquired  a  good  deal  of  valuable  propert} . 
He  owns  two  farms,  containing  two  hundred  acres, 
in  AVill  County,  and  has  an  interest  in  his  former 
business,  owning  two  elevators.  He  is  also  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  store  building,  »nd  has  a  fine  resi- 
dence and  a  store  where  he  lives,  besides  has 
property  in  Chicago,  on  the  corner  of  Webster  and 
Burling  Streets,  also  a  building  on  Orchard  Street, 
and  has  residence  property  in  that  city  worth  about 
§25.000. 

Mr.  Jliller  has  built  up  a  beautiful  home,  and  the 
lady  who  presides  over  it  became  his  wife  January 
19,  1856,  the  ceremouj'  that  mnde  them  one  being 
performed  in  Chicago.  Mrs.  Miller's  maiden  name 
was  Elizabeth  Bepperliug,  and  she  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  February  19,  1840,  the  only 
daughter  of  John  George  and  Johanna  (Paul)  Bep- 
perliug. In  1842  she  came  to  Chicago  witli  her 
parents,  where  the  father  died,  and  the  mother 
married  John  Davis,  who  became  a  pioneer  of 
the  city,  he  building  the  first  brick  house  on  the 
North  Side,  located  near  the  old  Lake  House.  He 
w.is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  first  Ma- 
sonic Lodge  in  Chicago.  He  was  of  English  birtli, 
ami  came  to  Ihe  Uniied  States  in  1812.  rather  un- 
willingly, he  having  been  captured  by  an  American 
privaloer.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  famous 
Bhick  Ilawk  War.  He  came  to  this  country  with- 
out an\-  means,  but  at  his  death  left  a  large  prop- 
erty. The  happ}-  wedded  life  of  our  subject  and 
his  estimable  wife  has  resulted  to  them  in  the  birth 
of  five  children,  two  now  living — Mary  and  George 
S.  Their  daughter  is  tlie  wife  of  F.  J.  Sanchez, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  room  of  the  same  house 
in  which  our  subject  was  born.  His  father,  Franz 
Sanchez,  was  a  native  of  the  same  place,  the  son  of 
a  Spaniard,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  Spanish 
army.  lie  was  captured  by  Napoleon  and  taken 
to  Germany  a  prisoner,  and  after  the  war  settled 
i   there,    lie  subsequently  came  to  the  I'nited  States, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALjpUM. 


541 


and  passed  the  remainder  of  bis  life  in  Iowa.  Some 
of  his  children  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  late 
war. 

Mr.  Miller  has  had  the  mailing  of  his  own  for- 
tune, as  he  began  life  without  a  dollar  he  could 
call  his  own.  B3'  the  quiet  force  of  persistent 
effort,  directed  by  wise  discretion  and  constant  de- 
votion to  duty,  he  has  left  poverty  far  behind,  and 
to-day  is  a  wealthy  man,  with  an  assured  income 
from  liis  handsome  property.  He  has  alwa3-s  been 
closely  identified  with  the  public  life  of  Will 
County  since  he  took  up  his  residence  here.  While 
living  in  Richton  he  was  Township  Clerk  through 
the  war,  at  Madison  he  was  Postmaster,  and  since 
comiug  here  he  has  borne  a  prominent  part  in  the 
management  of  the  public  affairs  of  township  and 
count \-.  Me  served  as  a  member  and  also  as  the 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  a  number  of 
years,  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  Super- 
visor of  Monee,  and  is  one  of  the  most  able  men 
holding  that  ofHoe  on  the  Count^^  Board.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  ever  been  a  firm  Democrat  of  the  Doug- 
las order,  and  his  high  standing  in  the  county  is 
apparent  when  it  is  considered  that  he  is  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  Republican  stronghold. 


'f  W.  SLAUGIIT,  M.  D.  During  the  com- 
paratively brief  time  in  which  Dr.  Slauglit 

///  18J  has  been  located  in  Joliet,  having  settled 
^  here  in  September,  1888,  he  has  built  up  a 

fine  practice,  and  is  rapidly  acquiring  an  envialile 
reputation  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  He  is  com- 
paratively a  young  man,  having  been  born  Jul}'  6, 
1855,  and  his  native  place  is  in  the  vicinitj^  of 
Watkin's  Glen,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Abram  Slaught, 
w.as  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  where  he 
was  reared  to  manhood  and  married  to  Miss  Helen 
.HanleJ^  of  Schuyler  County. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  and  reared 
near  the  childhood  home  of  her  husband.  Tlie 
father  is  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  was  also  the 
proprietor  of  a  foundry  and  machine  shop  at  Wat- 
kin's  Glen.  A.  W.,  our  subject,  sojourned  there 
with  his  parents  until  a  youth  of  sixteen  years,  at- 


tending the  public  schools.  He  then  entered  Col- 
gate Academy  and  later  was  a  student  of  Madison 
Universit}%  from  which  he  was  duly  graduated. 
For  two  years  afterward  he  was  employed  in  tlie 
Hamilton  post-office,  but  in  the  meantime  he  util- 
ized his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  medicine. 
Later  he  emigrated  to  Marquette,  Mich.,  where  he 
engaged  in  teaching  and  in  other  occupations,  but 
all  this  time  he  had  in  view  the  medical  profession 
and  for  this  he  labored. 

In  due  time  youug  Slaught,  to  his  great  satisfac- 
tion, entered  the  Chicago  Homeopathic  Medical 
College,  becoming  a  member  of  the  class  of  *83, 
and  while  pursuing  his  studies  also  engaged  in 
practice  and  as  a  nurse,  finally  filling  the  position 
of  professional  nurse  for  some  time  in  Chicago. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  above-named  institution 
in  February,  1887,  and  for  a  time  thereafter  at- 
tended to  the  business  of  one  of  the  old  physicians 
who  was  away  on  his  vacation.  Subsequently  he 
repeated  the  same  at  Braidwood,  this  county,  and 
in  the  meantime  he  visited  his  mother  in  Florida, 
where  her  death  took  place  in  A|)ril,  1889;  she  was 
then  seventy -one  years  old. 

Upon  coming  to  Joliet  Dr.  Slaught  engaged  in 
practice  with  Dr.  Campbell,  one  of  its  oldest  and 
most  prominent  phvsicians  and  they  made  a  spe- 
cialt}'  of  the  diseases  of  vvomen,  doing  at  the  same 
time  a  large  amount  of  surgical  work.  This  part- 
nership still  continues,  although  Dr.  Campbell  is  !it 
present  (1890)  in  California.  Dr.  Slaught,  sociall}-, 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  Joliet,  and  it  is  predicted  that  not  only  as  a  phy- 
sician and  surgeon,  bi)t  as  a  member  of  the  com- 
munity, he  is  destined  in  the  near  future  to  make 
his  mark. 


ICHAEL  RAPPLE.  The  farming  com- 
munitv  of  Joliet  Township  recognizes  a 
worthy  representative  in  the  subject  of 
this  notice,  who  pursues  the  even  tenor  of 
his  wa}-  at  a  well-developed  farm  on  section  7,  and 
who  exercises  a  considerable  influence  in  his  com- 
munitj'.  He  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  its  most  re- 
liable men,  and  has   held    the  various    local  offices, 


r)4-> 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


serving  ;is  C'oiiimisijioner  of  Iligliways  six  yeurs, 
also  as  School  Direclor.  and  in  politics  is  a  Denio- 
ci'at.  He  was  reared  in  Uic  faitli  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  to  wliicli  he  and  his  estimable  wife  belonsj;, 
attending  services  at  .loliet. 

In  noting  the  antecedents  of  our  subject  we  find 
Ll'.at  he  is  the  son  of  Samuel  Rapple,  a  native  of 
what  was  then  the  French  Province  of  Alsace,  but 
which  r.ow  l)eIongs  to  (Jermany.  The  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Harliara  Anser.  She  was  a 
native  of  'the  same  village  as  her  husband,  where 
they  were  married  and  lived  for  several  years  after- 
ward. In  1846  they  decided  upon  emigrating  to 
America,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  spring  of 
the  year,  coining  directly  to  Will  County,  111.,  and 
settling  in  Joliet.  The  father  occupied  himself  as 
a  farmer,  and  died  there  in  the  spring  of  1867. 
The  mother  survived  her  husband  a  number  of 
years,  dying  at  the  home  of  her  son,  our  subject, 
about  1885. 

To  Samuel  Rapple  and  his  good  wife  there  was 
bc)rn  a  family  of  five  children,  the  eldest  of  whom 
was  he  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  was  a 
native  of  the  same  province  as  his  parents,  and  was 
born  August  -25,  1H33.  He  was  a  lad  of  thirteen 
years  when  the  family  emigrated  to  America,  and 
lie  sojourned  with  them  about  four  years  thereafter. 
In  the  spring  of  18o0,  when  a  youth  of  seventeen 
years,  he  started  for  California,  joining  the  caravan 
which  was  hastening  thither  in  search  of  gold. 
After  an  absence  of  about  eighteen  months  he  was 
content  to  return  home,  and  thereafter  follovved 
the  |)caceful  pursuits  of  farm  life.  In  addition  to 
this  he  has  also  been  considerably  interested  in 
buying  and  shipping  horses,  especially  during  the 
war  and  for  some  time  afterward. 

Mr.  Rapple  was  married,  in  Chicago,  III.,  Sep- 
tember 4,  1853,  to  Aliss  Antoinette  Trentel.  This 
lady  was  also  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Alsace, 
and  was  born  May  7,  1832.  Her  parents  were  of 
German  ancestry,  and  are  now  deceased.  She  came 
to  America  with  her  parents  about  1846,  and  of 
her  union  with  our  subject  there  have  been  born 
six  children,  viz.:  Teresa,  Louisa,  JSIary-  (the  wife 
of  John  Kiep),  William,  Anna  and  Joseph.  The 
five  unmarried  children  remain  at  home  with  their 
parents.     Mr.  Rapple,  about    1867,   purchased   his 


present  farm,  which  comprises  two  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  choice  land,  upon  which  he  has 
effected  good  im|)rovements.  He  has  been  indus- 
trious, frugal  and  temperate,  and  has  accpiiied  a 
competency. 


^fr<-v- 


'->'^b^:i^^^^^5<^ 


i,  &ILLIAM  LYxSJv.  The  village  of  New 
\/isj/i  Lenox  has  been  the  home  of  this  gentle- 
WW  nian  since  1873,  at  which  time  he  removed 
from  the  farm  on  which  he  had  been  residing.  He 
was  born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.  September 
20,  1824,  and  came  to  this  county  with  his  father. 
The  i)arental  history  is  included  in  the  sketch  of 
Stanton  Lynk,  which  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  l)ook.  Realizing  that  it  is  not  good  for  man 
to  live  alone,  he  of  whom  we  write  took  to  him- 
self a  wife  September  16,  1851,  the  marriage  cer- 
emony being  performed  at  the  bride's  home  in 
New  Lenox  Township. 

The  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  our  subject 
was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Chastina 
Riigg.  She  belongs  to  a  most  honorable  family  and 
in  her  own  person  exhibits  many  eslimtible  qualities 
and  womanly  virtues.  She  was  born  in  Winhall, 
Bennington  County,  Vt.,  September  4,  1834,  and 
is  the  eldest  of  three  children  born  to  her  parents- 
Her  wedded  life  was  begun  near  the  village  of  New 
Lenox  and  for  over  twenty  years  she  and  her  hus- 
band remained  upon  their  rural  estate. 

The  father  of  JNIrs.  Lynk  was  Jason  Rugg,  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  August  15,  1806, 
and  her  mother  was  Lydia  Mellon,  who  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Winhall,  Bennington  County',  Vt., 
November  19,  1809.  The  couple  were  mar- 
ried in  1832,  and  at  once  settled  in"  Bennington 
County,  of  the  Green  Mountain  State,  where  they 
remained  four  years.  They  then  changed  their 
residence  to  Will  County,  111.,  making  their  home 
in  New  Lenox  Township,  where  Mr.  Rugg  departed 
this  life  February  10,1873.  He  was  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  fifteen  years,  known  and  honored  of 
men  for  his  upright  character,  reliable  citizenship, 
and  active  intelligence.  He  belonged  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal   Church,  and    look  an  active  part 


^v 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


545 


in  the  good  work  of  that  organization.  Mis  widow 
is  identified  with  tlic  same  religious  bodj'.  Beside 
Mrs.  Lynk  of  this  notice,  the  family'  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rugg  included  John  J.,  who  lives  in  South 
Evanston,  Cook  County,  liorn  September  16, 
1838,  and  Olivia  O.,  wife  of  Tunis  Lynk.  who  died 
in  New  Lenox,  June  19,  1881.  John  J.  Rugg, 
married  Jane  Simmons,  October  11,  1860,  and  lived 
on  the  old  home  place  until  1889,  when  he  moved 
to  Evanston  and  is  now  engaged  in  tlie  real-estate 
business  in  the  city  of  Chicago. 


E|£^^ 


EV.  CHRISTOPHER  PATRICK  FOSTER, 

<r  Pastor  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Catholic  Church, 
'A\  \v  of  Joliet,  w.as  born  in  Manchester,  P^ngland, 
^^  August  24,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward 
and  Mary  J.  (Halej')  Foster,  natives  of  Ireland  who 
eaine  to  America  in  1865.  Their  first  home  in  the 
I'nited  States  was  at  Rushville,  Ind.,  whence  they 
removed  to  Indianapolis,  where  the  father  has 
gained  prominence  as  a  merchant  tailor.  He  has 
a  large  establishment  of  his  own,  employing  quite 
a  number  of  men,  turning  out  excellent  work,  and 
conducting  his  affairs  according  to  the  most  honor- 
able business  methods.  He  is  the  father  of  seven 
chiidi-en,  of  wlioni  Father  C.  P.  Foster  is  the  first- 
Lorn. 

Father  Foster  began  his  studies  in  1870,  at  Bard- 
stown,  Ky.,  in  the  old  ecclesiastical  establishment 
of  that  place  so  justly  celebrated  among  Catholics 
for  its  thoroughness.  From  there  he  went  to  the 
Jesuit  College  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1S7  Rafter- 
ward  entering  Mt.  St.  Mar}''s  Seminary  of  tlie  West, 
in  Cincinnati,  where  he  completed  his  studies,  hav- 
ing attended  there  nine  years.  He  then  spent  a  year 
as  an  instructor  in  the  advanced  course  of  rhetoric 
and  belles  leltres  at  Bourbonnais  drove,  Kankakee 
County,  HI.,  in  St.  Viateur's  College,  an  institution 
ranking  among  the  best  in  the  State. 

On  June  24.  1881,  Father  Foster  was  appointed 
Assistant  Priest  at  St,  .John's  Church,  at  the  corner 
of  Eighteenth  and  Clark  Streets,  Chicago,  under  the 
venerated  and  respected  Rev.  John  Waldron,  one 
of  the  oblest  and  most  lionored  |)iieols  of  the  arch- 


diocese. He  received  his  appointment  as  [jastorof 
the  Sacred  Heart  Church,  in  Joliet,  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  parish,  September  28.  1888.  His  ser- 
vices are  recognized  as  earnest  and  faithful,  .and  he 
is  doing  a  fine  work  among  his  people.  Respect  is 
entertained  for  him  by  all  classes,  his  scholarly 
attainments  making  him  a  fit  companion  of  the 
cultured  people  of  Joliet,  and  his  devotion  to  the 
work  which  he  has  taken  up  commanding  admir- 
ation. 

A  lithographic  portrait  of  Father  Foster  will  be 
noticed  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  and  will  be  valued 
not  only  among  his  own  parishoners,  but  by  all 
who  know  him. 


EOPOLD  NEUER.  This  gentleman  has 
been  a  resident  of  Joliet  since  1873,  and 
ranks  among   her  successful  citizens.     He 


owns  productive  property  and  is  largely  interested 
in  building  and  loan  stock.  He-  is  a  son  of  George 
and  Walpurga  Neuer,  and  was  born  in  Bav.aria, 
Germany,  June  8,  1829.  In  his  native  land  he 
followed  the  trade  of  a  wagon-maker,  biit  during 
the  last  six  years  of  his  life  in  Germany  the  hard- 
shi|)s  and  privations  of  a  soldier  were  his  portion, 
his  time  being  spent  in  the  army.  On  the  24th  of 
February,  1857,  he  landed  in  New  York,  drawn 
thither  by  glowing  accounts  of  the  possibilities  of- 
fered in  the  New  World  and  thoroughly  tired  of 
the  rigors  and  contracted  opportunities  of  the  old. 
Going  directlj'  to  Chicago,  Mr.  Neuer  took  up 
his  tr.ada  of  wagon-making,  but  after  three  months 
went  to  Manistee,  Mich.,  and  worked  in  a  sawmill. 
Returning  to  Chicago  he  succeeded  in  spending 
what  money  he  had  accumulated,  after  which  his 
next  move  was  to  go  upon  a  farm,  where  he  re- 
mained until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War.  Moved  by  patriotic  impulses  which  strongly 
contrasted  with  the  feelings  which  were  his  when 
he  entered  tlie  military  service  of  the  Fatherland, 
he  enlisted  November  1,  1862,  in  the  Thirteenth 
Illinois  Cavalry.  After  eleven  months  si)ent  with 
that  command   he  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  Bat- 


iVK; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


U'ly  I).  First  Illinois  Arlillery.  With  this  com- 
inaiul  he  reiDiiiiied  iiiiieleen  months,  uiakiiig  a  good 
record  as  a  soldier,  his  previous  discipline  in  the 
Gerninu  army  being  of  avail  in  giving  him  a  vivid 
understanding  of  orders  and  a  readiness  in  fulfill- 
ing tbem  which  a  raw  recruit  would  scarcely  have. 
Wherever  his  battery  was  engaged  there  he  was 
found  always  ready  for  duty. 

After  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Xeuer  returned  to 
Chicago,  where  in  186.5,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Eichorn.  He  opened  a  saloon  in  Madi- 
.•'on.  Cook  Count}',  but  in  a  few  3-ears  took  up  his 
abode  in  Joliet.  Ele  belongs  to  Bartelson  Post, 
No.  6,  G.  A.  R.,  to  the  Sharp-shooter's  organiza- 
tion, and  to  the  Kreiger-Yerein  or  German  Soldier 
Society. 

(^^HOMAS  H.  IIUTCHINS.  The  business  of 
{f('^{\  a  patentsolicitoris one  requiring  a  thorough 
^>^^^  understanding  of  the  methods  of  procedure, 
and  the  duties  of  which  are  not  generally  under- 
t.nken  by  the  ordinary  attorney.  Of  this  Mr. 
Ilutchins  makes  a  specialty  and  has  established 
tlierein  a  wide  and  enviable  reputation.  He  is 
thoroughlj-  equipped  for  this  line  of  practice,  hav- 
ing a  large  library  of  works  bearing  on  this  special 
branch.  Mr.  Hutchins  is  however  engaged  in  a 
large  general  law  practice,  and  gives  special  atten- 
tion to  probate  business. 

The  subject  of  this  notice,  a  native  of  Saratoga 
County,  N.  Y.,  was  born  April  2,  1839,  anrl  is  the 
son  of  William  H.,  and  Hannah  (Clements)  Hutch- 
ins, who  were  natives  of  New  York.  His  father, 
William  H.  Hutchins  followed  merchandising  in 
New  York  City  until  18-18,  then  came  to  this  county 
and  engaged  in  various  speculations,  dealing 
largely  iu  real  estate.  He  was  a  good  financier, 
attended  strictly  to  business,  and  accumulating  a 
competence.  He  departed  this  life  in  .Tuly.  1877. 
I'lie  wife  and  mother  survived  her  husband  a  num- 
ber of  years,  her  death  occurring  February  22, 
1890,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter  in  Girard, 
K:ui.,  while  on  a  visit,  her  home  being  in  AViehita. 
Kan.  The  parental  family  included  seven  child- 
ren, viz:     Thom.as  H.,  our  subject; George  E.,  who 


was  slain  at  Winchester  during  the  Civil  War; 
Sarah  E.,  who  died  at  .Joliet  in  1863;  Anna  M., 
Mrs.  Harder,  a  resident  of  Lockport,  this  county; 
Mary  E..  Mrs.  Byrnes,  of  Colorado;  Jennie,  Mrs. 
Ga3lord  of  Girard,  Kan.,  and  William  J.,  a  Patent 
Attornej%  of  Wichita,  Kan. 

Mr.  Hutchins  acquired  his  education  in  the 
cities  of  Joliet  and  Chicago,  attending  in  the  latter 
the  famous  Douglas  University,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  April,  1861.  Soon  afterward  return- 
ing to  Joliet,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  which  he  has  since  continuously  prose- 
cuted. He  pursued  his  first  law  studies  in  the  office 
of  Parks  li  Elwood,  Joliet,  111.,  in  1857,  and  subse- 
quently he  studied  under  R.  E.  Barber,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  keeping  abstracts  of  titles  and 
where  he  largelj'  obtained  his  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience in  this  business. 

The  wedded  life  of  Mr.  Hutchins  began  Decem- 
ber 6,1866,when  he  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Nancy  J.,  daughter  of  Hugh  Bolton,  of  Plainfield, 
this  county.  This  union  has  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely;  Kate  C,  Laura  E.  Raj-mond,  and  Leonard 
B.  Mr.  Hutchins  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  since  continued  his 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  And  for  manj' 
j*ears  he  hjis  been  a  recognized  leader  of  the  party  in 
Illinois. 


R.  JOHN  E.  HOGAN.  The  life  of  this 
gentleman  has  beeu  too  short  to  give  the 
biographical  writer  much  to  do  in  outlining 
it,  but  it  alTords  the  promise  of  filling  an  extended 
sphere  of  usefulness  should  life  be  spared.  Pos- 
sessing a  classical  education,  the  quickness  of  per- 
ception and  keen  nit  which  are  so  characteristic  of 
the  better  class  of  the  Celtic  race,  and  having  had 
his  faculties  of  mind  thoroughly  cultivated.  Dr. 
Hogan  is  one  who  could  make  his  mark  in  society; 
and  when  added  to  this  we  find  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  medicine  and  surgery,  we  are  safe  in  pre- 
dicting an  honorable  and  successful  career  for  this 
young  member  of  the  Joliet  medical  fraternity. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  are  John  and  Gather- 


PORTRAIT  ATND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


547 


ine  (Glackin)  Hogaii,  of  County  Meatli,  Ireland, 
wlience  they  came  to  America,  the  father  in  1840, 
and  the  mother  a  few  years  later.  Tliree  of  their 
children  are  3'et  living  and  six  died  in  infancy.  The 
survivors  are:  The  Rev.  J.  E.  Hogan,  of  Harvard, 
111.;  Mary,  wiio  lives  with  her  lirother  in  Harvard; 
and  John  E.,  of  this  sketch.  The  birth  of  the  lat- 
ter took  place  June  22,  1863,  in  Joliet,  and  he 
received  his  primar3'  education  in  the  parochial 
schools.  He  then  spent  two  3ears  in  the  public 
schools,  after  which  he  entered  St.  Francis'  Semi- 
nary at  Milwaukee.  After  a  j'ear  si)ent  at  that  in- 
stitution he  was  sent  to  Bourbonnais  Grove,  Kan- 
kakee, under  the  Franciscan  Order,  where  he 
pursued  his  studies  four  years,  com|)leting  a  classi- 
cal course  and  leaving  the  institution  with  a  ^yell- 
drilled  mind  and  a  memor\'  stored  with  knowledge. 
Having  determined  to  devote  himself  to  the 
medical  profession.  Mr.  Hogan  entered  the  Chicago 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1887.  He  at  once  opened  an 
(.flicc  in  Joliet,  but  a  twelvemonth  later  removed 
to  Olivia.  Minn.,  and  after  a  jear  spent  in  that 
phicc  lelurned  to  the  cit}-  of  his  nativity  in  which 
lie  desires  to  make  his  future  home.  Dr.  Hogan  is 
a  Catholic  and  belongs  to  the  Democratic  partj'. 


-♦<•£-' 


^;  OHN  SnUTTS,  After  long  years  spent  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  has  retired  from  the  labors  of  life  and 
is  passing  his  declining  years  in  a  peaceful 
enjoj'meut  of  the  comforts  of  life,  surrounded  be- 
friends whom  he  has  gained  by  his  upright  character, 
and  blessed  b}-  the  love  of  children  whom  he  h.as 
reared  to  honorable  and  useful  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. He  is  the  possessor  of  one  of  the  finest  estates 
which  Joliet  Township  boasts,  comprising  about 
two  hundred  and  ten  acres  on  section  22.  Upon  it 
he  has  erected  substantial  and  adequate  accomoda- 
tions for  man  and  beast,  together  with  such  other 
buildings  as  are  needful  to  shelter  the  crops  which 
are  raised  ;  ho  has  also  done  such  work  in  the  wa\' 
of  fencing   ancl    tree  culture  as  tlie    l)est    farmers 


undertake,  all  the  trees  to  be  seen  near  his  fine  home 
having  been  planted  by  himself. 

The  subject  of  ihis  sketch  is  the  fourth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  eleven  children  born  to  Henry  and  Catherine 
(Seism)  Shutts.  Both  the  parents  were  natives  of 
Columbia  Count}',  N.  Y.,  and  there  passed  awaj'. 
At  Livingston  the  e3'es  of  our  subject  opened  to 
the  light,  September  9,  1814.  He  grew  to  manhood 
on  his  father's  farm,  making  it  his  home  until  he 
was  twenty-four  3ears  old.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
secured  as  good  an  education  as  could  be  obtained 
in  the  schools  of  the  vicinit3',  together  with  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  agriculture,  and  had  become 
possessed  of  excellent  habits  and  fine  principles. 

Upon  leaving  the  parental  roof  Mr.  Shutts  lo- 
cated upon  a  farm  near  his  early  home,  remaining 
upon  it  three  years  when  he  traded  for  one  in  Uls- 
ter County  and  removed  there.  For  fourteen  years 
he  was  identified  with  the  interests  of  that  section, 
leaving  it  in  the  fall  of  1855,  to  take  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Will  Countj'.  111.  Choosing  the  location 
which  h.as  since  been  his  home  he  renewed  the  la- 
bors in  which  he  had  formerly  been  engaged,  soon 
becoming  known  among  the  old  settlers  as  a  farmer 
of  progressive  ideas,  a  citizen  of  public  spirit  and 
steadfastness,  and  a  man  of  genial,  hospitable  na- 
ture and  upright  char.acter. 

Among  the  vevy  early  settlers  of  Columbia 
Count}-,  N.  Y.,  were  Mr.  aind  Mrs.  Cole.  To  them 
was  born  a  daughter  Catherine,  who  grew  to  m.a- 
turityin  possession  of  a  noble  character,  an  intelli- 
geni  mind,  and  the  disposition  and  manners  which 
made  her  companionship  desired  and  fitted  her  to 
become  a  true  helpmate  for  the  man  of  her  choice. 
The  good  qualities  of  this  3-oung  lad}-  won  the  re- 
gard of  John  Shutts  and  after  a  successful  wooing 
the3'  were  united  in  marriage  at  her  home.  Their 
happy  wedded  life  w-as  terminated  December  21, 
1878,  when  the  loving  wife  and  devoted  mother 
was  removed  from  her  sorrowing  household  b3'  the 
hand  of  death. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shutts  nine  children  were  born, 
seven  of  them  being  yet  alive.  Catherine  A.  is 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Tait  of  Jackson  Township; 
Henry  is  a  lawyer  in  Oregon,  Mo.;  Samuel  is  a 
farmer  in  Joliet  Township;  John  Jr.,  lives  on  his 
father's  farm;  Cassius  is  a  resident  of  Rooks  County, 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Kau.;  Peter  is  practicing  law  in  Joliet;  Franklin 
lives  in  Hooks  County,  Kan.  The  deceased  chil- 
dren are'Sarah,"wlio  died  in  infanc}',  and  Mar}'  who 
breathed  her  last  in  February,  1890. 

Mr.  Shutts  has  taken  quite  an  active  |iart  in  poli- 
tics, exercising  the  right  of  suffrage  in  belialf  of 
the  Democrat  party.  He  has  held  the  office  of  As- 
sistant Supervisor  of  Joliet  Township  several  terms, 
and  has  been  School  Director  thirteen  3-ears:  He 
manifests  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  education, 
as  in  other  elevating  movements,  and  as  an  official 
is  judicious  and  able.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  to  which  his  deceased  wife  also 
belonged. 

■   or-o    . 


■^LYSSES  S.  G.  BLAKELY.  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  tlie  Plainfield  Enterprise,  though 
one  of  the  j'oungest  members  of  the  editor- 
ial profession,  has  already  won  his  wa}'  to  a  high 
position  among  the  journalists  of  Will  County,  and 
his  bright  and  newsj-  paper  is  classed  among  the 
ablest  of  its  kind  in  this  part  of  the  State.  Our 
subject  comes  of  good  New  England  stock,  and  is 
himself  a  native  of  that  part  of  the  country,  the 
town  of  Elmore,  Lamoille  Count}',  Yt.,  being  the 
place  of  his  birth,  and  Ma}'  9,  1868,  ihe  date  thereof. 
His  father,  Caleb  Blakel}',  was  also  born  in  the 
Green  Mountain  State.  He  was  a  natural  me- 
chanic, and  early  learned  the  trade  of  acoachmaker, 
and  followed  it  in  Yermont  till  1875,  when  he  took 
advantage  of  a  fine  oi>ening  in  jS'eenah,  Wis.,  and 
was  engaged  at  his  trade  there  the  ensuing  three 
years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming, 
purchasing  a  fine  farm  in  Harrisville.  Marquette 
County.  He  lived  there  and  managed  his  farming 
interests  until  1882,  when  on  account  of  ill  health. 
he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  active  life,  and  rent- 
ing his  farm,  he  moved  to  Chilton,  and  continued 
his  residence  in  Wisconsin  until  his  death  in  1884. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Catherine  Deyo. 
She  departed  this  life  in  Yermont.  Eleven  of  the 
fourteen  children  born  to  them  were  reared  to  ma- 
turity, and  ten  of  them  ai'e  still  living,  as  follows: 
William  A.,  Hartland,  Eliza,  Mrs.  Cram ;  Carrie. 
Mrs.    Barrows  ;    Mary,    Mrs..  BedeU ;    Ida,    Mrs. 


Sharpe;  Nellie,  Mrs.  Scott;  Myrtle,  Mrs.  Hamlin ; 
Eva  E.,  Mrs.  Marvin;  Ulysses  S.  G. 

The  latter,  of  whom  we  write,  was  but  four  years 
of  age  when  he  had  the  sad  misfortune  to  lose  his 
mother,  and  he  subsequently  accomp.anied  his  father 
to  Wisconsin.  He  remained  with  him  until  he  was 
nine  years  old,  and  at  that  early  age  the  manly, 
active,  self-reliant  little  lad  began  to  make  his  own 
waj'  in  the  world,  finding  emploj'raent  on  a  farm 
in  Marquette  County  near  Packwaukee,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  We  next  hear  of  him  in 
Michigan,  where  he  was  engaged  in  a  chair  factory 
in  Reading,  Hillsdale  Count}'.  Two  years  later  he 
threw  up  his  situation  there,  and  returned  to  Chil- 
ton, AYis.  At  the  expiration  of  a  year  he  again 
went  to  Michigan,  and  worked  in  a  machine  shop 
in  Reading  for  some  time.  In  1887,  he  entered 
upon  his  career  as  a  journalist,  as  he  then  came  to 
Plainfield  and  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law, 
Rial  A.  Marvin,  estaolished  the  Plainfield  Enter- 
prise, and  opened  a  job  printing  office  at  the  same 
time.  After  Mr.  Marvin's  death  in  August,  1888, 
our  subject  bought  out  his  interest  in  the  business 
and  has  ever  since  carried  it  on  alone.  Mr.  Blakely 
is  a  bright,  wide-awake  young  man,  and  while  he 
has  h.ad  no  special  training  for  his  profession,  he 
being  mainly  self-educated,  his  clear,  well-balanced 
mind  seems  to  be  especially  adapted  to  newspaper 
work,  and  he  has  achieved  remarkable  success  in 
his  calling.  By  his  energetic  management  he  has 
worked  up  the  circulation  of  his  paper  to  one  thou- 
sand and  fifty  copies  weekly,  a  remarkable  list  of 
subscribers  for  a  country  paper.  His  editorials  are 
clear-cut,  vigorous  and  right  tothe  point,  and  al- 
ways display  an  intelligent  knowledge  of  the  subject 
under  discussion.  His  paper  is  not  the  organ  of 
any  political  party,  but  is  independent  in  all  things. 

Mr.  Blakely  was  married  in  September,  1887,  to 
Miss  Linnwood  Bartholomew,  a  native  of  Reading, 
Hillsdale  County.  Her  father.  Amos  Bartholomew, 
was  born  in  Pompey,  Onondaga  County,  X.  Y., 
June  11,  1815,  a  son  of  Daniel  Bartholomew,  who 
was  born  November  18,  1777.  He,  in  turn,  was  a 
son  of  Joseph  Bartholomew,  who  was  born  in  Wal- 
lingford,  Conn.,  August  "25,  175"2.  He  was  a  pio- 
neer of  the  town  of  Pompey,  and  there  died  in 
1808.     The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Esther 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


549 


Osborn.  Daniel  Bartholomew  was  married  to  Lucy 
Holliday.  November  15,  1803.  aiul  died  in  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  Dec-ember  2,  1851.  Mrs.  Blakely's 
father  was  reared  and  married  in  liis  native  State, 
and  going  to  Michigan  in  183G.  became  one  of  its 
sturdy,  enterprising  pioneers.  He  bought  a  tract 
of  timber  land  near  Reading,  and  cleared  a  good 
farm  from  the  wilderness.  He  now  lives  in  honor- 
able retirement  in  the  village  of  Reading.  He  was 
twice  married.  The  maiden  name  of  his  second 
wife,  Mrs.  Blakel3's  mother,  was  Abbie  Van  Buren, 
and  she  was  born  in  Charleton,  Saratoga  County, 
N.  Y.  Her  father.  Martin  C.  Van  Buren,  was  a 
native  of  Broadalbion.  Fulton  County.  N.  Y.,  and 
married  Nancy  N'edder,  who  was  born  at  the  same 
place,  and  was  of  Holland  descent.  The  father  of 
Martin  C.  ^'an  Buren  was  a  brotiier  of  President 
Van  Buren.  .Tohii  A.  Van  Buren,  an  uncle  of  Mrs. 
Blakely,  was  taken  prisoner  on  June  1,  1864,  and 
lived  until  .Tanuar3',  18G5,  when  he  died  at  Ander- 
sonville  Prison.  Mrs.  Blakely  was  one  of  three 
children.  Her  sister  Lizzie  married  Lester  Rogers, 
and  resides  in  Cold  water,  Mich.;  Mira  E,  the 
youngest  of  the  three,  died  in  1882,  aged  eleven 
years. 


l|/_^  ON.  THOMAS  J.  KELLY.  This  gentleman, 
whose  name  will  be  at  once  recognized  by 
many  as  thai  of  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Joliet,  is  serving  that  city  as  her  Maj'or 
for  bis  third  term,  of  two  years  each.  His  iucum- 
bency  of  the  ottice  is  marked  bv  steps  that  reflect 
credit  alike  upon  himself  and  the  constituency  that 
elected  him  and  prove  acceptable  to  the  entire 
community.  The  dry-goods  establishment  on  .Jef- 
ferson Street  that  is  conducted  by  Mr.  Kell)'  is  a 
flourishing  enterprise,  its  patrons  being  sure  of 
courteous  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  employes 
and  of  a  strictly  honorable  dealing  from  all,  no 
other  method  being  permitted  by  the  proprietor 
but  that  due  to  his  self  respect  and  integrity. 

The  greater  part  of  the  life  of  our  subject  has 
been  spent  in  this  vicinity,  aUhongh  the  Emerald 
Isle  claims  him  as  her  son.  He  was  born  .June  24, 
1841,  and  with  his  parents, Edward  and  Rose  Kelly, 


crossed  the  briny  deep  when  about  six  years  old. 
The  father  bought  a  farm  five  miles  south  of  the 
city  of  J(jliet.  I;.ter  becoming  the  owner  of  one 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  the  city  limits,  upon 
which  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1871.  The 
mother  is  still  living,  her  home  being  in  the  city. 
The  family  were  eaily  members  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church.  The  household  band  comprised  four  sons 
and  three  daughtei's,  three  of  whom  have  joined 
their  father  beyond  the  tomb.  Patrick  H.  and 
Edward  died  in  Watson vi lie. -Cal.;  JIary  also  is  de- 
ceased. The  survivors  are  T.  .1..  the  third  in  order 
of  birth;  Joseph  A.,  the  fifth;  Kate  and  Bridget. 
Being  a  prosperous  farmer  and  the  owner  of  a  fine 
jjroperty  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land, 
the  elder  Kell}-  was  able  to  give  his  children  good 
educational  advantages  and  secure  for  them  that 
best  heritage. 

AVith  the  exception  of  the  time  devoted  to  study 
in  institutions  of  learning  distant  from  his  home, 
Thomas  Kelly  grew  to  maturity  upon  his  father's 
farm.  He  attended  the  University  of  Notre  Dame, 
at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  St.  Mary's  College  at  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  completing  his  thorough  course  of 
study  at  the  College  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  Montreal, 
Canada.  For  a  time  after  being  graduated  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  work  on  the  old  farm,  but  since 
1887  has  been  continuousl}'  in  business  in  the  city 
of  Joliet.  He  had  become  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  the  county  as  he  is  now  one  of  the  prom- 
inent merchants  of  the  city. 

The  career  of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Kelly  as  a  public  ser- 
vant began  in  1880  when  he  was  elected  .Supervisor 
of  Joliet  City  and  township.  The  following  year 
he  w.as  re-elected  and  in  1883  was  the  successful 
candidate  for  the  Mayoralty,  continuing  in  the 
office  four  years.  In  1884  and  lS8tJ  he  was  also 
Assistant  .Supervisor  of  the  township  and  city,  and 
for  a  year  or  two  was  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board.  Again  has  he  been  elected  to  act  as  Mayor, 
a  place  for  which  his  high  mental  attainments  and 
good  judgment  amply  qualify  him. 

The  estimable  wife  of  Mr.  Kelly  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Fitzpatrick,  the  rites  of  wedlock 
having  been  celebrated  between  them  September 
10,  1868.  :Nhs.  Kelly  is  a  daughter  of  Patrick 
Fitzpatrick,  an  earl}'  settler  of  the  count}'  in  which 


550 


PORTllAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lie  located  in  1832.  She  was  born  on  the  farm  di- 
rcctlj-  west  of  Lockport,  was  educated  at  St.  Mary's 
Academ\-,at  South  Bend.Ind..  aud  possesses  many 
fine  traits  of  cliaracter. 

St.  Mary's  Cliurcli  was  organized  as  a  parish  in 
1867,  with  Father  Fiannigau  as  the  first  ])astor  in 
charge.  He  was  succeeded  in  1869  b^-  the  Rev.  P. 
W.  Kiordan,  now  Archbishop  of  San  Francisco.and 
he  in  turn  by  Rev.  J.  Mackin  now  of  Elgin,  Kane  ! 
Count}'.  The  Rev.  Thoma.'!  Murphy  was  the  next 
incumbent  in  charge,  he  being  tlie  man  who  began 
tiie  erection  of  llie  new  church,  dying  suddenh"  of 
apoplexy  before  its  completion  in  1877.  The  next 
yiastor  of  the  elinrch  was  the  Rev.  M.  F.  Burk,  who 
completed  the  building  to  its  present  condition  and 
erected  the  fine  stone  building  on  Eastern  Avenue 
that  accommodates  the  parochial  school.  The  latter 
edifice  compares  favorably  with  anj-  school  build- 
ing in  the  city.  It  is  known  as  the  Sacred  Heart, 
and  is  conducted  bj-  the  Ladies  of  Loretto.  After 
a  most  successful  pastorate  of  ten  }"ears,  Father 
Burk  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Chej'enue,  and  was 
succeeded  here  by  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Father  Thomas  P.  Maugan. 


^RED  EBERHART.     It  does  not  take  a  vis- 

\  itor   long   to   determine  the  status  of  the 
._  business    houses    which  line  the  streets  of 

any  town,  and  to  decide  who  among  the  trades- 
men are  popular,  as  well  as  of  good  repute  in 
financial  circles.  A  cursory  view  of  the  business 
houses  of  Manhattan  would  lead  to  the  opinion  that 
the  gentleman  above  named  occupies  the  front 
rank  among  the  dealers  in  that  flourishing  corpo- 
ration. He  is  engaged  in  the  sale  of  lumber,  coal, 
paints  and  oils,  and  general  building  material,  and 
also  does  a  good  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder.  In  fact,  during  the  last  few  years  he  has 
put  up  the  most  of  the  houses  which  have  been 
built. 

The  immediate  progenitors  of  this  gentleman  are 
Benedict  and  Anna  (Palmer)  Eberhart,  both  na- 
tives of  Switzerland.  The  father  was  born  in  Can- 
ton Berne,    and    reared    upon  a  farm  there.     He 


emigrated  to  America  when  twenty-one  years  old, 
immediatel}'  after  his  marriage,  and  settled  near 
Frankfort,  this  county.  For  a  time  he  rented  land 
but  finally  purchased  a  good  farm  in  the  same 
township  upon  which  he  resided  until  1877.  He 
then  sold  it  and  bujing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  improved  land  on  section  1 1.  Manhattan 
Township,  changed  his  place  of  abode  to  tliat 
which  he  is  now  occupying.  Although  sixt}'  j-ears 
of  age  he  is  still  active  and  able  to  continue  the 
control  of  his  estate.  PoliticalU*,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  religiously,  a  Presbyterian.  His  father  in-law, 
Jacob  A.  Palmer,  also  came  to  America  in  1851 ,  and 
after  living  in  Fwnkfort  Township  for  a  time,  re- 
moved to  LaPorte,  Ind.,  where  his  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances enabled  him  to  live  in  retirement  until 
his  death. 

The  parental  family,  of  which  our  subject  is  the 
oldest  member,  also  includes  John,  whose  home  is 
at  Ft.  Sidney,  Neb.;  Charles,  who  I'esides  in  Joliet; 
Louis,  who  is  at  home;  Henrj',  with  our  subject; 
Albert  and  Mary,  at  home;  Anna,  a  milliner  and 
dressmaker  in  Manhattan:  and  Mrs.  Rosa  Morse, 
who  lives  in  Manhattan  Township. 

The  natal  da}'  of  our  subject  was  February  29, 
1856,  and  his  birthplace  a  farm  in  Frankfort  Town- 
ship. He  enjo^-ed  the  privileges  afforded  b}-  the 
common  schools  and  the  Frankfort  graded  school 
and  like  most  lads  reared  upon  a  farm,  began  to 
lend  a  hand  while  still  quite  j'ouug.  He  divided  his 
time  between  his  school  and  farm  labors  until  the 
age  of  twentj'-five,  when  he  became  a  clerk  in  a 
grocerj-  store  in  .Spencer.  After  a  time  he  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  officiated  as  scaleman  at  the 
Kinzie  Street  Station. 

The  next  change  of  ilr.  Eberhart  was  to  Man- 
hattan, this  count}',  in  1879.  Here  he  became  a 
clerk  for  J.  Cockle,  the  first  merchant  here,  and 
sold  the  first  groceries  over  a  counter  in  the  village. 
After  clerking  a  year  the  young  man  returned  to 
Chicago  and  began  speculating  in  the  bucket-shop 
adjoining  the  Board  of  Trade  on  LaSalle  Street, 
getting  his  real  start  in  life  there  as  a  successful 
broker  in  every  article  of  trade.  In  the  fall  of  1882, 
he  came  again  to  Manhattan,  bought  out  A.  H. 
King,  a  lumber  dealer,  and  has  since  conducted  a 
very  successful  business  in    that  line.     Manhattan 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


551 


is  a  good  business  point,  with  a  rapidly  increasing 
trade,  and  the  various  articles  in  which  Mr.  Eber- 
hart  now  deals  are  in  constant  demand,  lie  owns 
block  3,  where  the  sheds  for  lumber,  coal,  etc.,  are 
located.  He  also  owns  several  town  lots  here  and 
in  the  West,  together  with  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  farming  land  in  Cheyenne  County, 
Neb.,  near  Ft.  Sidney. 

After  having  lived  in  single  blessedness  until 
the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  Mr.  Eberhart  contracted 
a  matrimonial  allianc^  on  February  2d,  1889.  His 
chosen  companion  was  Miss  Minnie  Jacobs,  who 
was  born  in  Green  Garden  Township,  comes  of  re- 
spected parents  and  is  herself  a  fine  specimen  of 
noble  womanhood.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Corne- 
lius Jacobs,  a  farmer.  Mr.  Eberhart  helped  to  in- 
corporate the  village  of  Manhattan  and  was 
elected  a  member'of  its  first  Board  of  Trustees,  hold- 
ing the  office  until  1890.  He  wps  Township  Clerk 
for  eight  years,  resigning  all  public  office  in  1890, 
and  retiring  to  private  life. 

Mr.  Eberhart,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  above 
notes,  is  personally  responsible  for  his  substantial 
finances  and  the  high  position  which  he  occupies  as 
a  business  man  and  citizen.  He  is  one  of  those 
zealous  men  who  devote  much  time  and  ability  to 
the  improvi-ment  of  the  town  with  whose  citi- 
zens they  have  cast  in  their  lot,  and  to  whom  is 
due  in  a  large  measure  the  prosperity  of  the  entire 
community.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as 
a  delegate  to  county  conventions.  He  is  a  social 
man  of  jovial  and  kindly  nature  and  a  popular 
member  of  society. 


B.  BENSEN,  dealer  in  coal  and  ice  at  Jo- 
liet,  established  himself  in  his  present  busi- 
^/  ness  in  1884.  He  is  still  a  joung  man, 
having  been  born  February  3,  1856,  and  his  native 
place  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  in 
Sweden.  His  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Jennie 
(Hawkinson)  Bensen,  who  died  when  their  son, 
our  subject,  was  a  small  child.  Me  thereafter  made 
Ills  home  with  his  grandparents,  but  at  an  early 
age  struck  out  for  himself  and  has  fought  his  own 


wa3'  in  the  world.  He  came  to  America  when  a  lad 
of  fifteen  years,  landing  in  the  city  of  Quebec, 
Canada,  in  the  j-ear  1871. 

Mr.  Bensen  did  not  sojourn  very  long  in  the  Do- 
minion, but  coming  to  Bureau  County,  this  State, 
located  in  Princeton  and  employed  himself  as  a 
clerk  in  a  grocery^  store,  remaining  in  Bureau 
County  about  eighteen  months.  Thence  he  came 
to  Joliet,  and  for  a  period  of  ten  years  was  in  the 
employ  of  J.  D.  Paige,  the  well-known  soda  water 
manufacturer.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he 
embarked  in  the  grocerj'  business,  in  which  he  was 
engaged  two  j-ears  successfully,  but  believing  there 
were  better  returns  in  coal  and  ice,  transferred  his 
interests  accordingly  to  the  latter.  He  is  looked 
upon  as  one  of  Joliet's  live  business  men.  being 
possessed  of  temperate  habits  and  the  straightfor- 
ward methods  which  can  hardly  result  otherwise 
than  in  success.  Mr.  Bensen  is  an  admirer  of  fine 
horses,  having  a  number  in  which  he  justly  takes 
pride. 

(^,  ICHAEL  E.  BANNON.  For  the  past 
twenty  years,  Mr.  Bannon  has  been  success- 
11*  fully  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  at  Jol- 
iet. He  has  thus  become  widely  and  fav- 
orably known  to  a  large  number  of  its  people  and 
by  upright  dealing  and  prompt  attention  to  the 
wants  of  his  customers,  has  built  up  an  extended 
patronage.  His  native  haunts  were  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  in  County  Roscommon,  Ire- 
land, where  he  was  presented  to  his  parents  on 
Christmas  day,  1846.  The  latter  were  Edward  and 
Catherine  (Lennon)  Bannon  who  emigrated  to 
America  in  1851.  and  in  the  spring  following 
located  in  Joliet.  The  father,  an  honest  and  indus- 
trious man,  employed  himself  as  a  laborer  and  de- 
parted this  life  in  Joliet,  in  1884.  The  mother  is 
living  in  Joliet. 

To  the  |)arents  of  Mr.  Bannon  there  was  born  a 
family  of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters of  whom  M.  E.,  was  the  eldest.  One  son  and 
two  daughters  are  deceased.  P.  R..  is  numbered 
among  the  contractors  and  builders  of  Joliet;  John 
M.,  occupies  himself  as  a  butcher;  Edward  follows 


552 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


c.'iipeiitering  in  this  city;  Kate  is  at  home  with  her 
widower!  inollier;  M.  E.,  our  suliji'Ct,  allliough  but 
live  years  old  wlu'U  leaving  his  native  Ireland, 
carries  in  his  niiud  a  picture  of  his  old  home,  and 
man}'  of  the  incidents  occuring  on  the  trip  across 
the  ocean. 

Mr.  Bannon  was  not  permitted  to  spend  verv 
much  time  in  school  during  his  boyhood  and  when 
Init  a  lad  assumed  the  sterner  duties  of  life,  going 
into  the  counlr}-  to  work  for  a  farmer  by  tiie  name 
of  JNIichael  B.Tnnoii  at  5^0  per  month.  He  was 
occupied  in  farm  imrsuils  until  a  youth  of  about 
eighteen  years,  and  then  for  two  years  went  into 
the  stone  quarries  of  Sanger  &  Steele.  He,  how- 
ever, could  only  work  in  the  quarry  during  the 
summer  lime  and  in  the  winter  he  dealt   in  coal. 

In  18G9,  J\Ir.  Bannon  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  which  he  has  since  successfully  followed. 
In  1884,  he  invested  some  of  his  capital  in  the  tile 
business  which  proved  a  l)ad  venture,  and  he  states 
tiiat  whenever  he  has  experimented  with  any  busi- 
ness outside  of  groceries  and  provisions,  he  got  the 
worst  of  the  bargain.  When  reaching  his  major- 
ity he  allied  himself  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  in  religion  he  adheres  to  the  Catholic  faith  of 
liis  forefathers. 

Mr.  Bannon  took  unto  himself  as  wife  and. help- 
mate, August  28,  1886,  Jliss  Anna,  daughter  of 
James  O'Eeill},  of  Joliet,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  three  briglit  children,  Maurice,  Eviline  and 
Margaret. 


^:  S  E  L  K  E  N  D  R I  C  K  II  Y  L  A  N  D  is  the 
WM  owner  of  a  good  farm  iu  tlie  fine  farming 
*  countr}'  embraced  iu  Will  Cuunt^^  It  is 
beautifully  located  on  section  36,  of  Plain- 
field  Township,  four  and  one-half  miles  northwest 
of  Joliet,  and  under  his  skillful  management  has 
been  brought  to  a  high  state  of  improvement  and 
productiveness.  His  residence  is  especially  com- 
fortable, and  a  view  of  it  with  the  farm  surround- 
ings, appears  on  another  page. 

Mr.  Hyland  is  of   New  England    origin,    born 
among  the  pleasant  hills  of  Roxbury,  Vt.,  July  2, 


1840.  His  father,  Consider  Hyland,  is  thought  to 
have  been  a  native  of  the  same  State,  where  he  was 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  bought  a  farm 
and  opeiated  it  until  1844,  when  he  left  the  Green 
Mountain  State  to  take  up  his  resi<lenee  in  the  wilds 
of  Will  County,  111.  Accompanied  _by  his  wife 
and  seven  children,  he  started  on  the  journey  with 
a  team  and  proceeded  to  Lake  Champlain  and  cross- 
ing that  came  by  Champlain  and  Erie  Canals  to 
Buffalo,and  thence  by  the  lakes  to  Chicago,where  he 
tt)ok  a  team  for  Plainfield.  At  that  time  Will 
County  was  sparsely  settled  and  had  few  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  civilized  life. 

Mr.  Hyland  bought  a  tract  of  land  |)artl3-  im- 
proved and  situated  one  and  one-half  miles  north- 
east of  the  village.  The  people  lived  in  the  most 
primitive  manner,  there  being  but  few  traveling 
facilities,  no  railways  or  canals.  Chicago  w.as 
the  nearest  market,  and  it  was  the  custom  for  five 
or  six  of  the  neighboring  farmers  to  go  into  the 
city  at  the  same  time,  the  most  of  them  usinor 
ox-teams  and  traveling  over  the  prairies, there  being- 
no  roads  as  yet  made.  Mr.  Hyland  resided  on  his 
farm  and  engaged  in  its  improvement  until  de.ath 
closed  his  useful  career  August  9,  1854.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Jliuerva  Far  well.  She  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  passed  her  last  years  quietly  on  the  old  home- 
stead iu  Plainfield.  There  were  eleven  children 
born  to  herself  and  husband,  eight  of  whom  were 
reared  to  3'ears  of  maturity. 

The  son  of  whom  we  write  was  a  lad  of  four 
years  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents. 
He  attended  the  pioneer  schools  which  were  con- 
ducted in  the  primitive  schoolhouse,  with  its  home- 
made furniture  and  rude  fireplace.  He  was  initi- 
ated into  the  work  of  the  farm  and  remained  with 
his  mother  until  he  was  twenty-three;  after  his  mar- 
riage, he  bought  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  old  homestead  and  resided  there  one  year.  He 
then  sold  it  advantageously  and  bought  a  farm  in 
the  same  township,  which  he  occupied  one  year, 
after  which  he  disposed  of  it  and  purchased  another 
not  far  away.  He  lived  on  the  latter  seven  years, 
and,  then  selling,  turned  his  attention  to  the 
butcher's  business  in  which  he  was  engaged  for 
nine    months.     In   1873  he  bought  the  place  where 


PORTRAIT  AND.  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


55.5 


he  now  resides.    It  comprises  eight}' acres  of  valua- 
ble farming  land  in  an  excellent  condition  and  sup 
plied   with  all  desirable  improvements,  including  a 
substantial  dwelling  and  other  needed  buildings. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hyland  with  .Josephine 
Green  was  solemnized  in  18C1,  and  has -proved 
of  mutual  benefit.  They  have  four  children  :  Knima, 
I'.ert,  Gertrude  and  Howard.  Airs.  Ilyland  is  a  na- 
tive of  Will  County,  and  a  daughter  of  Deacon 
Dennison  and  Otilla  Green.  Her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Westfield,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
born  P'ebruary  13,  1807,  to  Archibald  and  ILannali 
(Brown)  Green.  At  the  youthful  age  of  twelve 
years  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith, and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  nine  years  in 
his  native  town.  After  that  he  did  journeyman 
work,  and  then  moving  to  Oneida  County,  estab- 
lished himself  at  his  trade,  opening  a  shop  and 
carr^'ing  on  the  business  there  until  18,36.  Then 
w'Mi  his  wife  and  one  child  he  started  for  Illinois, 
CO  dng  via  the  Eiie  Canal  and  the  lalces  to  Chi- 
cago, and  thence  b}-  stage  to  .Joliet,  which  was  at 
that  time  but  a  small  hamlet,  the  only  tavern  tliere 
lieing  kejit  in  a  little  un painted  frame  house.  Two  of 
Ills  brothers-in-law  lived  but  a  short  distance  away 
and  he  engaged  there  in  a  savv-mill  for  nearly  two 
years;  then,  buying  property  at  .Joliet,  he  bnilt  a 
house  and  shop  and  carried  on  blacksmithing  until 
1845.  In  that  year  he  came  tu  Plainlield,  and  buy- 
ing proi>erly  built  a  home  and  a  smithy  which  he 
managed  many  years.  He  acquired  a  comfortable 
competence  and  now  lives  in  honorable  retirement. 
Deacon  Green  was  married  .January  26,  1831,  to 
Miss  Otilla  Wheeler,  a  native  of  Lebanon,  N.  Y., 
and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mercy  (Bently) 
AVheeler.  All  of  the  five  children  born  to  them 
are  still  living  and  are  named  as  follows:  Judsoii 
I).,  Lovi,  Emma  S.,  M.  .Josephine  and  B.  Whejler. 
i)e!"^on  Green  and  wife  have  a  proud  record  as 
chunli  members,  they  having  been  faithful  work- 
i^r«  1  the  Baptist  Church  for  nearly  sixty  years, 
joining  the  First  Baptist  when  it  was  organized  at 
Joliet,  and  IMr.  Green  was  soon  made  Deacon. 

A  son  of  a  pioneer  and  one  who  has  done  pioneer 
work  himself  in  the  impiovement  and  cultivation 
(if  a  farm,  oiu-  subject  is  a  regular  and  welcome  at- 
tendant at  all  pioneer  meetings.     He  is  a  well-read 


man  and  is  well  informed  on  topics  of  general  con- 
versation. He  is  a  man  of  excellent  habits  and 
good  principles  and  in  every  relation  is  true  to 
himself  and  those  around  him.  He  and  his  family 
are  people  of  good  standing  in  religious  and  social 
circles  in  the  community  and  are  regular  atten- 
dants of  the  Baptist  Church.  Politically,  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

HOMAS  CLARK,  a  practical  and  successful 
fe>.  l)reeder  of  Hereford  cattle,  is  located  on  a 
fine  farm,  one  mile  northeast  of  Beecher. 
It  comprises  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 9,  Washington  Township,  that  were  selected 
with  a  view  to  their  present  use,  and  are  adapted 
by  nature  and  improvement  for  the  pur))ose.  The 
"Evergreen  Stock  Farm  '  is  known  far  and  near, 
and  well  repays  a  visit,  llie  owner  being  thoroughly 
posted  regarding  the  stock  in  which  he  takes  such 
delight.  Perhaps  the  most  noticeable  feature  of 
the  improvements  is  the  commodious  stock-barn, 
67x97  feet,  with  a  capacity  for  one  hundred 
head  of  cattle  and  a  large  amount  of  hay  and  grain. 
All  the  buildings  are  well- constructed  and  suffici- 
entl}'  large  for  the  various  purposes  for  which  thej' 
were  designed. 

The  herd  at  iiresent  consists  of  about  sixt}'  head, 
chief  of  the  herd  being  Peerless  Wilton  No.  12,77i. 
At  the  head  of  the  herd  are  the  fine  bulls.  Anxiety 
Third,  No.  4466,  and  Anxiety  AVilton,  No.  30,272, 
all  registered  numbers  familiar  to  stockmen.  At 
the  State  Fairs  held  in  Peoria,  Mr.  Clark  carried  off 
most  of  the  stveepstakes,  and  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  he 
received  $750  in  prizes;  he  justly  claims  to  have 
carried  off  more  premiums  than  any  other  breeder 
of  tlerefords  in  the  country. 

Thomas  Clark,  Sr.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Herefordshire,  England,  and  came  of  pure 
English  blood.  He  grew  up  in  his  native  shire, 
and  became  a  breeder  of  the  famous  cattle  whijli 
bear  the  name  of  the  shire.  As  a  farmer  and  stock- 
breeder he  was  eminently  successful,  and  followed 
the  business  during  his  life,  becoming  prominent  in 
that  line  and   well  known  as  a  good  citizen.     He 


556 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


passed  away  in  1862,  at  the  age  of  seventy  eight 
years.  He  liad  married  a  lady  of  his  own  shire, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  A.  Flneli.  She  lived 
to  be  more  tlian  three-score  and  ten  years  old, 
dvinir  in  1887,  in  the  shire  wherein  her  whole  life 
had  been  spent.  She  had  borne  two  sous  and  four 
daughters,  five  of  whom  lived  to  mature  years,  aud 
four  are  j-et  alive.  The  throe  daughters  remain  in 
their  native  land,  and  all  are  married.  The  parents 
were  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  the 
father  was  Church  Warden  for  many  years. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  bio- 
graphical notice  was  born  near  Hereford,  England, 
August  28,  1842,  He  was  reared  amid  the  sur- 
roundings of  farm  life,  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  He  was  about  twenty-one  years 
old  when,  in  1866,  he  set  sail  for  America,  the  land 
of  promise  across  the  Atlantic.  From  Southamp- 
ton he  crossed  to  New  York,  whence  he  went  at 
once  to  Cleveland, Ohio.  There  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  butcher,  carrying  it  on  in  th.at  city  until  1869, 
and  then  going  to  Elyria,  Lorain  Count}-,  where  he 
continued  the  same  occupation  for  a  time.  He 
soon,  howcver.-embarkeil  in  tiie  enterprise  toward 


reared  their  offspring.  Mrs.  Clark  has  borne  her 
husband  three  children,  and  the  loss  of  the  onl}- 
son — John  H. — has  brought  sorrow  to  the  parents' 
heart.  The  daugiiters  wlio  gladden  tiic  home  are 
Anna  A.  and  Flora  H. 

The  parents  give  their  adherence  to  the  church 
in  the  doctrines  of  which  their  progenitors  in- 
structed them  in  youth.  Mr.  Clark  is  an  independ- 
ent Republican.  Not  only  for  the  enterpiise  he 
has  manifested  in  his  worldly  affairs,  but  for  his 
kindl}'  nature  and  upright  ch.aracter.  he  is  respected 
by  those  who  know  iiim,  and  his  estimable  com- 
panion also  holds  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of 
their  associates. 


EM  AN  R.  RUSSELL.  In  driving  about  Man- 
hattan Township  the  eyes  of  the  stranger 
would  be  drawn  to  the  fine  residence,  of  a 
st^le  of  architecture  mostlj- confined  to  cities, 
which  stands  on  beautiful  grounds  about  seven 
miles  from  .Joliet.     The  valuable   farm  which  this 


which  liis  tiiste  and  earh'  training  led  him — that  of   i    dwelling  adorns  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty 


breeding  Hereford  cattle.  Having  had  better  ad- 
vaul,iges  than  most  men  .vho  are  engaged  in  tiie 
business,  to  learn  the  characteristics  of  the  breed 
and  the  t)est  means  of  caring  for  them,  he  began 
un<ler  favorable  auspices  a  work  that  has  been 
crowned  with  success.  In  1877  he  purchased  and 
took  [jossession  of  the  now  well-known  "  Evergreen 
Stock  Farm,"  a  part  of  which  with  the  fine  resi- 
dence is  represented  by  a  view  on  another  page. 

The  many  good  qualities  of  Miss  Margaret  Heal 
won  the  earnest  regard  of  Mr.  Clark,  and  winning 
her  consent  to  become  his  wife,  the  marriage  rites 
were  performed  in  Elyria,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Clark  w.as 
boru  in  Devonshire,  England,  .June  22,  1841,  and 
educated  in  the  laud  of  her  birth.  Slie  was  one  of 
ten  children  born  to  a  Devonshire  farmer  and  his 
worthy  wife,  and  one  of  four  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica. She  was  about  twenty'  years  old  when  they 
settled  in  the  Buckeye  .State.  Her  pareuts  remained 
in  tlie  mother  country,  dying  there  when  upwards 
of  four-score  years  of  age,  Thej'  belonged  to  the 
Episcopal   Church,  in    the    tenets   of  which    they 


acres  on  section  7,  and  is  being  furnished  as  fast 
as  possible  with  the  modern  improvements  in  the 
way  of  farm  buildings,  windmill  and  tank,  and 
every  convenience  which  will  assist  in  the  labor  of 
the  proprietor  or  add  to  his  enjoyment. 

Mr.  Russell  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  standard- 
bred  horses  and  is  the  owner  of  "Venango,"  a  two- 
year  old  of  fine  proportions  and  movement,  whidi 
already  has  a  record  of  2:11.  He  is  the  finest-bred 
horse  in  the  count\-,  being  a  cross  between  -'Blue 
Bull,  No.  75,"  and  "Hambletonian,  No.  10,"  and 
having  been  sired  by  "Bogardus,"  whose  well- 
known  record  is  2:28;  his  dam  was  sired  by  -'Sterl- 
ing," the  son  of  "  Volunteer."  "  Ven.iugo"  is 
registered  asNo.  9521.  Mr.  Russell  also  owns  three 
standard-bred  Hambletonian  fillies,  two  Greens 
Bashaw  stallions,  a  yearling  and  colt.  He  also 
breeds  draft  horses,  at  the  head  of  the  herd  of  these 
animals  being  a  full-blooded  b,ay  Norman,  two 
3'ears  old,  called  "Premier  III.,"  and  weighs  fifteen 
hundred  pounds.  Full-blooded  Durham  cattle  and 
Poland-China  hogs  are  also  raised. 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM, 


557 


Goino  hack  two  generations  in  the  paternal  line 
we  Hiifl  Samuel  Russell.a  native  of  Wilmington, >>'.€'., 
and  the  son  of  a  man  who  had  emigrated  from 
Bedfordsliire,  England.  Samuel  Russell  was  a  man 
of  leisure,  owning  property  from  which  he  derived 
a  fine  income.  To  him  was  born  a  son,  Joseph, 
who  became  a  cotton  merchant  in  liis  native  city, 
and  was  very  successful  until  the  Civil  War.  Early 
in  the  beginning  of  the  sanguinary  struggle  he  en- 
listed as  a  Captain  of  the  One  Hundredth  North 
Carolina  Infantry,  and  after  two  j-ears  became 
Genera!  (Quartermaster  of  the  Athantic  Division  of 
the  Confederate  forces,  holding  that  position  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  went  to  Raleigh, 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States 
Government,  and  returning  to  Wilmington,  re- 
sumed business.  Although  trade  was  not  so  brisk 
as  it  had  been  before  the  war,  Mr.  Russell  was  suc- 
cessful and  became  possessed  of  abundant  means, 
ll-e  laid  down  the  burdens  of  life  in  1880,  at  the 
age  of  fifty  3'ears.  He  was  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 
a  Democrat,  and  a  Deacon  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  known  and  honored  of  men  tliroughout 
his  life. 

The  wife  of  Josepli  Russell  and  mother  of  our 
subject  was  born  near  Alban^v,  N.  Y.,  and  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mar}-  Baker.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Clark  and  Lucina  (Welsh)  Baker,  who  are  still 
living,  at  a  ripe  old  age,  at  Five  Mile  Grove,  Will 
County.  She  was  reared  in  her  native  count}', 
educated  in  All)any.  and  graduated  from  the  Al- 
bany Female  Acadenij-,  leaving  her  Alma  Mater 
nith  a  rarely  cultured  mind.  She  followed  the 
profession  of  teaching  until  her  marriage,  devot- 
ing herself  principally  to  the  French  language  and 
traveling  considerably  both  in  the  North  and 
South.  Since  her  iiusband's  death  she  has  gener- 
ally spent  her  summers  in  Northern  Illinois,  but 
she  is  at  present  traveling  in  France,  doing  the 
European  Continent  for  the  first  time.  She  is  the 
mother  of  three  children — j\I.  Elizabeth,  who  lives 
with  our  subject;  Heman  R.,  of  this  notice;  and 
Lucina,  who  died  in  childliood.  Mrs.  Russell  is  of 
the  Presbj  terian  faith. 

Grandfather  Baker  was  born  in  Iloosic,  Rens- 
selaer County.  N.Y.,  March  3,  ITDG.  and  during  his 
early  years  taught  school  in  the  winter  and  worked 


on  the  farm  in  summer.  After  having  spent  sev- 
eral 3'ears  in  this  way,  he  became  a  surveyor,  fol- 
lowing that  calling  for  a  great  many  years,  lie 
finally  purchased  a  farm  and  gave  his  attention  to 
agriculture.  When  eighteen  years  old  he  enlisted 
in  the  State  Militia  and  in  1814  was  called  out 
and  served  three  weeks  in  the  second  struggle  for 
freedom  from  British  tyranny.  In  1843  he  mide 
his  first  trip  to  Cook  County,  111.,  to  look  after 
some  mortgages,  and  several  subsequent  trips  were 
made  necessary  by  his  business.  Some  land  at  Five 
Mile  Grove  finally  came  into  his  possession  through 
an  unredeemed  mortgage,  and  in  1850  he  brought 
his  famil}'  thither.  He  has  been  extremel}-  suc- 
cessful as  a  farmer  and  stockman,  and  now  owns 
some  twelve  hundred  acres  f)f  land,  well  improved 
and  managed.  He  is  well  known  as  the  oldest  man 
in  the  count}-  and  one  of  its  largest  farmers,  as 
well  as  a  very  earlj-  settler  in  his  township.  He 
has  served  as  Supervisor  and  .Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  gives  his  support  to  the  Democratic  part}-. 

Grandmother  Baker  was  born  in  Ma}Deld,  N.Y., 
August  28,  1806,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  AY. 
Welsh,  who  was  born  in  Ireland  and  was  a  promi- 
nent and  wealthy  merchant  in  Alliany,  his  residence 
being  in  Cambridge,  Washington  County. 

Jlr.  Russell,  of  whom  we  write,  has  the  blood  of 
a  Revolutionary  soldier  in  his  veins — one  of  his 
ancestors  having  fought  against  the  British,  al- 
though himself  of  English  birth,  and  having  also 
sent  three  of  his  sons  into  the  array.  One  of  these 
was  J.  r>aker,  tlie  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  became  an 
early  settler  of  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y..  and  at- 
tained to  prominence  there. 

Heman  Russell  was  born  in  Wilmington,  N.  C, 
July  17,  1862,  and  amid  the  most  favorable  aus- 
pices grew  to  manhood.  He  w.as  educated  in  his 
native  city,  being  gr.aduated  when  eighteen  years 
old  from  the  Tileston  Normal  Institute.  Among 
his  mental  accomplishments  is  a  good  knowledge 
of  the  French  tongue.  During  one  of  his  vacations 
in  his  early  manhood  he  became  a  clerk  in  order 
10  Ic^irn  the  mercantile  business,  but  not  finding  it 
to  his  taste,  gave  it  up,  choosing  to  devote  him- 
self to  farming.for  which  he  had  always  had  a  liking. 
Prior  to  his  eighteenth   year  he  had  spent  several 


558 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


summers  with  his  grandfather  Baker  at  Five  Mile 
Grove,  in  this  State,  and  after  his  father's  deatii 
lie  made  his  home  there,  gaining  from  his  grand- 
parent a  thorough  knowledge  of  .agriculture. 

In  1886  Mr.  Russell  rented  a  small  piece  of  land 
from  his  grandfather  and  the  next  year  became  the 
owner  of  the  estate  on  which  he  now  lives  and  has 
made  such  flue  improvements.  His  residence  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $-l,000,aiid  already  in  less  than 
three  years,  other  buildings  mark  the  estate.  The 
owner  operates  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  alto- 
gether, keeping  four  teams  constant!}'  employed. 
He  is  unmarried,  but  his  home  is  presided  over  by 
by  his  sister,  whose  intelligence  and  culture  help 
to  draw  around  them  a  pleasant  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances. Mr.  Russell  is  serving  his  second  year  as  Just- 
ice of  the  Peace  and  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
youngest  Squire  in  the  count}'.  As  Township 
School  Trustee,  he  is  acting  for  the  second  time, 
and  the  interests  of  education  are  safe  in  his 
hands.  He  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  64C,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
at  Wilton  Center.  Following  the  example  and 
teaching  of  his  father  and  other  ancestors,  he  is  a 
stanch  Democrat. 


r=?)  LISIIA  BROWN,  a  retired  farmer,  is  a  good 
^  type  of  the  noble  volunteers  of  the  late 
Lis^  war,  who  fought  in  defense  of  our  country's 


honor  with  intrepid  valor,  regardless  of  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  that  they  ha<l  to  endure,  until 
the  glorious.  Stars  and  Stripes  once  more  wave:l 
over  a  free  and  undivided  Union.  For  manj-  3ears 
he  has  been  closely  associated  with  the  great  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Will  County,  and  though  he 
has  retired  from  the  active  and  incessant  cares 
inseparably  connected  with  the  management  of  a 
large  farm,  he  still  retains  possession  of  his  home- 
stead which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Morristown,  St.  Law- 
rence County,  N.  Y.,  December  2,  1836,  his  father, 
Charles  Brown,  having  been  a  pioneer  of  that  place. 
The  latter  was  a  native  of  Thetford,  Vt.,  where  he 
was  born  in  March,  1800,  and  he  was  there  reared 
and  married.     He  remained  among  the  gieen  bills 


of  his  birthplace  until  his  removal  to  Morristown, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  associated  himself  with  its  pioneers 
and  became  one  of  its  mosl.  useful  citizens.  He 
bought  a  tract'of  heavilv  timbered  land  about  two 
miles  f'-om  the  village  and  after  building  thereon 
the  log  house  in  which  our  subject  was  born,  he 
actively'  commenced  the  hard  labor  of  clearing  his 
land  and  preparing  it  for  cultivation,  and  in  the 
years  that  followed  improved  the  fine  farm  which  re- 
mained his  home  till  death  called  him  hence  in  1865. 
The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  w.as 
Ni  ncy  Ames,  and  she  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
in  September.  1800.  Her  parents  moved  from  that 
State  to  New  York,  and  spent  their  last  years  in  St. 
Lawrence  County.  She  died  on  the  home  farm  in 
1888,  at  the  advanced  iige  of  eighty-eight  years. 
She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  nine  sons  and 
one  daughter,  as  follows:  George,  Charles,  Sarah 
A.,  William,  Willard,  Willis,  Joseph.  David,  Elisha 
and  Daniel.  Willard  died  when  young,  but  fotir 
of  the  family  are  now  living.  Two  of  the  sons, 
Willis  and  David,  bore  an  honorable  \y.\rt  in  the 
late  war,  the  former  serving  as  First  Lieutenant  in 
the  Seventeenth  Iowa,  and  the  latter  as  a  scout  in 
a  New  York  Regiment  of  Sharpshooters. 

The  earl}'  da3-s  of  our  subject  were  passed  in 
attendance  at  school  and  in  doing  chores  at  home, 
and  as  soon  as  old  enough  he  aided  in  the  harder 
labors  of  the  farm  and  gained  a  practical  know- 
ledge of  agriculture.  He  remained  an  inmate  of 
the  parental  home  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old 
and  then,  ambitious  to  take  advantage  of  the  many 
superior  advantages  for  securing  a  competence  and 
building  up  a  comfortable  home,  offered  to  j'oung 
men  of  enterprise  and  capabilit}'  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  he  started  vvestward.  He  first  sto[)ped  for 
a  while  in  this  State,  working  two  months  on 
a  farm,  and  then  proceeded  to  Janesville,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  took  up  his 
abode  in  Algona,  Kossuth  County.  At  that  time 
there  were  seven  houses  in  that  place  aiid  the  sur- 
rounding couutry  was  in  a  wild  condition  with  no 
railways,  scarcely  any  good  roads  of  communica- 
tion with  the  outside  world,  and  deer  and  elk 
roamed  where  are  now  fine  farms  and  busj'  towns. 
Mr.  Brown  took  up  a  tract  of  Government  land 
there,  built  a  small  house,  broke  and  fenced  a  part 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


559 


of  liis  hoaiestead.  Two  years  later  lie  relumed  to 
Illinois  and  farmed  in  this  Sttvtc  till  1859,  he  went 
to  Pike's  Peak,  he  being  one  of  party  of  six.  Thej' 
bought  teams  whicii  they  shipped  by  rail  to  St. 
Louis  and  there  embarked  on  steamers;  teams 
and  all,  and  were  taken  to  Leavenworth,  Kan., 
whence  they  jiroceeded  with  their  teams  ijcross  the 
plains.  They  encountered  buffaloes  and  antelope 
on  the  waj',  and  saw  man^'  Indians.  Our  sulijeet 
prospected  and  mined  for  a  time,  remaining  there 
two  months  and  then,  disliking  the  wild  life  that 
he  was  obliged  to  lead  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
he  returned  eastward  as  far  as  Iowa  and  stayed  a 
few  months  on  his  farm.  After  tiiat  he  came  back 
to  Illinois  and  the  first  call  for  troops  found  him 
prepared  to  spring  to  the  defense  of  his  country, 
and  in  April,  1861,  he  joined  tiie  Plainfield  Light  | 
Artillery,  went  to  Cairo,  and  was  there  mustered  ; 
into  service.  His  company  was  attached  to  the 
Tenth  Illinois  and  served  three  months,  and  was 
then  mustered  out  at  tlie  expiration  of  ils  term  of 
enlistment.  ]\Ir.  Brown  re-enlisted  August  1st, 
1862,  in  Company  D.One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infan- 
tr3',  and  served  until  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
lie  was  in  the  battles  of  Stone  River  and  Chick- 
aniauga,  was  wir.h  Sherman  in  the  Atlanta  Cam- 
paign and  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  battle  of 
that  route  and  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  that  citJ^ 
He  was  with  Thomas  in  the  battles  of  Franklin  and 
Nashville,  and  his  regiment  took  an  active  |)art  in 
all  the  battles  and  skirmishes  under  that  general, 
and  was  discharged  in  July,  1865.  Our  subject 
went  into  the  armj-  as  a  private,  and  was  promoted 
to  tlie  position  of  First  Sergeant  and  on  every 
occasion  conducted  himself  as  a  true  soldier  should. 
He  was  twice  wounded,  first  at  Chiekamauga,  where 
lie  received  a  fragment  of  a  shell,  and  in  the  battle 
of  Franklin  he  had  a  gunshot  wountl  and  in  con- 
sequence carried  his  arm  in  a  sling  in  the  battle  of 
Nashville. 

After  he  left  tlie  arm^-,  Mr.  Brown  returned  to 
Illinois  and  the  following  year  bought  the  first  land 
he  ever  owned  in  this  State,  that  purchase  of  sixty 
acres  now  being  included  in  his  present  farm.  He 
has  prospered  greatly  in  bis  agricultural  undertak- 
ings, and  has  procured  other  tracts  of  land  from 
time  to  time,  till  he  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hun- 


dred and  eighty-six  acres  of  land,  constituting  a 
farm  that  is  in  all  respects  one  of  the  best  in  this 
part  of  the  county.  He  erected  a  fine  set  of  frame 
buildings  on  his  first  ^lurchase  and  resided  there 
until  1888,  when  he  bought  his  present  commodious 
home  in  J'lainfield,  and  has  since  lived  here  while 
his  son  carries  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Blown  was  married  March  8,  1862,  to  Elva 
Keziah  Smith,  a  native  of  Peoria,  111.  Their 
pleasant  wedded  life  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  two  sons — Ernest  Elislia,  and  Clarence  E.;  the 
latter  is  deceased.  Ernest  was  born  February  12, 
1863,  and  is  now  married,  taking  Miss  Minnie 
McKanna  for  a  wife,  and  is  well  settled  in  life. 

Mr.  Brown  is  universally  respected  for  those  fine 
qualities  of  head  and  heart  that  make  him  a  loyal 
citizen  and  a  man  of  unswerving  integrity,  genial 
and  helpful  in  his  relations  with  others.  He  has  had 
a  varied  experience  as  a  pioneer,  as  a  soldier,  and  as 
a  practical  farmer,  and  has  profited  by  it,  his 
native  ability  enabling  him  to  gather  together 
sufficient  wealth  to  allow  him  to  retire  while  scarcely 
past  the  meridian  of  life  and  in  full  possession  of 
his  powers.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  useful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  contributing  liberally 
to  its  support  and  to  all  schemes  for  the  moral  and 
material  advancement  of  the  township  that  meet 
with  his  approval.  In  his  politics  he  is  in  favor  of 
the  Republican  [)latform. 


ETER  E.  HOLMSTROM  is  numbered 
)  among  the  business  men  of  Joliet  where  he 
"^  ■^     is  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  His  busi- 

I  \  ness  is  conducted  according  to  honorable 
methods  and  with  energy,  and  is  affording  the 
proprietor  a  comfortable  income.  The  personal 
character  of  Mr.  Holmstrom  is  such  as  to  command 
the  respect  of  all  who  know  him,  his  intercourse 
with  mankind  being  cordial  and  just,  his  duties  as 
a  citizen  faithfully  performed,  and  the  utmost 
kindliness  manifested  by  him  in  his  domestic  rela- 
tions. 

In  the  Kingdom  of  Sweden,  October  3.  1861, 
the  e3es  of    our  subject  first  opened  to  the  light  of 


SGO 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cla_y.  His  parents,  Peter  Johnson  and  Johannah 
Ilolinstrom,  lived  upon  a  f;irin  in  lliat  Itind,  whence 
they  followed  their  son  to  Ameriea  in  1883.  He 
had  crossed  the  brinj-  deep  two  years  before,  coni- 
ing  directly  to  Joliet  near  wldcli  [ilaee  he  engaged 
in  farnung.  He  soon  abandoned  that  occupation 
for  his  present  business,  with  which  he  had  liecome 
acquainted  in  his  native  laud  and  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed continuously  since  he  resumed  it  here. 

Mr.  Holnistroni  exercises  tlie  elective  fr.anchise 
in  behalf  of  tiie  candidates  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
his  judgment  concurring  in  the  principles  which 
they  are  pledged  to  support.  He  belongs  to  the 
Royal  Adelphia  Insurance  Company.  His  religious 
instincts  are  satisfied  with  the  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  with  which 
he  is  identified.  He  chose  as  his  companion  in  life 
Miss  Alma  Swanson,  of  a  famil}'  which  came  from 
Sweden  to  America  about  eighteen  j'ears  ago,  and 
winning  the  consent  of  the  estimable  j'oung  lad}-, 
the}'  were  united  in  marriage  July  5,  1885.  Their 
happy  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one 
child — a  charming  daughter.  Ruby  A. 


FRANK  PATRICK.  A  simple  account  of 
the  life  and  works  of  a  man  of  honor  and 
integiit}'  is  the  best  monument  that  can  be 
reared  for  him  by  the  biographical  writer, 
and  therefore  no  attempt  will  be  made  in  these 
])ages  to  give  undue  praise  to  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  whose  life  speaks  for  him  better  than  mere 
words  would  do.  He  is  the  only  survivor  in  a 
family  of  five  children  that  comprised  the  house- 
hold of  Squire  Amos  and  Jane  E.  (Wells)  Patrick, 
who  for  many  years  made  their  home  in  Will 
County. 

Squire  Patrick  was  a  native  of  the  Iilinpire  State, 
as  was  also  his  good  wife,  and  their  first  home  after 
marriage  was  in  Madison  County.  About  the  3'ear 
1835  they  came  west  and  located  in  Rushville,  111., 
whence  the}-  removed  to  Joliet  some  two  years 
later,  living  in  the  latter  [jlace  until.  1844.  The}- 
then  changed  their  abode  to  Washington,  D.  C, 
where  Mr.  Patrick  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the 


Navy  Department  for  six  years.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time  Joliet  again  became  the  home  of  the 
family,  the  father  resuming  the  practice  of  the  law 
in  which  he  had  formerly  been  engaged.  During 
his  first  jieriod  of  residence  in  this  city  he  had 
served  as  Police  Magistrate.  In  1856  he  moved 
onto  a  farm  in  Joliet  Township,  w-hich  has  since 
been  his  home,  with  the  exception  of  seven  years 
that  were  spent  by  him  in  Nevada,  in  the  practice 
of  his  profi'ssion.  He  is  still  living  and  has  reached 
an  advanced  age.  His  wife  pass(Ml  away  February 
6,  1887. 

The  national  capital  was  the  birthplace  of  our 
subject,  and  his  natal  d.ay  Ma}-  IG,  1847.  He  grew- 
to  manhood  in  Will  County,  111.,  most  of  the  time 
being  spent  on  the  farm  in  Joliet  Township.  His 
education  was  mainly  secured  in  the  schools  of  this 
county  and  fai-iuing  has  been  his  chief  occupation 
in  life.  He  has  been  a  continuous  resident  of  Joliet 
Township  since  1850,  with  the  exception  of  two 
years  during  which  he  resided  in  the  city.  He 
owns  the  old  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  acres,  which  he  carefully  and  industriously 
cultivates,  securing  thereby  the  comforts  of  life 
and  making  prepaiations  for  the  rainy  day  should 
it  come  upon  hitn. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Patrick  is  a  native  of  New  York 
and  in  her  girlhood  was  known  as  Miss  Catheiine 
Haber.  The  ceremony  which  united  her  to  our 
subject  took  place  in  Joliet.  June  24,  1869.  They 
have  had  four  children:  Damon  S.,  Mary  E.,  Flor- 
ence J.,  and  Helen  J.  Damon  S.  died  when  tw-o 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Patrick  takes  quite  a  deep  in- 
terest in  politics  and  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
party.  He  stands  well  in  the  community  and  their 
pleasant  home  on  section  32,  is  hospitably  opened 
to  friends  and  neighbors.  The  wife  passed  from 
earth  March  18,  1878. 


"J:*^--"' 


GEORGE   H.  ZINSER.     In    the   life  of  this 
young  gentleman   is  exemplified  the  results 
^^4)    of    enterprise  and    determination,  and    his 
fellow-citizens   of    Manhattan  may  well  be  pleased 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


561 


witli  tbe  example  which  he  sets  to  the  3-outh  of 
that  city  anrl  tbo  adjoinino:  territory.  He  is  well 
known  as  a  dealer  in  shelf  and  heavy  hardware, 
niachiner}'.  agricultural  implements  and  oils,  and 
as  the  only  furniture  dealer  in  the  place;  and  he  has 
otherwise  become  known  to  nianj'  as  the  present  in- 
cumbent of  the  Fostmastership. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Solomon  and 
Catherine  (Tobias)  Zinser,  both  natives  of  the 
Keystone  State,  the  one  having  been  born  in  Ger- 
mantown  and  the  other  at  Reading.  The  father 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Ohio  when  he  was  seven 
years  old  and  when  of  age  began  farming  in  that 
State.  In  1848  he  removed  to  Tazewell  County, 
III.,  buying  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  near  AVashing- 
ton  and  residing  there  until  his  death,  in  1887,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  He  was  a  Reiniblican 
and  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church.  His  wife 
was  the  daughter  of  Peter  Tobias,  a  Pennsylvania 
farmer  who  flnailj'  came  to  Illinois  and  died  near 
Washington  in  I87G,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eight}' 
years.  Mrs.  Zinser  is  still  living  there  and  is  now 
sixty-seven  j'ears  old. 

The  parental  family  included  fourteen  children, 
eleven  of  whom  are  now  living:  Fr.ank  resides  in 
Storm  Lake.  Iowa;  Mary.  Mrs.  Koker,  is  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Tazewell  County ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs. 
Ott,  in  Hoop  Pole,  III.;  Mrs.  Rebecca  Goembel  in 
Hoop  Pole;  Mrs.  Carrie  Smith  near  Plainfield,  this 
county ;  the  next  is  our  subject ;  Solomon  is  a  farmer 
near  Washington,  Tazewell  County;  Mrs.  Sarah 
Niemeyer  died  in  that  county;  Mrs.  Amelia  Fer- 
ner  lives  in  the  village  of  Washington;  Daniel  is 
clerking  for  our  subject;  Sophia  is  with  her  mother. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  F'ebruary  2, 
1850,  near  Washington,  and  reared  amid  the  sur- 
roundings of  rural  life.  His  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  district  schools,  which  were  fortu- 
nately conducted  according  to  an  excellent  system 
and  by  persons  interested  in  the  youth  under  their 
charge.  He  continued  an  inmate  of  the  parental 
household  until  he  had  .attained  iiis  majority  when 
he  came  to  Plainfleld,  this  countj',  and  began  work- 
ing out  as  a  farm  laborer.  He  was  not  satisfied 
with  the  knowledge  he  had  obtained  and  hoarded 
his  resources  in  order  to  attend  a  higher  school. 
AVhcn  twenty-two  years  old  lie  entered  the  North 


western  College  at  Naperville.  prosecuting  liis 
studies  a  year,  after  which  he  j-ctnrned  to  the  plow. 

For  two  seasons  more  young  Zinser  continued 
to  work  on  farms  by  the  niontli,  and  then,  having 
taken  a  helpmate  and  companion,  he  began  farming 
on  his  father's  place  in  Tazewell  County.  For  two 
years  he  operated  the  farm,  during  this  time  saving 
all  that  he  could  that  ho  might  embark  in  some 
business  enteri)rise  amid  the  busy  haunts  of  men. 
With  his  small  earnings  he  started  in  the  hardware 
business  in  ^Manhattan,  February  22,  1883,  occupy- 
ing a  rented  building.  The  business  rapidly  in- 
creased and  he  is  now  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
in  the  place.  In  1884  lie  added  farm  implements 
to  his  stock  in  trade  and  he  now  does  a  large  busi- 
ness in  that  line.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he 
took  in  as  a  partner  his  brother-in-law,  Amos  M. 
Smith,  the  business  being  conducted  under  the  title 
of  Zinser  &  Smith  until  December,  1885,  when  our 
subject  bought  his  partner's  interest  and  continued 
alone. 

A  commodious  brick  edifice,  two  stories  in 
height  and  with  ground  dimensions  24xG0  feet, 
was  erected  by  Mr.  Zinser  in  the  fall  of  1889,  and 
in  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  store-rooms  in  Man- 
hattan he  now  carries  on  a  large  portion  of  hie  busi- 
ness. He  carries  a  full  stock  of  the  articles  men- 
tioned at  the  beginning  of  our  sketch,  makes  a 
speeialtj'  of  threshers,  binders  and  mowers,  and 
operates  a  tin  shop  in  connection  with  the  hard- 
ware establishment.  The  building  which  he  form- 
erly occupied  with  this  department  of  his  business, 
is  now  used  b}'  him  as  a  furniture  repository,  his 
trade  in  that  line  having  been  instituted  in  the 
spring  of   1890. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Moyer,  on  February  3,  1881,  George  H. 
Zinser  and  Priscilla  S.  Moyer  were  joined  in  holy 
wedlock.  The  bride  w.as  born  in  Naperville, where 
her  father  was  engaged  in  farming  and  whence  he 
removed  to  Manhattan  upon  retiring  from  active 
life.  She  is  well  educated,  possesses  many  domes- 
tic accomplishments  and  womanly  virtues,  and  is 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  iier  husband  and  chil- 
dren. The  group  around  the  fireside  is  made  up  of 
Royce  F.,  Irvin  W.  and  Lloyd  H. 

Mr.    Zinser  received  the  api)ointment  of  Post- 


562 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


master  in  June,  1889.  Me  is  a  member  of  llie  Vil- 
lage Board  of  Trustees  and  was  Ti'easurer  two 
years.  lie  is  an  ardent  Republican  who  never  falls 
to  cast  his  vote  in  behalf  of  the  principles  of  his 
part3'.  He  belongs  to  the  Evangelical  C'hunli  and 
w.as  formerly  Superintendent  of  tiie  Suuday-school. 
There  is  probably  no  more  popular  man  in  Man- 
hattan than  he,  and  certainly  none  who  present  n 
better  example  of  a  self-made  man. 


-^-f«^4— 


'OHN  FRANCIS.  Supervisor  of  New  Lenox 
Township,  and  one  of  its  most  substantial 
citizens,  is  a  native  of  this  township,  and 
was  born  January  8,  1843.  His  father  is 
the  well-known  Abraham  Francis,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  in  the  history  of  A.  Allen  Francis, 
on  another  page  in  this  volume.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
the  record  is  as  follows:  Margaret  L.  is  the  wife  of 
N.  P.  Cooper,  of  New  Lenox  Townsiiip;  William 
I),  died  in  this  townsiiip  when  a  promising  3'oung 
man  of  twenty  years;  Mar\-  A.  J.  is  the  wife  of 
John  S.  Blaokstone,  of  Kankakee,  fll.;  A.  Allen  is 
a  farmer  of  New  Lenox  Township;  John,  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  next  in  order  of  birth;  L}^dia  is  the 
wife  of  W.  S.  Nichols,  of  the  same  township; 
Clara  M.  died  when  about  sixteen  mouths  old ; 
Charles  is  farming  in  the  vicinitj-  of  the  old  home- 
stead; Adeline  A.  is  the  wife  of  .Jesse  jNIeharry,  of 
Tolono,  111.,  a  biography  of  whom  appears  in  the 
biographical  work  of  Champaign  Count}-:  George 
L,  is  farming  in  New  Lenox  Township;  Carrie  D. 
died  at  the  age  of  about  thirteen  years. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  fifth  child  of 
his  parents,  under  whose  careful  training  he  devel- 
oped into  manhood,  becoming  familiar  with  the 
various  emploj-ments  of  farm  life,  and  pursuing  his 
early  studies  in  the  common  schools.  When  ap- 
proaching manhood  he  took  a  course  of  study  in 
Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial  College,  then,  re- 
turning to  the  farm,  remained  there  until  Iwent}-- 
three  years  old.  In  the  meantime  be  was  married, 
in  New   Lenox   Township,  December   21,  1865,  to 


Miss  H.  Maria  Bliss.  The  joung  couple  spent  the 
first  few  months  of  their  wedded  life  at  the  old 
homestead,  and  the  following  year  moved  upon 
the  farm  where  they  now  live. 

Mis.  Francis  was  born  at  her  father's  old  home- 
stead in  New  Lenox  Township,  September  5.  181.6, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Abel  and  Lucinda 
(Blake)  Bliss.  The  former  was  born  in  Wilbra- 
hara.  Mass  ,  February  9,  1810.  His  wife  was  born 
at  Springfield,  that  State,  October  14,  1816.  They 
were  married  Maj-  6,  1840,  at  Springfield,  and 
soon  afterward  set  out  for  the  West,  coming  to 
this  count}-,  where  the  father  secured  a  tract  of 
land  on  section  18,  New  Lenox  Township.  He 
had  visited  Illinois  about  1837.  but  could  not  make 
his  arrangements  to  locate  permanently  until  three 
years  after.  He  was  successful  in  his  farming  oper- 
ations, built  up  a  goodly  estate  and  died  December 
25,  1883.  The  mother  is  still  living  at  the  home 
farm. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bliss  there  was  born  a  family 
of  seven  children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  a  daughter, 
Mary,  married  John  McGee,  and  died  in  Michigan; 
William  S.  died  at  the  homestead  when  only 
twenty -five  years  old;  H.  Maria,  Mrs.  Francis,  was 
the  next  in  order  of  birth:  Ellen  J.  died  at  the  in- 
teresting age  of  nineteen  years;  Josephine  died 
when  about  twenty-six  years  old;  Aliel  is  farming 
in  New  Lenox  Township;  Alice  P.  is  the  wife  of 
F.  A.  Wetlierbee,  of  Buchanan  County,  Iowa.  , 

Mrs.  Francis  received  careful  parental  training, 
and  remained  a  member  of  her  father's  household 
until  her  marriage.  She  is  now  the  mother  of  four 
children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  John  E.,  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Joliet  High  School,  and  is  a  success- 
ful teacher  in  New  Lenox  Township;  Howard  B. 
was  also  graduated  from  the  High  School  at  Joliet 
and  remains  under  the  parental  roof.  The  two 
younger  are  Hattie  J.  and  Wilbur  A.  In  1871, 
Mr.  Francis  was  elected  Supervisor  of  New  Lenox 
Township  and,  in  1874,  was  a  second  time  elected 
to  that  office,  which  he  has  since  held  corttinu- 
ously.  He  was  formerly  a  School  Trustee,  and 
since  1881  has  held  the  office  of  School  Treasurer 
and  w.as  also  Township  Collector  two  years.  He 
is  a  Republican,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  poli- 
tics, serving  as  a  member  of  the   County   Central 


..■«*,'-,' 


M-  Om^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ft  65 


Committe  and  occupies  other  positions  of  trust  and 
respansibility. 

Aside  from  tliese  duties,  Mr.  Francis  lias  fol- 
lowed farming  all  his  life,  and  for  man}'  years  has 
made  a  specialty  of  stock-raising,  and  also  oper- 
ated as  a  dairyman,  ship()ing  milk  to  Chicago. 
Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  members,  in 
good  standing,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  in  which 
Mr.  Francis  formerl}-  held  the  oflice  of  .Secretary' 
and  Treasurer.  Ills  farm  property  embraces  five 
hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  of  choice  land  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  where  he  has  made  line  im- 
provements, being  supplied  with  the  re'iuisite 
buildings,  and  availing  himself  of  the  most  ap- 
proved machinery  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land. 

Personally,  Mr.  Francis  is  looked  upon  as  one 
of  the  leading  men  of  his  township.  He  is  a  man 
of  progressive  ideas,  liberal  and  public  spirited, 
and  his  career  is  indicative  of  the  esteem  and  con- 
fidence with  which  he  is  regarded  by  bis  fellow- 
citizens.  His  amiable  wife  has  been  an  efficient 
helpmate  and  has  contributed  her  full  quota  to- 
ward sustaining  the  reputation  of  the  family. 
They  have  one  of  the  finest  counlr}'  homes  in  the 
township,  one  which  invariably  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  passing  traveler,  who  turns  a  second 
time  to  regale  his  eyes  upon  its  beauty  and  the  air 
of  comfort  and  plenty  whioli  surrounds  it. 


ALLEN  FRANCIS.  The  Francis  family 
is  recognized  as  holding  a  leading  position 
among  the  best  people  of  Will  County. 
They  made  their  advent  here  in  the  pio- 
neer days,  and  have  contributed  in  no  small  degree 
to  the  development  of  its  best  resources.  Their 
honesty,  industry  and  enterprise  proved  a  stimulus 
to  those  around  them,  while  likewise  gaining  for 
themselves  a  competence.  They  represent  a  large 
amount  of  property,  and  pay  annually  into  the 
county  treasury  a  snug  sum  in  the  wa}'  of  taxes. 
Their  homes  represent  taste  and  culture,  for  which 
they  have  ever  been  distinguishsd,  and  their  names 


will  go  down   to  posterity  among  those  who  have 
been  most  honored  in  Northern  Illinois. 

In  tracing  the  lineage  of  the  Francis  family  we 
(ind  their  ancestors  were  originally  from  Scotland 
and  England.  During  the  religious  persecution  of 
16iJG,  they  were  driven  from  those  countries  and 
took  refuge  in  Ireland,  where  two  generations 
were  born.  The  immediate  |)rogenitor  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  late  Abraham  Fran- 
cis, who  was  born  in  County  Cavan,  Ireland,  Sep- 
tember 2y,  1808.  As  a  lad  he  was  more  than  ordi- 
narily bright  and  intelligent,  and  at  an  early  age 
evinced  an  ambition  to  do  something  and  be  some- 
body in  the  world.  He  had  come  honestly  by  this 
trait  of  character,  as  in  1816  his  father  had  decided 
that  he  could  better  his  fortunes  in  America,  and 
accordingly  sailed  for  the  New  World  with  bis 
little  family.  They  located  in  Brown  County, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  died  when  Abraham  was  a 
youth  of  fifteen  years. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
William  Francis,  also  a  native  of  County  Cavan, 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  chief  character- 
istics have  been  his  honesty  and  industry,  as  his  ad- 
vantages were  limited  and  he  had  at  an  early  age 
come  in  contact  with  the  sterner  side  of  life,  and 
was  obliged  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world 
from  the  time  he  was  able  to  do  so.  After  his 
death  Abraham  and  his  sisters  lived  together  in 
Brown  County,  until  the  former  had  reached  his 
majority.     The  mother  had  died  in  Ireland. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1831  Abraham  Francis 
left  the  Bucke^'e  State  in  company  with  a  young 
German  who  had  been  in  his  employ,  and  set  out 
on  horseback  for  Shawnee  Mound,  Tippecanoe 
County,  Ind.  Thence  they  started  on  foot  with 
their  knapsacks  and  axes  to  exi)lore  the  region 
round  the  headwaters  of  the  Kankakee  River. 
After  arriving  there  they  made  canoes  and  floated 
down  the  river  to  Wilmington,  where  they  again 
took  terra  (irnia  and  followed  the  Indian  trail  to 
this  township.  Tiiis  trail  led  directly  by  the  doT'- 
yard  of  the  residence  now  owned  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 

Having  finally  chosen  his  location,  Abraham 
Francis  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land    from    the   Government,   and    settled    very 


566 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


nearly  upon  the  spot  where  the  ri'sidenc-e  of  A. 
AUeu  noiv  siands.  He  also '•floatefl  "  another  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  embraced  the  north 
half  of  the  east  half  of  section  9,  New  Lenox 
Township.  Here  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  remained 
until  the  latter  part  of  June.  1831.  Then,  having 
business  in  Brown  Count}',  Ohio,  he  started  for 
that  region,  arriving  there  early  in  July,  for  the 
purpose  of  finishing  up  his  harvesting  and  also  to 
take  unto  himself  a  wife  and  helpmate  to  share  his 
pioneer  life  in  Illinois.  The  wedding  occurred 
October  4  following,  the  bride  being  Miss  Mar}- 
A.  J.  Davison,  who  was  born  in  Adams  County. 
Ohio.  March  17,  1815.  She  was  thus  less  than 
seventeen  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  marriage. 
Her  father,  William  Davison,  was  a  native  of 
Adams  County,  and  the  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Mary  Ingrahaui.  Subsequenll}'  the}'  removed 
to  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  where  they  died  and 
were  buried  in  the  old  Meharry  graveyard. 

Soon  after  their  marriage  Abraham  Francis  and 
his  bride  set  out  for  their  new  home  in  Illinois, 
reaching  their  destination  November  16.  Upon 
their  arrival  they  found  things  entirely  different 
from  what  they  expected,  and  in  consequence  were 
obliged  to  send  back  a  part  of  their  stock  to 
Tippecanoe  Counly.  Ind.,  to  be  wintered.  Mr. 
Francis  had  engaged  a  man  to  put  up  a  large  quan- 
tity ot  wild  hay.  which  he  failed  to  do,  and  thus 
there  w.as  nothing  upon  which  to  feed  the  cattle. 
The  young  people  began  life  in  true  pioneer  style; 
on  the  day  of  their  arrival  at  their  new  home  snow- 
began  to  fall,  and  they  did  not  see  the  bare  ground 
again  that  winter.  The  winter  of  1831-32  will 
be  recalled  .as  that  of  the  great  snow,  amid  which 
so  many  perished  and  which  entailed  so  much 
hardship  upon  the  settlers. 

In  June,  1832,  the  Black  Hawk  War  broke  out, 
and  Abraham  Francis  was  one  of  six  men  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  the  report  of  the  Indian 
outrages  over  on  Fox  River.  When  they  found 
that  the  reports  were  true,  Mr.  Francis  with  his 
comrndes  returned  home  and  removed  his  family 
to  Shawnee  Mound.  Ind.  This  done,  he  returned 
and  lent  a  helping  hand  in  the  conflict  which  fol- 
lowed, serving  as  Second  Lieutenant  under  the 
command  of  the  well-known  Capt.  Scissions.   After 


the  war  was  over  Mrs.  Fnancis  returned,  and  their 
domestic  life  thereafter  flowed  on  uninterruptedly. 

At  one  time,  for  three  weeks  during  the  war, 
Mr.  Francis  never  saw  the  face  of  a  white  man, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  this  time  an  intimate  friend 
of  his  who  w;is  stationed  at  Ft.  Dearborn,  having 
learned  that  Mr.  Francis  was  here  alone,  joined 
him  to  keep  him  company.  He  arrived  early  one 
morning,  just  at  the  break  of  d.ay.  Mr.  Francis, 
on  account  of  danger,  slept  in  the  field  tied  to  his 
horse,  and  hearing  footsteps,  and  supposing  an 
Indian  must  be  near,  brought  his  gun  to  a  level, 
and  was  about  to  fire  when  he  discovered  that  it 
was  a  friend  instead  of  a  foe.  Rushing  up  to  him, 
he  clasped  him  in  his  arms,  and  the  meeting  can 
better  be  imagined  than  described.  Mr.  Francis  in 
later  years  often  related  the  incident  with  the 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks. 

Subsequently.  Mr.  Francis  repaired  to  Chicago 
and  engaged  in  teaming  for  the  Government, 
being  there  during  the  cholera  epidemic.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  state  that  he  began  in  life 
without  means,  but  by  his  great  industry  and  per- 
severance he  steadily  advanced  on  the  road  to 
prosperity,  while  at  the  same  time  the  sterling 
qualities  of  his  character  were  the  means  of  bring- 
ing around  him  hosts  of  friends.  He  was  a  great 
lover  of  fine  stock,  and  was  uniformly  prosperous 
at  this  industry  and  also  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil. 
Upon  the  coming  on  of  the  California  gold  excite- 
ment he  was  exceedingly  desirous  of  seeking  his 
fortunes  on  the  Pacific  .Slope,  but  refrained  from 
making  the  experiment  on  account  of  the  entrea- 
ties of  his  wife. 

Mr.  Francis,  however,  sent  out  a  company  to 
work  a  mine  on  shares.  This  enterprise  was  not 
successful,  .as  the  captain  of  the  company  died, 
and  none  of  the  men  were  capable  of  taking  his 
place.  Prior  to  the  organization  of  Will  County, 
its  piesent  territory  being  then  included  in  Cook 
County.  Mr.  Francis  held  the  office  of  Deputy 
Sheriflf,  and  occupied  other  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility.  He  was  originally  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  but  during  the  war  felt  th.at  he  had  reason 
to  change  his  views,  and  wheeled  over  into  the 
Republican  ranks,  being  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
Union.     Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  were  lead- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


567 


iiig  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Mr.  Francis  departed  this  life  at  the  old  homestead 
in  New  Lenox  Township,  November  28,  1862. 
The  wife  and  mother  survived  her  husband  for 
nearlj-  twenty-two  years,  dying  .Tanuary  15,  1884. 

To  Abraliam  Francis  and  his  good  wife  there 
was  born  a  family-  of  eleven  children,  five  sons 
and  six  daughters,  eight  of  whom  are  living.  The 
eldest,  ^Margaret  L.,  is  the  wife  of  Needham  P. 
Cooper,  of  New  Lenox  Township,  and  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  first  white  child  born  within  its 
limits;  William  D.  died  of  typhoid  pneumonia 
when  a  iiromising  young  man  of  twenty-two  j'ears; 
Mary  A.  J.  is  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Blackstone,  of  Kan- 
kakee; A.  Allen,  our  subject,  was  the  next  in  order 
of  birth;  John  is  represented  on  another  page  in 
tills  volume;  Lydia  E.  is  the  wife  of  William  .S. 
Niccolls,  of  New  Lenox  Townshi[);  Charles  is 
fanning  in  this  township;  Clara  M.  died  when 
sixteen  months  old;  Addie  A.  is  the  wife  of  Jesse 
.Miliarr\-,  of  Tolono,  Champaign  County;  George 
L.  is  farming  in  New  Lenox  Township;  Carrie  D. 
(li.  d  when  an  interesting  maiden  of  tiiirteen  3^ears. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  fourth  child 
of  the  parental  household,  and  was  born  at  the 
homestead  in  New  Lenox  Township,  where  he  now 
lives,  September  7,  1840.  He  there  spent  iiis  early 
years,  attending  the  common  schools  and  assisting 
in  the  lighter  labors  of  the  farm.  He  completed 
liis  studies  in  the  High  School  at  Joliet,  and  started 
out  on  the  journej'  of  life  well  equipped  bj-  nature 
and  training  for  its  sterner  duties. 

Eight  days  after  attaining  his  thirtieth  year,  our 
subject  was  joined  iu  wedlock,  September  15, 
1870,  at  the  bride's  home  in  New  Lenox  Township, 
to  Miss  Lizzie  J.  Haven.  Mr.  Francis  commenced 
his  wedded  life  under  far  difl'ereut  circumstances 
from  that  of  his  honored  father,  being  able  to  take 
his  bride  to  a  comfo'table  home — the  old  farm 
where  they  have  since  lived.  There  have  been 
born  to  them  five  children,  namely:  Marj^  L.,  Oc- 
tober 20,  1877;  Allen  M.,  May  17,  1881 ;  Daisy  H., 
January  11.  1886;  Dwight  C,  September  21.  1887. 
and  one  who  was  born  September  25,  1883,  and 
died  unnamed.  They  have  also  an  aHloptod  daugh- 
ter, Anna  IL,  born  November  H).  1  SOS.  a'ld  who 
has  been  a  member  of  the  household  since  a  cliild 


of  four  years,  considered  as  one  of  their  own  fam- 
ily. Their  eldest  son,  Allen  M.,  died  of  scarlet 
fever,  June  5,  1888,  when  a  little  over  seven  years 
old. 

Mr.  Francis,  like  his  honored  father,  during  the 
latter's  later  jears,  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  sig- 
nalized iiimself  as  one  of  the  most  liberal  and 
public-spirited  men  of  his  township,  and  has  con- 
tributed both  time  and  means  for  the  promotion 
of  its  best  interests.  He  was  at  one  time  President 
and  Director  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Association  of  Will  County,  and  is  at  present 
President  and  Director  of  the  New  Lenox  Plre 
Insurance  Com  pan}',  and  Trustee,  General  Manager 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Ceutenarj-  Camp  Meeting  As- 
sociation, which  was  organized  under  the  State  law, 
and  at  present  is  President  of  the  Farmers'  Institute. 
He  has  been  a  School  Director  in  his  district,  and 
Superintendent  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday- 
school  for  a  period  of  twenty  3-ears.  Both  he  and 
his  eslimaltle  wife  are  prominently  connected  wit'i 
tliis  cliurel»,  and  are  numbered  among  its  chief 
pillars. 

Mrs.  Lizzie  J.  (Haven)  Francis  was  born  in  New 
Lenox  Township,  March  31,  1849,  and  during  her 
childhood  attended  the  common  schools  of  her 
neighborhood.  Later  she  became  a  student  at 
Dearborn  Seminar}'  in  Chicago,  where  she  com- 
pleted her  education.  She  grew  to  an  attractive 
womaiihood  under  the  home  roof,  remaining  with 
her  parents  until  becoming  the  mistress  of  her  own 
home.  Her  father,  the  Hon.  Dwight  Haven,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work,  came  to  this 
county  at  an  earlj'  day,  and  earned  for  himself  a 
place  among  its  leading  citizens.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Helen  L.  Savage.  She  was  a 
sister  of  the  Hon.  Amos  Savage,  of  Homer  Town- 
ship, and  departed  this  life  at  the  homestead  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  July  28,  1859.  The  par- 
ental famil}'  consisted  of  six  children,  five  daugh- 
ters and  one  son,  of  whom  Mrs.  Francis  was  the 
eldest  born. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  four  of  the  Francis 
brothers  and  one  sister  live  on  the  same  highway, 
their  farms  adjoining,  the  sister  occupying  the 
center  one.     All   the  wives  of  the  brothers  were, 


568 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


like  themselves,  born  in  New  Lenox  Township. 
A.  Allen,  our  subject,  is  liie  owner  of  one  tlunisaud 
acres  of  land,  where  he  has  tine  improvements, 
and  in  addition  to  general  agriculture  makes  a 
specialty  of  live  stock,  operating  both  as  a  breeder 
and  dealer.  In  former  years  he  also  dealt  largely 
in  real  estate.  The  dwelling  which  he  occupies 
was  erected  by  his  iionored  father,  and  thus  pos- 
sesses for  him  a  far  more  than  moneyed  value. 

We  direct  the  reader's  attention  to  a  lithographic 
portrait  of  Mr.  Francis  [iresented  in  connection 
with  his  personal  sketch. 


s;HOMAS15.  STAXNER.  In  a  volume  of  a 
biograi)hical  nature  mention  should  cer- 
tainlj'  be  made  of  Thomas  Stanner,  who  is 
a  leading  and  wealthy  citizen  of  DuPage  Town- 
ship. His  home  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixt3'  acres  of  fertile  land  on  section  18,  upon  which 
are  to  be  seen  the  buildings,  trees,  and  stock  that 
mark  it  .as  the  abode  of  plenty  and  good  judgment. 
Another  tract  of  eighty  acres  is  under  equallj'  good 
cultivation,  and  the  whole  constitutes  an  estate  of 
which  any  man  might  well  be  proud. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Martin  D.  and 
Mary  (Cain)  Stanner,  who  represented  the  English 
and  Irish  races  respectively.  They  resided  in  Chi- 
cago several  3-ears,  coming  to  Will  County-  at  quite 
an  early  dale  and  ra.aking  their  home  in  DuPage 
Township  for  sometime.  The  father  died  in  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  in  1881,  and  the  mother  at  the  home 
of  our  subject  in  DuPage  Township,  in  1885.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children  of  whom  those 
known  to  survive  are:  Thomas  B. ;  James,  a  resi- 
dent of  Huron  S.  Dak.;  and  John,  whose  home  is 
in  Joliet. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in 
Chicago,  November  1  1,  1837,  but  reared  to  man- 
hood in  the  county  that  is  his  present  home.  He 
was  educated  in  tlie  public  schools  of  thi*  county 
with  a  short  attendance  in  Clucago,  and  has  added 
to  the  knowledge  f)btaiued  in  bovhond  bv  much 
general  reading,  keeping  well  postid  on  topics  of 
interest.     With  the  exception  of  a  few  years  sjient 


iu  the  Garden  City,  he  has  lived  in  DuPage  Town- 
ship and  is  therefore  thoroughly  ideutilied  with  its 
interests  and  numbered  among  its  most  public- 
spirited  citizens. 

On  February  25,  1863,  Mr.  Stanner  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Dixon,  daughter  of 
Martin  and  Mary  Dixon,  formerly  of  Lockport, 
but  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Stanner  is  a  worthy  wo- 
man who  has  devoted  her  life  to  the  care  and  com- 
fort of  her  family,  and  been  found  ready  for 
neighborly  deeds  of  kindness  as  occasion  demanded. 
.She  has  borne  a  large  family,  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing survive:  Fannie,  wife  of  John  Matthews,  of 
Joliet;  Nellie,  Thomas,  John,  James  and  Lulu. 

The  fine  estate  owned  by  Mr.  Stanner  is  the  best 
record  rf.garding  his  enterprise  and  good  manage- 
ment, and  the  fact  that  he  has  been  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  many  j'ears  shows  that  he  is  well  re- 
spected by  his  fellow-men.  He  is  independent  in 
politics,  aiming  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  man  of 
highest  character  and  ability,  in  whatever  party  he 
may  be  found.  He  is  a  communicant  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  belongs  to  the  Catiiolic  Order 
of  Foresters,  being  enrolled  in  Lodge  No.  65,  at 
Lockport.  He  also  belongs  to  the  DuPage  Grange 
Lodge  and  to  the  Mgilance  Society  of  the  town- 
ship. His  administration  of  the  affairs  that  have 
come  before  him  as  a  Justice  has  given  him  popu- 
larity and  does  credit  to  himself  and  constituents. 
His  father  and  brother  Patrick  were  soldiers  in  the 
late  war.  and  his  father  was  also  a  member  of  the 
regular  arrav  liefore  the  war. 

\f(  AMES  BIGGINS.  Among  those  who  withia 
the  i)ast  decade  have  joined  the  •'sheeted  na- 
tions of  the  dead"  leaving  behind  them  a 
memory  that  will  endure,  is  the  gentleman 
wliosc  cognriiiien  lu'ads  this  sketcli.  He  was  born 
in  County  Monauhan,  Ireland,  May  11.  1822.  and 
died  in  DuPage  Township,  Will  County.  111..  June 
15,  1884.  His  life  had  been  marked  b.y  no  great 
events  or  striWng  experiences, but  his  days  had  been 
spent  in  such  indnstri'uis  labors  and  quiet  ijursuanee 
of  duty  .as    to  secure    the   esteem   of  all  who    knew 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


5(59 


him    ami    cause    his  demise  to  be  regretted   by  a 
large  circle. 

Mr.  Biggins  was  reared  to  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  receiving  a  fair  edu- 
cation and  acquiring  some  knowledge  of  the  art  of 
tilling  the  soil  to  which  he  devoted  his  life.  .So 
successful  were  his  labors  that  he  left  a  valuable 
estate  upon  which  his  widow  now  lives.  His  only 
capital  was  his  strong  hands  and  natural  abilities, 
by  a  zealous  use  of  which  he  won  success.  He  was 
a  Democrat,  although  he  did  not  confine  his  vote 
to  the  party  candidates  but  gave  it  to  the  man 
whom  he  though  best  qualified  to  fill  ofHeial  sta- 
tion. He  was  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  at  Lockport. 

For  nearly  half  a  century  prior  to  his  death 
Mr.  Biggins  had  resided  in  Will  County,  to  which 
he  came  direct  from  the  East  on  emigrating  from 
the  Land  of  the  Sliamrock.  AVlien  called  hence  he 
was  not  onl}'  missed  by  his  immediate  family,  but 
by  his  neighbors  and  many  acquaintances  through- 
out the  county  wliere  he  was  known  as  a  public- 
s|iirited  ard  reliable  citizen.  To  his  family  lie  was 
a  good  })rovider,  to  his  companion  a  kind  and  lov- 
ing husband  and  to  his  children  an  affectionate  and 
indulgent  father. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Biggins  and  Miss  Catherine 
Prior  was  celebrated  February  9,  1861.  Mrs.  Big- 
gins was  born  in  Ireland  and  is  a  communicant  of 
the  Rom.an  Catholic  Church ;  she  is  active,  capable 
and  kindl>',  holding  a  due  measure  of  regard  from 
neiglil)ors  and  acquaintances.  She  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  fort}^  acres  of  laud  niuler  good  cultiva- 
tion and  the  most  of  it  well  imiiroved.  Of  the  six 
children  whom  she  bore  he-r  husband,  four  are  now 
living.  These  are  Kugene,  James,  Edward  and 
"William;  the  deceased  are  (Jeorge  and  Mary.  The 
sons  belong  to  the  cluirc  i  to  which  their  parents 
consecrated  them  in  infancy. 

James  Biggins  was  accompanied  to  America  by 
his  brother  Owen,  who  also  settled  in  DuPage 
Township,  his  farm  adjoining  that  of  James.  He 
was  an  industrious,  honest  and  law-abiding  citi- 
zen. He  departed  tins  life  April  U),  1885.  It 
is  safe  to  say  that  at  no  period  in  the  history 
of  the  Emerald  Isle  have  more  diligent,  law- 
abiding    and    Goil-fearing    men    emigrated    from 


her  shores  than  the  brothers  James  and  Owen  Big- 
gins. For  years  to  come  their  memory  will  be 
green  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  knew  and  re- 
vered them,  as  is  the  isle  that  gave  them  birth, 
and  their  worthy  lives  may  well  be  emulated  by 
future  generations. 


J  LBERT  M.  STRONG.     In  this  gentleman 
O;    we  have  a    representative-born   citizen  of 

ii  Will  County,  a,  descendant  of  one  of  its 
earliest  pioneers.  Among  the  first  who 
located  in  Dii  Page  Township,  the  father  of  our 
subject  soon  became  prominent  here,  and  for  a 
long  period  of  years  was  closelj'  identified  with 
the  public  life  of  township  and  county.  His  son, 
of  whom  we  write,  is  still  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead, the  place  of  his  birth,  and  is  pursuing  agri- 
culture with  marked  success. 

Albert  Strong  was  born  on  the  IStli  of  July, 
1848,  a  son  of  the  late  Robert  and  Caroline 
(Willey)  Strong,  natives  respectively  of  Vermont 
and  New  York.  His  paternal  ancestors  are  said 
to  have  come  from  England.  The  father  of  our 
subject  made  the  long  journey  from  his  earl^'  home 
to  this  county  in  the  year  1831,  and  bought  land, 
for  which  he  received  a  patent  from  the  Govern- 
ment. This  was  in  the  northern  part  of  DuPage 
Township,  and  when  he  settled  on  it  it  was  a  wild, 
uncultivated  tract  of  prairie.  There  were  but  few 
white  people  there  then,  the  Indians  predominating. 
A  short  time  after  his  arrival  here,  he  had  to  go  to 
Chicago  for  safe  quarters  on  account  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War.  Robert  Strong  first  built  a  log  cabin 
on  his  land  and  made  it  his  home  a  number  of 
years,  and  subsequently  built  the  present  commo- 
dious residence  that  now  adorns  the  old  home- 
stead. When  he  came  here  he  had  l)ut  very  little 
money,  lait  from  that  small  beginning  he  acquired 
quite  a  valuable  estate,  his  farm  i onsisting  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  December  28,  1885,  this  venerable  pioneer 
passed  away  from  the  scene  of  his  usefulness, 
leaving  behind  him  a  memory  that  will  ever  be 
cherished   in   the   hearts   of    those   who  knew  and 


570 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


loved  him,  of  a  strong,  pure,  uprioht  life.  He 
not  only  niiicd  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  townsliip, 
but  vvMS  conspicuous  in  the  management  of  its  jjuh- 
lic  affairs.  lie  served  as  Supervisor,  was  .luslicc  of 
the  Peace  a  number  of  years,  and  held  other  of- 
fices of  importance.  He  was  a  sturdy  Republican 
in  liis  [Kiiitiical  views.  A  man  of  a  true  religious 
nature,  he  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  serving  as  an  Elder  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  was  a  liberal  contributor 
towards  building  \\\)  the  present  church  of  that  de- 
nomination in  DuPage. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  is  still  living,  aged 
eighty  ^ears,  and  is  a  beloved  inmate  of  his  house- 
hold. She  is  a  true  Christian,  and  has  for  many 
years  been  a  menil)er  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
She  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  pioneer  in  DuPage 
Townsliip  and  she  has  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
gradual  growth  of  the  county  from  its  primitive 
condition  to  its  present  position  as  a  wealthy, 
highly-improved  county.  She  is  the  mother  of 
eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living — 
Mar}',  Mrs.  Ware,  of  California;  Robert,  living  in 
Arkansas ;  and  Albert  M. 

The  latter,  of  whom  we  write,  was  reared  to  the 
life  of  a  farmer  on  his  birthplace,  and  has  always 
made  his  home  here.  Besides  gaining  a  sound, 
practical  knowledge  of  farming  in  all  its  branches, 
be  was  given  the  advantages  of  a  superior  educa- 
cation.  He  laid  the  foundations  of  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  this  county  and  then  at- 
tended Napervilie  Academy  for  two  years.  After 
that  he  became  a  student  at  the  Western  Reserve 
College,  at  Hudson,  Ohio,  and  pursued  a  (uie 
course  of  study  there  the  ensuing  two  years.  After 
leaving  college,  he  returned  home  and  entered 
upon  his  career  as  an  agriculturist.  This  farm, 
lying  on  section  5,  he  has  kept  up  to  the  same  high 
standard  of  cultivation  and  improvement  that  it 
bad  attained  under  his  father's  care,  and  by  his 
judicious  management  he  secures  a  fine  income 
fioni  its  fertile  acres.  It  is  well  provided  with 
neat  and  substantial  buildings,  and  good  farming 
machinery,  and  is  well  stocked  with  cattle,  horses 
and  hogs,  of  high  grades. 

On  October  21,  1809,  Mr.  Strong  and  Miss  Ida 
AVhcclcr  were  united  in  a  marriage  that  has  proved 


to  be  a  happy  one  in  everj'  way.  By  their  union 
they  have  two  children — Grace  C.  and  llattie  L. 
Mrs.  Strong  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a 
daughter  of  the  late  George  and  Lucy  Wheeler. 

As  a  man  of  well  balanced,  well  trained  mind, 
of  except iunal  tact  and  excellent  business  traits, 
one  whose  honor  and  integrity  have  never  been 
questioned,  our  subject  stands  in  the  front  ranks 
of  (jur  best  citizens.  He  possesses  strong  public 
spirit  and  seeks  in  every  way  to  push  forward  the 
highest  interests  of  this,  his  native  township.  He 
has  especially  interested  himself  in  educational 
matters,  and  as  School  Director  for  many  years  has 
been  a  prominent  factor  in  securing  the  excellent 
privileges  enjoyed  by  the  children  of  the  townsliip 
to-day.  In  politics  he  upholds  the  policy  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  (^dd  Fellows,  of  Napervilie,  111., 
and  also  belongs  to  the  DuPage  Grange. 


p^  DWARD  S.  HURLBUT.  This  gentleman  is 
^j  numbered  among  the  business  men  of  Joliet, 
L^  having,  in  1889,  taken  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness formerl}'  owned  by  Mrs.  S.  F.  Savage.  He  is 
not  a  stranger  to  the  citizens  of  this  place,  as  he 
has  for  some  time  made  this  his  home  and  been 
identified  in  some  capacity  with  its  business  inter- 
ests. He  is  a  j'oung  gentleman  of  intelligence, 
upright  character,  and  the  manners  of  a  well-bred 
gentleman,  while  his  business  abilities  arc  such  as 
to  give  promise  of  success  in  the  line  which  he  has 
adopted. 

In  Rutland  Count}',  Vt.,  David  and  ftlchitable 
(Fuller)  Hurlbut  were  married,  the  former  a  native 
of  Vermont  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  They 
afterward  made  a  iiome  in  the  Empire  State,  where 
Mr.  Ilurlbut  died  .Tidy  7,  1859.  He  was  a  cooper 
by  occupation  and  a  man  who  was  respected  as  an 
honest  and  upright  citizen.  Mis  family  consisted 
of  four  children,  but  two  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
These  are  Mary  E.  and  Edward  S.,  both  of  whom 
reside  in  Joliet.  A  son,  B.  F.,  belonged  to  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Twelfth  New  York  In- 
fantry, and  gave   his  life  in  defense  of  the  Union, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


071 


receiving  his  death  wound  at  the  battle  of  Cold 
Ilarlior.  .Tune  1,  1864;  a  daughter  Kate,  the  wife  of 
Henry  C.  Morse,  of  Cony,  Pa.,  died  in  October, 
1876.  The  mother  breathed  her  List  in  Joliet,  Feb- 
ruai-y  1.  IH7.S.  wliile  on  a  visit  to  her  sister,  Mrs. 
iS.  F.  Savao-e. 

The  suliject  of  this  brief  biogiaphic-al  notice  was 
born  in  Ciiuutanqua  County,  N.  Y.,  March  25,  1851. 
He  received  a  good  education,  and»  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  started  out  in  his  career  as  a  clerk 
in  a  ibv-goods  store  in  .laiiiestown.  There  he  re- 
maineil  about  two  years,  after  wiiich  be  went  on 
the  farm  for  a  while.  In  1871  he  came  to  Joliet, 
where  for  about  a  year  he  .acted  as  a  clerk  for  his 
aunt.  He  then  returned  to  his  native  State  only  to 
again  come  to  .loliet,  where  in  about  a  j-ear  he  was 
again  to  be  found  in  the  employ  of  Mrs.  Savage. 
He  continued  to  work  for  her  until  1889,  wiien  he 
assumed  the  control  of  the  business.  Mr.  ilurlbut 
is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party  and  a  pro- 
nounced [troliibitionist  in  sentiment. 


Ei^^ 


^i^NOCH  STAFFORD  is  a  fair  specimen  of 
1W|  the  English-American  citizen,  and  a  success- 
1^^^  ful  farmer  who  has  gained  a  comfortable 
estate  by  zealous  and  well-directed  efforts.  He 
owns  and  operates  a  tract  of  land  on  section  27, 
DuPage  Township,  upon  which  he  has  lived  since 
the  fall  of  1863.  At  that  time  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres,  to  which  he  added  by  sub- 
sequent purchase  until  his  landed  estate  comprised 
one  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  There  is  some 
timber  land  on  the  farm  but  the  greater  part  is 
under  good  tillage,  and  all  is  carefully  looked  after 
by  the  enterprising  owner. 

Our  subject  Is  the  youngest  son  of  William  and 
Ann  Stafford,  natives  of  "Merrie  England," and  in 
Nottinghamshire  his  own  eyes  opened  to  the  light 
on  the  23d  of  February,  1830.  He  was  reared  upon 
a  farm,  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  agriculture  but 
having  limited  educational  privileges.  In  1851  he 
bade  adieu  to  iiome  and  friends,  determined  to  seek 
his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and  going  to  Liv- 
erpool embarked  on  the  sailer  "Sea  King."     The 


vessel  left  the  English  docks  April  27,  and,  after  a 
lapse  of  over  four  weeks,  entered  Nevv  York  harbor 
M.ay  29. 

Mr.  Stafford  came  at  once  to  Will  County.  111., 
where  for  a  time  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand,  after 
which  he  began  as  a  renter  of  land.  For  about  ten 
years  he  was  thus  engaged  and  he  then  made  his 
first  purchase  of  real  estate.  He  was  first  married 
iu  October,  1851,  to  Jliss  Sarah  Wheat,  wlio  bore 
him  two  children,  William  and  Sarah;  the  latter  is 
now  deceased.  The  wife  passed  away  in  1858  after 
a  brief  wedded  life  of  four  years. 

On  the  29tli  of  October,  1859,  Mr.  Stafford  con- 
tracted a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  taking  .as  his 
companion  Miss  .lane  Wheat,  who  is  still  shar- 
ing his  fortunes.  This  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  eiglit  sons  and  daughters,  namely:  Maiy, 
wife  of  .Jonathan  Ro3'ce,  Benjamin  W.,  George  M., 
.John  an<l  Artluir,  living;  and  Sarah,  Stephen  and 
Charles,  deceased.  Mrs.  Jane  Stafford  was  born 
in  Nottinghamshire,  England,  April  18,  1843,  to 
Benjamin  and  Hannah  (Hinsliff)  Wheat,  who  came 
to  America  when  she  was  about  twelve  years  old. 
Her  parents  settled  in  DnPage  Townshii),  Will 
County,  111.,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  our  subject. 
There  they  remained  until  death,  the  father  pass- 
ing awa}'  June  2.  1876,  and  the  mother  some  time 
after.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheat  had  four  children,  the 
0UI3'  survivors  being  Ann,  wife  of  William  Chap- 
man, of  Ellsworth,  Kan.,  and   Mrs.  Stafford. 

Mr.  Stafford  is  largeU'  independent  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  although  for  a  number  of  years  he  has 
voted  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  receives  his 
due  measure  of  respect  from  those  to  whom  his  life 
and  character  are  known,  and  his  estimable  wife 
has  also  many  friends. 


ARTIN  F.  TILDEN.     This  name  is   indis- 
j    solubly    associated     with    the    growth    of 


l\  Custer  Township,  as  that  of  one  of  its  ac- 
tive pioneer  settlers,  who  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  advancing  its  material,  social 
and  religious  interests,  and  it  is  well  that  his  life 
record  should  be   placed   on  these  pages.      He  is 


672 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


still  actively  engaged  in  the  nianagement  of  bis 
fanuiiig  interests,  and  his  farm  on  section  30, 
shows,  in  its  neat  comfortable  buildings  and  its 
well-tilled  .acres,  the  care  that  he  has  bestowed 
u|)on  it.  and  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  farm  evolved 
from  the  wild  prairies,  that  is  still  in  the  hands  of 
the  one  who  turned  the  first  sod  on  its  fertile  acres. 
Diali  Tiklen,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  where  he  carried  on  the  occu- 
pation of  a  farmer.  He  was  a  volunteer  in  the 
War  of  1812.  lie  was  married  to  Irena  Flint, 
also  a  native  of  Connecticut,  their  marriage  taking 
place  in  Williamstown,  Vt.,  and  there  they  resided 
till  old  age  overtook  them,  and  then  made  their 
home  with  their  children,  who  lived  in  ilichigan 
and  Illinois.  United  in  life,  in  death  they  were 
not  long  divided,  as  she  died  in  18G5  at  the  age 
of  eighly-lhree  years,  and  sixteen  days  afterward 
he  breathed  his  Last,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 
Three  of  the  eight  children  born  to  them  are  now 
living. 

Their  son  Martin,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  bi- 
ographical review,  w.as  boru  among  the  beautiful 
hills  of  Vermont,  in  Williamstown,  Februar}'  6, 
1811.  He  was  the  recipient  of  a  good  education 
in  the  common  schools,  and  when  a  3'oung  man  he 
gave  his  attention  to  teaching,  and  for  a  while  was 
numbered  among  the  members  of  the  educational 
piofession  in  his  native  State.  He  had  begun  life  on 
his  own  account  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  for  a  few 
yeai-s  worked  as  a  stonemason.  After  that  he  gave 
his  attention  to  farming,  and  moving  into  North- 
ern New  York  fift}'  j-ears  ago,  carried  on  that  oc- 
cupation there  nine  years.  Thinking,  however,  he 
could  sooner  acquire  a  competence  on  the  rich 
virgin  soil  of  Illinois,  he  came  to  this  State  in 
1849,  and  located  in  this  township.  He  was  in 
fair  circumstances  at  the  time,  and  investing  some 
money  in  a  tract  of  wild  prairie,  on  section  30,  he 
immediatelj'  began  the  pioneer  task  of  redeeming 
it  from  a  state  of  natnre,  and  it  may  well  be  his 
pride  that  he  has  developed  that  tract  of  wild 
prairie  into  one  of  fie  finest  farms  in  this  vicinity, 
and  that  all  its  improvements,  substantial  build- 
ings, well-tilled  fields,  etc.,  are  the  work  of  his 
own  hand.  His  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixtj-  acres  of  land,  well  adapted  to   mixed   hus- 


bandry, and  he  also  owns  twelve   acres  of  timber 
land. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Tilden  with  Miss  Sarah  A. 
Ximball  was  solemnized  in  1836.  and  for  fifty 
3'cnrs  the^-  traveled  life  together,  sharing  its  jo3"s 
and  dividing  its  sorrows,  the  greatest  grief  of  our 
subject's  wedded  life  being  in  her  death,  which 
Oi  cured  in  the  month  of  September.  1884.  Mrs. 
Tilden  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a  daughter 
of  S.amuel  and  Sarah  Kimball,  who  were  natives  of 
j  Massachusetts  and  early  settlers  in  Vermont.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  now  deceased.  Jlrs.  Tilden  was  born  Novem- 
ber 30,  1809.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living:  Lora,  wife  of  Har- 
per Bovee,  of  whom  see  sketch;  Mrs.  Sarah  Kose, 
who,  with  her  daughter  Mabel,  aged  fourteen 
years,  lives  with  her  father.  In  the  death  of  his 
beloved  wife  and  children  our  suVtject  has  sus- 
tained a  severe  blow,  but  he  does  not  mourn  as 
one  without  hope.  He  firmly  believes  with  the 
poet  that 

"If  the  Power 

Maketh  thus  his  pastures  green, 
Maketli  thus  his  quiet  waters. 

Out  of  waste  his  heavens  serene. 
We  can  trust  the  mighty  Shepherd 

Loseth  none  He  ever  led ; 
Some  where  j'et  a  greeting  waits  us 

On  the  faces  of  our  dead." 

Mr.  Tilden  has  been  closely  identified  with  the 
growth  of  Custer  Township  and  Will  County  since 
his  advent  here  so  many  years  ago,  and  his  name 
is  classed  with  the  best  of  our  pioneers.  His  (ca- 
reer in  life  has  been  distinguished  by  sound  wis- 
dom, stability  of  character  and  correct  business 
habits,  combined  with  honorable  and  conscien- 
tious views,  and  his  course  furnishes  a  worth}-  ex- 
ample to  the  5'oung  men  who  are  just  starting  out 
in  the  world  to  find  fortune's  favors.  He  has  al- 
wa3'S  taken  aii  intelligent  interest  in  the  political 
issues  of  the  da}-,  and  while  in  his  3-outh  he  was  a 
Democrat,  in  more  mature  3-ears  he  identified  him- 
self with  the   Republican   part3'.     He   has  alwa3's 

I  been  a  temperance  man  and  his  svmpathies  are 
with  the  prohibitionists.     He  h.is  borne  an    impor- 

1   tant  part  in   the  administration   of  public  affairs; 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


575 


was  Township  Clerk  in  an  early  day  and  also  Trus- 
tee of  the  Township.  He  li.is  been  Director  of 
this  school  district  for  niruiy  years.  A  sincere 
and  earnest  Christian,  lie  has  always  manifested 
a  deej)  interest  in  the  religions  and  moral  wrlff.re 
of  tilt;  comnuinily,  and  as  a  leading  meml)er  of  the 
Baptist  Chnich,  of  which  he  is  a  Deac'on,  ho  has 
done  much  to  forward  it.  He  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  Snnday-school  as  one  of  its  most  faith- 
ful teachers. 


ICIIAEL  W.  KELLY,  A.  B.,  M.  D.  This 
name  represents  one  of  the  older  and  prom- 
inent physicians  of  Joliet,  who  came  to 
the  city  in  1880,  and  located  his  office  at 
No.  G31  Cass  Street.  Until  1885,  he  conducted  a 
drug  store  on  Jefferson  Street,  but  upon  its  de- 
et ruction  \>y  (ire  in  that  year,  he  al)andoned  the 
drug  business.  He  was  born  in  County  Roscom- 
mon, Ireland,  and  when  a  lad  of  ten  j'ears  came  to 
America  with  his  father,  Thomas  Kell}',  who  loca- 
ted with  his  family  at  Petersburg,  111.,  and  there 
sojourned  until  his  death,  about  1873. 

Dr.  Kelly  spent  a  portion  of  his  boyhood  days 
in  the  schools  of  Petersburg,  111.,  and  subsequently 
attended  the  celebrated  college  at  Teutopolis, 
Ellingham  County,  111.,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Franciscan  Fatiiers.  After  leaving  that  institution 
he  repaired  to  Atchison,  Kan.,  entering  the  Ben- 
edictine College,  from  which  in  due  time  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Later  he 
taught  school  for  a  number  of  years,  but  in  the 
meantime  entertained  the  steady  resolve  to  enter 
the  medical  profession  as  soon  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  He  met  with  success  as  an  instruc- 
tor and  was  princiiial  of  the  village  school  at 
Lostant,  LaSalle  County,  111.,  for  three  years. 

Entering  upon  the  study  of  medicine  under  the 
instruction  of  Prof.  Frothingham,  of  the  medical 
department  of  Michigan  University,  Dr.  Kelly  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  1879;  then 
returning  to  liis  native  country  he  entered  Dublin 
Universil.y,  and,  after  spending  a  year,  returned 
to  America,  and  entered  upon  the  regular  pr.actice 


of  his  profession  at  Minooka,  Grundy  County,  111., 
where  he  i-eniaineil  two  3'ears.  From  that  place  he 
came  to  .Joliet,  where  he  is  now  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  lucrative  prictice.  He  is  thoroughly  devoted 
to  his  profession  and  gives  to  it  liis  exclusive  time 
and  attention,  and  in  the  interests  of  his  work, 
belongs  to  the  Will  County  Medical  Society. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Kelly  with  Miss  Lucy  E. 
Hennesy,  was  celebrated  at  the  bride's  home  in 
Minouka,  October  10,  1879.  They  are  now  the 
parents  of  one  child,  a  son,  William  F.,  born 
August  2G,  1881.  Dr.  Kelly  belongs  to  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  Church.  Upon  becoming  a  voting  cit- 
izen, he  identified  himself  with  the  Democrat  party. 
He  carefully  avoids  the  responsibilities  of  oflice  and 
with  the  excei)tion  of  casting  his  vote  at  the  regu- 
lar election,  has  little  to  do  with  outside  matters. 
Not  only  in  the  profession,  l)iit  in  social  and  busi- 
ness circles.  Dr.  Kelly'  occupies  a  high  position, 
possessing  the  genial  qualities  and  strict  integrity 
which  have  fully  established  hini  in  the  esteem  and 
conlidence  of  those  around  him. 

Mrs.  Lucy  E.  (Hennesy)  Kelly  was  born  Decem- 
ber 11,  1843,  in  Channahon,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  .lohn  and  Luc^-  (Collins)  Hennesy,  who  were 
natives  of  Ireland.  Upon  coming  to  this  State, 
they  located  in  Channahon  Township,  where  the 
father  occupied  himself  as  a  fai'mer.  During  the 
gold  excitement  of  1819,  he  went  to  California 
overland,  and  was  there  but  a  short  time  when  he 
died.  The  widow  moved  to  Minooka,  where  she 
passed  the  remainder  of  her  life. 

A  lithographic  [wrtrait  of  Dr.  Kelly  is  presented 
on  another  page  of  the  Album,  and  represents  one 
of  the  prominent  physicians  and  foremost  citizens 
of  Joliet. 


^(  OHN  HAYDEN,  one  of  the  most  wealthy 
and  prominent  men  in  Florence  Township, 
is  likewise  one  of  its  most  enterprising  and 
/  progressive.  He  has  a  valuable  farm  with 
first-class  improvements,  and  his  surroundings  all 
indicate  the  exercise  of  cultured  tastes  and  ample 
means.  The  family  stands  second  to  none  in 
Will  County,  in  point  of  respectability   and  ster- 


'W 


576 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ling  worth,  and  forms  a  portion  of  the  element 
which  has  brougiit  it  to  its  present  position,  uior- 
allj',  socially  and  finaneiuUy. 

Jlr.  Harden,  in  his  search  for  a  permanent  loca- 
tion, wandered  a  long  way  from  his  birtiiplaic, 
which  was  in  Lincoln  County.  Mc  where  he  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  light.  His  father.  John 
Ilayden,  was  a  native  of  County  Carlow,  Ireland, 
where  he  was  reared  to  man's  estate  and  married 
Miss  Hannah  Kinsella.  who  w.as  born  and  reared 
not  far  from  the  childhood  home  of  her  husband. 
They  lived  there  until  early  in  1836,  when  the 
father,  desirous  of  bettering  his  condition,  re- 
solved upon  seeking  the  New  World.  He  set  out 
on  Easter  morning  in  February,  from  the  Key  of 
Ross,  and  after  a  safe  voyage  landed  in  Quebec, 
Canada.  A  short  lime  later  he  proceeded  to  New- 
York  State,  and  from  there  to  Gardner,  Me.  Sub- 
sequently he  located  in  Lincoln  Couutj',  that  State, 
where  he  resided  until  1850. 

Deciding  now  upon  seeking  the  far  west,  John 
Haydeu,  leaving  the  Pine  Tree  State,  came  to  Illi- 
inois,  and  settled  in  Joliet,  of  which  he  was  a  resi- 
dent several  years.  Thence  he  removed  to  Spen- 
cer, and  from  there,  in  1860,  came  to  this  county, 
locating  on  the  farm,  in  Florence  Township,  which 
is  now  occupied  bj'  his  son  John.  As  the  result 
•  of  industry  and  perseverance,  he  became  well-to-do 
and  the  owner  of  a  whole  section  of  land,  besides 
what  he  gave  to  his  sons.  He  also  owned  prop- 
erty in  Chicago.  He  came  to  Illinois  poor  in 
purse,  and  accumulated  his  possessions  solely  by 
his  own  industry.  He  was  a  well-educated  man, 
and  looked  carefull}'  after  the  training  of  his  chil- 
dren, both  in  school  and  at  home.  He  was  modest 
and  unassuming  in  disposition,  never  seeking  pub- 
litit}'  in  any  shape.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  to  which  he  loyally  adhered, 
and  after  becoming  a  voting  citizen  in  America, 
identified  himself  with  the  Democratic  party.  He 
departed  this  life  at  the  homestead  April  5,  1889, 
aged  seventy-seven  j'ears.  The  mother  survived 
her  husband  less  than  a  year,  her  death  taking 
place  Februar}'  28,  1890,  when  she  was  seventy-five 
years  old. 

To  John  Hayden,  Sr.,  and  his  good  wife  there 
was    born    a   familj-   of   nine   children,  who  were 


named  respectively:  Marj-,  Daniel.  Catherine, 
Bridget,  Thomas,  John,  Hannah.  Burnett  and  Anna 
S.  Bridget,  Burnett  and  Anna  S.  are  deceased; 
Mary  is  married  and  a  resident  of  Maine.  The 
other  children  are  living  in  this  Slate.  John,  our 
subject  was  a  child  of  four  \ears  when  his  parents 
came  to  this  county,  and  he  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  after  the  manner  of  most  farmers'  sons,  be- 
coming familiar  with  the  arts  of  plowing,  sowing 
and  reaping,  and  choosing  this  for  his  vocation  in 
life.  He  is  considerably  interested  in  live  stoclj, 
and  has  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Florence  Township,  comprising  a  part  of  sections 
12,  2,  11  and  10.  The  residence  is  on  tlie  first 
mentioned.  Besides  this  he  has  eighty  acres  on 
section  23,  Reed  Township. 

Mr.  Hayden  is  raising  some  fine  blooded  horses 
of  Norman  and  trotting  stock,  and  is  able  to  ex- 
hibit some  of  the  choicest  animals  in  this  part  of 
Illinois.  The  male  members  of  the  Hayden  famil}- 
have  been  distinguished  for  generations  for  their 
love  of  the  equine  race,  and  are  particularly  fond 
of  fast  horses.  The}-  obtained  a  fine  reputation  as 
breeders,  and  have  furnished  many  of  the  racers 
who  have  won  distinction  on  the  popular  tracks  of 
the  co"iutr3'.  Mr.  Hayden  bids  fair  to  be  in  no- 
wise behind  his  progenitors  in  this  respect.  He  is 
a  keen  judge  of  the  fine  points  of  horseflesh,  and 
evidently  possesses  a  natural  adaptation  for  this 
business. 

Although  not  meddling  very  much  in  politics, 
Mr.  Hayden  keeps  himself  thoroughly  posted  in 
regard  to  current  events,  and  gives  his  unqualified 
support  to  the  Democratic  part3-.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  Road  Commissioner  and  served  as  Treas- 
urer of  Florence  Township  for  the  last  eleven 
years.  In  religious  matters  he  adheres  to  the 
Cathohc  faith  of  his  forefathers,  and  his  wife  and 
family  are  in  full  sympathy  with  him  in  this  re- 
spect. 

Miss  Bridget  Bergan,  of  Manhattan,  this  county, 
was  wedded  to  our  subject  February  24,  1876. 
Mrs.  Ilayden  was  born  in  Manhattan,  March  17, 
1852,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Hester 
(Welch)  Bergan,  who  were  natives  of  County  Kil- 
kennj',  Ireland.  The  parents  were  reared  and 
married  in  their  native   county,  and  emigrated  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGKAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


577 


America  about  184G.  They  first  statled  in  Peoria, 
but  llie  following  year  took  up  their  resilience  in 
Manimttan.  where  they  still  live.  Of  this  union 
there  have  liecn  horn  five  children,  viz.:  John  F., 
Oaniel,  AViilinni.  Martin  G.  and  Anna,  all  of  whom 
are  living  and  form  an  exceedingly  bright  and  in- 
teresting group,  receiving  careful  parental  training 
and  the  older  ones  pursuing  liieir  studios  in  the 
common  schools. 


?^  ANIEL  K.  GISE,  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  D.  K.  Gise  ife  Co.,  stands  at  the  head  of 
one  of  the  important  manufacturing  interests 
of  Joliet,  operating  a  factorj-  which  turns  out  door 
binges  and  other  articles  in  this  line.  The  olliee 
occupies  No.  Ill,  St.  Louis  Street,  while  the  resi- 
dence of  !Mr.  Gise  is  located  at  No.  201,  Sherman 
Street.  Mr.  (Mse  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county 
since  18G8,  and  for  the  space  of  a  dozen  j'ears  has 
been  associated  with  its  leading  interests. 

A  native  of  Lebanon  County.  Pa.,  Mr.  Gise  was 
born  March  3,  1843,  and  is  the  son  of  David  B. 
Gise,  a  native  of  Newraanstown,  that  State.  The 
latter  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  State, 
and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Kerlin.  The 
wife  was  of  English  descent,  her  progenitors  set- 
tling in  Penns^'lvania  at  an  earl}'  day.  Both  fam- 
ilies were  of  eminent  respeclabilit}'  and  the  male 
members  largelj'  millers  by  trade. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  when  he  was  an  in- 
fant of  three  months,  removed  to  Center  County, 
Pa., where  the  father  followed  milling  and  farming 
and  where  the  mother  died.  In  1867,  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  David  Gise  emigrated  to  Illinois 
with  his  family,  settling  south  of  Manhattan,  in 
Wilson  Township,  this  count}-,  where  he  now  lives. 
Daniel  K.  was  reared  to  mature  years  in  Center 
County^  Pa.,  and  after  reaching  manhood  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits  until  coming  to  this  county. 
He  then  purchased  land  in  Manhattan  Township, 
which  he  brought  to  a  good  state  of  cultivation, 
erecting  thereon  suitable  farm  buildings  and  where 
he  resided  until  about  1872;  then  removing  to 
Joliet  he  purchased  a  stock  of  goods  and  established 


himself  on  Washington  Street,  where  he  continued 
to  do  business  until  1882.  That  year  he  sold  out 
and.  after  an  interval  of  rest,  became  interested  in 
live  stock  in  the  West,  which  engaged  his  atten- 
tion for  a  lime,  and  he  then  established  his  present 
business  which  he  has  conducted  about  five  j'ears. 
He  still  retains  possession  of  his  farm  property  in 
Manhattan  Townshij).  Gise  &  Co.  soil  the  product 
of  their  manufactory  principally  to  the  jobbing  and 
retail  trade,  having  men  on  the  road  at  all  times. 
Mr.  Gise  was  married,  February  10,  1870.  in 
Mirtiir.  County,  Pa.,  to  Miss  Addie  A.  Kearns  who 
was  born  in  that  count}-  August  27,  1847.  The 
parents  of  Jlrs.  Gise  were  Thomas  and  i\Iar}'  (Set- 
tle) Kearns,  natives  of  Pennsj-lvania  and  now  de- 
ceased. Four  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject 
aud  his  good  wife,  these  bearing  the  names  re- 
spectively, of  Ward  K.,  Lloyd  P.,  Buelah  A.  and 
Edith  S.  Mrs.  Gise  is  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church.  i\Ir.  Gise 
gives  his  political  su|)[iort  to  the  Democratic  party 
but  meddles  very  little  with  public  affairs,  prefer- 
ring to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
interests  and  his  family. 

■ — >  >'!:::»"      ' 


OORNELIUS    J.  McCLURE.      In  traveling 
-  about  Will  County  one  is  struck  by  the  ap- 
pcarancc  of  neatness  and  order  which  many 

of  its  homes  bear  and  the  evidences  of  thrift  and 
enterprise  which  are  to  be  seen  on  every  hand. 
These  features  are  noticeable  in  contemplating  the 
estate  occupied  by  the  above-named  gentleman, 
which  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on 
se(;tion  19,  Manhattan  Township.  It  is  evident 
that  the  manager  of  this  place  is  Successfully  pur- 
suing his  avocation,  which  is  plainly  seen  to  be 
that  of  grain  and  stock-raising.  Holstein  cattle 
and  Poland-China  swine  of  good  grades  graze  over 
the  broad  acres,  and  some  twenty  head  of  high- 
grade  draft  horses  are  also  visible.  Investigation 
reveals  the  fact  that  Mr.  McClure  has  recently  suf- 
fered the  loss  by  fire  of  a  large  barn,  40x70  feet, 
and  other  buildings,  but  that  substantial  structures 
will  soon  replace  the  temporary  shelter  which  he 


578 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Las  been  oompelled  to  use  for  a  time.  The  in- 
quirer woukl  also  learn  that  he  operates  two  hun- 
rlred  and  forty  acres  of  laud,  aud  rents  an  equal 
amount,  and  that  his  entire  landed  estate  is  tillable, 
well  tiled,  fenced  and  otherwise  improved.  It  is 
divided  into  three  improved  places,  one  comprising 
a  quarter  of  section  2o,  Jackson  Township,  and  an- 
other, eighty  acres  on  section  30,  Manhattan 
Township,  watered  by  Mud  Creek. 

The  McClnre  famil}-  is  of  Scotch  lineage,  and 
the  brandi  to  which  our  subject  belongs  was  repre- 
sented in  the  third  generation  previous  to  his  time 
b}'  a  McClure  who  was  born  near  New  York  Cit_y, 
and  was  an  early  settler  in  St.  Albans,  Vt.  A 
brotlier  of  this  gentleman  belonged  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary army,  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in  a 
prison  sliip,  his  place  of  confinement  being  so  loath- 
some that  he  Ijecame  crazy.  The  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  James  IMcChue,  born  in  Franklin 
County-, Vt.,  in  1777,  and  the  owner  of  a  farm  which 
he  operated  nniil  his  death.  The  next  in  the  paternal 
line  of  descent  was  David,  who  was  born  near  St. 
Albans,  Franklin  County,  Yt.,  and  followe(i  in  his 
father's  footsteps,  becoming  a  farmer. 

David  McClure  cleared  a  farm  one-half  mile 
from  Lake  Champlain,  and  there  raised  large  flocks 
of  sheei)  and  herds  of  other  stock.  In  the  fall 
of  1854  he  sold  his  Eastern  property-,  and  coming 
to  Will  Count}-,  III.,  purchased  one  hundred  aud 
sixty  acres  )f  raw  land  in  Wilmington  Township, 
and  immediately  set  about  its  improvement.  After 
having  seen  his  labors  crowned  with  success,  in 
1864  he  removed  to  Green  Garden  Township,  pur- 
chasing an  equal  amount  there,  upon  which  he  re- 
mained but  eighteen  months.  He  then  sold,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1865  became  a  resident  of  Manhattan 
Township.  He  [turchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  30,  together  with  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  25,  Jackson  Township,  and  build- 
ing upon  the  former,  operated  the  entire  acreage 
until  1880,  when  he  retired  to  Manhattan.  .He 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  the  repose  which 
his  former  industrj-  merited,  breathing  his  last  in 
1885,  at  tiie  age  of  sevent3--six  years.  He  was  a 
stanch  member  of  the  Republican  party.  In -earlier 
j'ears  he  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  but    later  transferred  his  membership  to 


the  United  Brethren  Church,  i6  both  societies  as- 
sisting to  upbuild  the  cause  of  Christianity  by 
joining  the  efforts  to  erect  a  house  of  worship,  an<i 
in  all  else  which  the  organizations  undertook. 

The  wife  of  David  McClure  was  Charlotte  Ayers, 
likewise  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  \t.,  and  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Ayers,  who  was  born  and 
spent  his  earlier  3'ears  in  Massachusetts.  On  re- 
moving from  his  native  State,  Mr.  Ayers  continued 
his  agricultural  work  iu  Enosbnrg  Township,  in 
the  count}-  wherein  his  daughter  opened  her  eyes 
to  the  light  of  day.  That  worthy  lady  died  in 
1886,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  She  had 
borne  her  husband  three  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  the  first-born.  The  others  are  Judson 
L.,  now  living  in  Manhattan  Village,  and  Orrin, 
who  died  wlieu  but  three  years  old. 

The  natal  day  of  Cornelius  J.  McClure  was  Ma}- 
13,  1850,  and  bis  birthplace  the  old  McClure  home, 
on  the  banks  of  Lnke  Champlain,  not  far  from  St. 
Albans,  Vt.  He  has  but  slight  recollections  of  his 
native  place,  .as  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  this 
county  early  in  his  fifth  year.  They  traveled  by 
rail  to  Joliet,  and  tlie  childhood  of  our  subject  was 
spent  amid  the  jjrimitive  surroundings  incident  to 
the  cultivation  and  development  of  new  land.  His 
remembrance  of  the  wildness  of  the  prairie  in- 
cludes the  charming  sight  of  a  flock  of  eighteen 
deer.  He  early  learned  to  bear  a  share  in  the  work 
of  the  farm,  and  during  the  war,  when  older  and 
stronger  hands  were  scarce,  was  counted  as  one  on 
the  harvest  field  and  elsewhere. 

Young  McClure  was  but  fourteen  years  old 
when  the  family  removed  from  Wilmington  to 
Green  Garden  Township,  and  fifteen  when  they 
came  to  Manhattan  Township.  He  had  enjoyed 
the  advantages  of  the  district  schools  w-henever  it 
was  possible  for  him  to  attend  them,  and  when 
nineteen,  was  given  the  privilege  of  attending  Jen- 
nings Seminary,  at  Aurora,  one  term.  He  remained 
with   his   father  until   he   became   of  age,  aud    in 

1872  rented  a  tract  of  his  father,  and  began  his 
personal   efforts    as  a  farmer.     In    the    spring    of 

1873  he  went  West  by  rail  to  learn  something  of 
the  country  beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  became  a 
brakeman  on  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad,  between 
Brookville,  Ft.  Wallace  aud  Denver,  and  later  went 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


579 


to  Nevada,  where  he  filled  a  similar  position  on 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  between  Toana  and 
Winnemucka.  He  returned  to  his,  home  in  the 
spring  of  1874,  bj'  way  of  San  Francisco  and 
Panama,  sailing  from  the  Isthmus  to  New  York 
on  the  "  Acapulco,"  and  consuming  seven  weeks 
in  the  homeward  journey. 

Resuming  work  on  his  father's  farm,  Mr.  McClure 
in  a  few  months  became  the  purchaser  of  eightj' 
acres  on  section  30,  the  operation  of  which  he 
added  to  that  of  some  of  the  homestead,  continu- 
ing it  until  1879.  In  the  meantime,  on  December 
23,  1875,  he  had  been  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
Emily  Morgan,  and  at  the  date  before  named  they 
located  on  property  belonging  to  her,  which  has 
since  been  their  home.  This  is  the  valuable  estate 
on  section  19,  in  addition  to  which  Mr.  McClure 
operates  a  part  of  section  30.  After  the  death  of 
his  father  he  bougiit  his  brother's  interest  in  the 
parental  homestead,  bringing  up  his  landed  estate 
to  four  hundred  and  eight}-  acres. 

Mrs.  ^IcC'lure  was  born  in  Neansay  Township, 
Kendall  County,  111.,  where  her  father,  Moses  Mor- 
gan, had  settled  in  18.50.  Tvro  3'ears  later  he 
removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Joliet,  and  having 
prosecuted  successfully  his  occupation  of  tilling  the 
soil,  eventually  became  the  owner  of  eleven  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  After  his  death,  ni  1877,  his 
his  daughter's  share  of  the  estate  was  overseen  by 
her  husbnnd.  Mrs.  McClure  was  educated  at.Ioliet, 
and  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  lady  of  more  pleas- 
ing characteristics  and  genuine  worth.  Her  gra- 
cious hosi)itality  and  mental  culture  make  her  home 
a  favorite  gathering  place  for  friouls,  while  to  her 
husband  and  children  it  is  the  dearest  spot  on 
earth.  The  interesting  group  about  the  fireside  in- 
cludes six  sons  and  daughters,  namely:  Alice, 
Mark,  Ara,  Irvin.  Addie  and  Wayne;  while  two 
children  have  gone   before. 

Not  onl}'  has  the  enterinise  of  Mr.  McClure  se- 
cured him  a  good  estate  and  all  the  comforts  of 
life,  but  he  has  gained  a  still  better  reward  for  his 
meritorious  life  in  the  good-will  of  numerous 
friends  and  an  honorable  reputation.  He  is  now 
serving  his  third  term  as  Township  School  Trustee, 
and  he  was  Village  Trustee  for  one  year,  his  home 
having  been  included  in  the  corporation  when   the 


charter  was  first  given,  but  later  set  off.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Grange  at  Manhattan,  having  the  sta- 
tion of  Overseer.  He  gives  his  ballot  to  the 
candidates  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  an 
earnest  advocate  of  temperance. 

'^^  DWARD  D.  CONLP]Y,  editor  and  proprie- 
ty tor  of  the  Joliet  Signal^  is  conducting  a 
Iv — ii  journal  which  under  his  management  has  at- 
tained no  small  degree  of  influence  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  He  is  a  native  of  the  city  of  Toronto, 
Canada,  and  was  born  August  11,  1844.  He  was 
but  an  infant  when  his  parents  removed  to  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  and  in  1849,  to  Wilmington,  this  Slate, 
where  Edward  was  reared  to  mature  j'ears,  and 
which  remained  his  home  until  1889. 

In  the  meantime,  during  the  progress  of  the  Civil 
War  and  when  a  youth  of  nineteen  years.  ]\Ir. 
Conley  entered  the  Union  service,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany A.  Thirtj'-nintli  Illinois  Infantr3%  which  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  .lames.  lie  partici- 
pated in  manj-  of  the  important  battles  which  fol- 
lowed, including  several  engagements  in  front  of 
Richmond  and  Petersburg,  remaining  in  the  service 
until  December,  186.5,  when  he  received  an  honor- 
able discharge  on  the  mustering  out  of  his  regiment. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  witness- 
ing the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox  and  he 
saw  man}'  of  the  prominent  men  who  were  con- 
spicuous at  that  time,  viz.:  Jefferson  Davis,  Presi- 
dent Lincoln.  Gen.  Grant,  Secretary  Stanton,  Gen. 
Sheridan  and  others.  He  discharged  his  duties 
faithfuUj'  as  a  soldier  and  at  the  close  of  tlie  war 
returned  home. 

After  a  brief  term  spent  in  school,  Mr.  Conley 
engaged  in  the  furniture  business  one  j'ear  at  Wil- 
mington, and  subsequently  filled  various  munici- 
pal and  township  offices.  In  1871,  he  became  in- 
terested in  journalism  and  purchased  the  Wilming- 
ton Advocate,  which  he  still  owns  and  controls.  In 
December,  1886,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the 
Joliet  Skjnal,  and  thiee  years  later  became  sole 
proprietor.  In  1889,  he  removed  to  the  city  and 
put  up  a  residence  at  the  intersection   of  Western 


580 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Bucll  Aveniit'.-^,  where  he  now  resides.  For 
many  j-ears  he  has  been  the  correspondent  of  the 
Chicago  Times  and  Herald,  sending  in  the  local 
news  from  Wilmington,  Braidwood  and  vicinity. 
About  April,  1879,  lie  eslaldislied  the  Braidwood 
Keporter,  which  he  published  six  years.  He  be- 
longs to  Bowen  Post,  No.  17.  G.  A.  R.,  at  Wil- 
mington. 

While  a  resident  of  Wilmington,  Mr.  Conley  was 
married  December  28,  1874,  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
O'Connell.  This  lad}-  was  born  in  1846,  in  Ireland, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Hannah  Burke,  now 
residing  near  Braidwood.  There  have  been  born  of 
this  union  a  son  and  daughter:  Edward  J.,  and 
May.  Mr.  Conle}'  was  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith 
and  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church. 


-5-^-ieg^<^5i-l-^— 


^NTHONY  G.  TAYLOR  is  profitably  con- 
(@//j|     ducting  farming  and  stock-raising  opera- 

i//  Is  tions  in  Custer  Township,  wliere  he  has  a 
^1  well  a|)pointed   farm  on    section    23,  and 

here  he  and  his  family  have  an  attractive  home. 
'Sir.  Taylor's  claims  to  representation  in  this  bio- 
graphical work  are  not  whoUj"  as  a  farmer,  how- 
ever, but  in  part  as  a  noble  type  of  the  veterans  of 
tiie  late  Civil  War,  whom  we  delight  to  honor, 
and  who,  since  the  Rebclliou  closed  have  done  so 
much  to  develop  the  fine  resources  of  this  county. 
"Our  subject  has  an  enviable  military  record,  as  an 
able  and  trustworthj-  soldier,  who  did  his  share  of 
hard  lighting  that  kept  the  Stars  and  Stripes  float- 
ing over  a  free  and  undivided  countr3',  and  by  his 
valor  he  received  deserved  promotion  to  the  otticial 
rank  of  Second  Lieutenant. 

Hiram  Ta3-lor,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Rutland  Count}',  Yt.,  born  1806,  and  was 
there  reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  His  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza  M.  Weller,  was 
liorn  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  the  month  of 
June,  1810.  In  1826  she  was  married  iu  the  place 
uf  her  nativity  to  Hiram  Taylor,  and  thej'  spent  the 
early  j'ears  of  their  wedded  life  in  that  State.  In 
1849,  they  came  to  Will  County  and  settled  on  the 


farm  in  this  township  now  owned  b}'  Martin  Tan- 
ner, rhere  the}'  resided  for  four  years,  and  then 
removed  to  the  farm  now  occupied  by  our  subject. 
Here  thej-  made  their  permanent  home  and  liere  the 
father  of  our  subject  died  iu  1877.  His  mother  is 
still  living  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty  years  and 
is  a  beloved  member  of  his  houseliold.  Eleven 
children  were  born  of  her  married  life,  two  of  whom 
died  in  the  first  four  years  of  their  existence  and 
five  of  the  family  are  now  living  and  reside  in  tliis 
township. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born 
September  16,  1840,  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N. 
Y.  His  education  was  obtained  partly  in  his  na- 
tive State  and  partly  iu  Illinois  in  the  common 
scliools.  He  has  always  been  at  home,  never  hav- 
ing worked  away,  excepting  for  half  a  month.  At 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  was  engaged  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  watched  with  ardent  interest  the 
progress  of  ti.e  Rebellion.  August  5,  1861,  he  en- 
tered the  army  as  a  member  of  Company  A. Thirty- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  took  part  in  the  follow- 
ing campaigns:  Shenandoah  Villey  under  (icn. 
Shields;  was  with  Burnside  in  his  Fredericksburg 
campaign;  was  then  under  Gen.  Banks  at  Suflfi-lk. 
Va.;  after  that  was  with  McClellan  on  the  .James 
River  and  subsequently  w.is  at  Newburn,  N.  C; 
and  later  at  South  Carolina  he  fought  under  Gen. 
Gilmore.  There  he  and  his  comrades  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Fts.  Wagner  and  Gregg  and  were  of 
great  assistance  iu  the  capture  of  those  strong- 
holds. His  term  of  enlistment  having  expi'-ed  he 
re-enlist-ed  after  a  furlough  of  thirtv  days,  returned 
to  Washington,  went  with  Gen.  Butler  to  Bermuda 
Hundred.  Va..  and  was  active  in  the  James  River 
campaign.  He  remained  with  Butler  during  the 
siege  of  Richmond  ami  in  the  spring  of  186.5,  was 
transferred  to  Gen.  'lerry's  command  near  Peters- 
burg, and  the  brigade  of  >vhich  he  was  a  member 
was  the  first  to  intercept  Lee.  He  fought  in  the 
following  battles;  Alpine  Station.  Md.;  first  bat- 
tle of  Winchester.  Va..  and  was  iu  a  number  of  se- 
vere skirmishes  taking  an  active  part  in  the  one  at 
Black  Water,  Va.  The  summer  of  1863  was  spent 
in  the  siege  of  Fts.  Wagner  and  Gregg  on  Morris 
Island.  S.  C.  Then  occurred  Butler's  march  upon 
Richmond  and  the  retreat,  and  Mr.  Ta\lor   was  iu 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


581 


all  the  battles  in  which  his  corps  was  engaged  until 
tlie  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox.  He  served 
as  a  private  until  1864,  but  his  valor,  trustworthi- 
ness and  ettic'iency  had  commended  him  to  the  no- 
tice of  his  commanders  and  in  that  year  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  Corporal  and  then  to 
be  Orderly  Sergeant  and  in  the  same  year  received 
his  commission  of  Second  Lieutenant.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  December  16.  1865,  at  Spring- 
field. 111. 

After  his  long  and  exciting  experience  of  life  on 
the  southern  battlefields,  our  subject  resumed  the 
quiet  occupation  whicli  he  had  dropped  to  take  up 
arms  in  defense  of  his  country's  lienor.  Coming 
bacli  to  the  old  homestead,  wliere  so  many  years  of 
Ills  life  had  been  passed,  he  actively  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  cultivating  the  soil,  and  re.oi'ing  stock. 
He  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  laud,  that 
under  his  able  management  is  in  a  superior  con- 
dition. Its  neat  buildings,  well  tilled  fields  and 
general  air  of  thrift  marking  it  as  one  of  the  most 
desirable  estates  in  this  vicinity.  Here  he  and  his 
wife  have  established  a  home  that  is  the  center  of 
comfort  and  true  hospitality,  as  they  take  pride  and 
pleasure  in  making  it  a  happy  abode  for  their  chil- 
dren. 

December  6.  1868,  Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Stewart  nee  Hicks,  a  soldier's 
widow  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Hicks. 
Her  father  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Plainfield. 
B3'  this  marriage  our  subject  and  wife  have  five 
children:  Venie  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Yates  of  this 
township,  and  they  have  one  child ;  Belle  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Linton  of  Custer  Park;  Charles, 
Eugene  and  Iliram. 

Onr  subject  lias  been  closely  identified  with  the 
growth  and  material  ■■velfare  of  Custer  Township, 
and  so  of  ^Vill  County,  since  his  lioyhood,  and  is 
well-known  as  a  man  of  correct  habits  and  high 
principles,  who  jiossesses  the  business  tact  and  prac- 
tical ability  requisite  to  give  him  an  assured  place 
among  those  members  of  the  farming  community 
who  have  pursued  their  calling  to  a  successful  issue. 
His  position  as  a  citiziMi  of  Custer  Township,  is  of 
the  best,  and  he  has  given  it  good  service  as  a  pub- 
lic official,  always  discharging  his  duty  with  con- 
scientious   fidelity.     He  has  been  Director  of    this 


district  (No.  1).  He  occupies  an  important  posi- 
tion as  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  Road  Commis- 
sioners, and  has  just  been  appointed  Enumerator  of 
Census  by  the  United  States  Government,  for  Custer 
Township.  His  public  and  private  duties  are  so 
numerous  th.a.t  he  has  just  been  obliged  tft  resign 
the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  commemo- 
ration of  the  part  which  he  took  in  the  war  he  is  now 
a  member  of  Bowen  Post,  G.  A.  R.  of  Wilmington. 
He  always  votes  tlie  Republican  ticket  in  National 
politics. 

ARL  ARBEITER,  a  highly  respected  resi- 
dent of  Plainfield  Township,  where  he  is 
profitably  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  may  be  denomin.ated  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  this  portion  of  Will  County,  although  not  one 
of  its  earliest  settlers,  as  in  improving  his  jiresent 
valuable  farm,  he  has  greatly  aided  in  its  develop- 
ment and  has  materially  added  to  its  wealth. 

Mr.  Arbeiter  w.as  born  in  Germany, July  25,  1 827, 
in  the  town  of  Kappits  Ki.  Grottkau,  Olier-Schlesieu. 
Ilenr}'  Arbeiter,  his  father,  was  born  in  the  same 
village,  where  his  father,  of  the  same  name  .as  liim- 
self,  carried  on  fanning  and  siient  the  whole  of  his 
life.  The  father  of  our  subject  w.as  bred  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  according  to  the  laws  of  his 
native  land,  as  soon  as  old  enough,  served  in  the 
army  in  the  years  181.3-14-15,  .and  fought  against 
Napoleon.  After  returning  to  private  life  he  re- 
sumed farming  and  was  thus  engaged  until  his  death 
in  his  native  village  in  1857.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried and  reared  nine  children,  tm\y  two  of  whom 
ever  can«>  to  America,  our  sulijecl  and  his  brother 
William,  the  latter  now  a  resident  of  California. 

He  of  whom  we  write  received  excellent  educa- 
tional advantages  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  attending 
school  until  he  w.as  fourteen  3'ears  of  .age.  He  then 
commenced  to  work  on  a  farm  and  afti-rwards 
learnetl  the  trade  of  a  briclc  and  plaster  mason,  serv- 
ing an  apprenticeship, and  then  doing  journey  work 
in  different  i)arls  of  German^-.  He  w,as  not  satis- 
fied witii  his  prospects  in  Germany  and  thinking 
that  he  could  do  better  in  America,  he  sailed  for 
this  country  in  1854,  emb.xrkiiig  at  Bremen  on  the 


682 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ship''Adler"  and  landing  at  Quebec  on  l\u'.  ITtli  of 
June,  after  a  voyage  of  seventy -tvvo  da_ys.  He 
spent  four  weeks  in  that  city  and  then  came  to  the 
States  and  making  his  way  to  Chicago  resided  there 
one  year.  In  1855  lie  came  to  Will  County,  and 
engaged  liimself  to  work  on  a  farm  at  $15  a  month, 
and  was  thus  emplo^a'd  three  years.  He  subse- 
quently rented  the  farm  tliat  he  now  owns  and  soon 
bought  the  place  which  comprised  eighty  acres  of 
land.  He  has  done  so  well  at  his  calling,  that  he 
has  bought  other  land  and  now  lias  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  divided  into  two  farms  that  are 
classed  among  the  best  in  the  place,  both  being 
under  good  improvement  and  excellent  tillage  and 
provided  with  suitable  buildings. 

In  1860,  Sir.  Arbeiter,  Ijy  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Calherina  Siller,  a  native  of  Germany,  secured  a 
wife  who  has  been  to  iiim  a  faithful  helpmate,  act- 
ively co-operating  with  liim  in  his  work,  and  by 
her  skillful  management  with  her  liousuhold  affairs 
contributing  to  Ihoir  prosperity.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Arbeiter  have  five  children,  four  of  wliom  are  liv- 
ing, as  follows:  Joseiih,  Charles,  George  and  Maiy. 
The  latter  is  now  the  wife  of  Christian  Larsen  and 
reside's  in  Ciiicago. 

For  thirty-five  ye..rs  Mr.  Arbeiter  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  county,  and  in  that  lime  has  built 
up  for  himself  a  solid  and  enduring  reputation  as 
a  man  of  good  character,  whose  dealings  with  others 
are  always  in  strict  accord  with  the  laws  of  justice 
and  honor.  He  is  an  active,  wide  awake  man, 
possessing  keen  foresight,  and  is  quick  to  take 
advantage  of  any  opportunity  to  improve  his 
finances. 


^>?=^E0RGP:  WEK1)LIN(;  is  a  good  representa- 
(||  (=1  five  of  German-American  citi7.enshi|)  and 
^^^  the  thrifty  w.ays  wiiich  make  the  Germans 
so  successful  in  the  pursuit  of  a'^ricnlfure.  He 
owns  and  occupies  an  excellent  farm  in  Washington 
Township,  the  property  ct)iuprisiMg  one  iiundred 
and  twenty  acres  on  section  1',),  and  being  well- 
iriii)roved  and  intelligently  managed. 

Mr.  Wendling  was  born  in  Reteim,  Alsace,  which 
at  the  date  of  his  birth.  May  14,  1831,   belonged 


to  France,  but  is  now  included  in  the  territorj'  of 
ttie  Germanic  Confederation.  His  parents,  George 
and  Catherine  (Wagner)  Wendling,  were  born  and 
reared  in  the  same  Province,  were  of  German  de- 
scent and  usually  spoke  that  language.  The  father 
was  a  linen-weaver.  He  died  in  his  native  country 
March  14,  1851,  at  the  age  of  sixt3'-three  years. 
His  companion  survived  and  in  February,  1 852, 
leaving  two  children  in  Germany,  came  with  the 
otiier  six  to  America.  The  party  set  sail  from 
Havre,  France,  and  landed  in  New  York  City  after 
a  voyage  of  three  months.  They  went  at  once  to 
Buffalo,  where  the  mother  died  about  a  jear  later. 
She  was  tiien  about  sixty  years  old.  She  and  her 
husband  were  lifelong  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Churcli. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  sketch  w-as  educated  in  liis 
native  Province  in  both  German  and  P'rencii,  and 
grew  to  maturity  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  ac- 
companied ills  mother  to  the  ITnited  States  and 
spent  a  few  months  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  whence  he 
came  to  Illinois  in  1853.  At  Montgomery  he 
learned  tlie  trade  of  a  cooper  and  followed  llie 
same  in  Chicago  for  five  years.  In  186G,  he  re- 
moved from  the  Garden  City  to  Will  County,  and 
selecting  the  location  ujion  which  he  yet  resides, 
turned  his  attention  to  the  pursuit  of  agriciillure 
and  to  improving  the  farm  which  lie  had  purchased. 
He  lias  succeeded  in  his  endeavors  to  make  a  com- 
fortable home,  and  the  present  condition  of  the 
liind  which  he  occupies  and  its  various  im|)rovo 
mcnts  are  due  to  his  jjersonal  efforts. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Wendling  and  Miss  Cath- 
erine Wagner  took  place  in  Aurora  and  has  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  nine  children.  They  are  all 
living,  and  Charles,  Laura,  Louisn,  Ella,  Maiy  and 
Lena  yet  reside  under  the  parental  roof.  John,  the 
first  born,  married  Lena  Black,  and  tiiey  reside 
upon  a  farm  in  Kearney  County,  Neb.  The  second 
child,  Ernst,  who  is  also  farming  in  Nebraska,  mar- 
*  ried  Louisa  Reberg.  Sophia  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Razer,  who  operates  a  farm  in  Monee  Township, 
this  country.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wendling  belong  to 
the  Evangelical  Ciiurch  and  endeavor  to  walk  con- 
sistently with  their  profession.  IMr.  Wendling  is 
a  sound  Republican. 

Mrs.  Wendling  was    born    in   Baden,  German}, 


OUc^iA-^ 


M 


-^S^- 

^ 


^O-^^Z/^^e-^^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


087 


August  18,  1836,  and  with  her  sister  Laura  aceom- 
panied  her  parents  to  America  some  j'ears  later. 
.Jacol)  and  Eva  (Brown)  Wagner  had  been  born  in 
Baden  and  resided  tliere  until  1852.  They  left 
Antwerp  in  September  on  the  sailing  vessel  "  Pat- 
rick" with  the  intention  of  making  a  home  in 
America.  Thej'  did  not  reach  New  York  City  until 
May,  1853,  having  been  delayed  in  crossing  the 
ocean  by  storms  and  three  times  grounded  on  sand 
bars.  On  eacii  occasion  several  weeks  passed  before 
the  vessel  could  be  moved  and  they  had  to  lay  on 
tlie  English  coast  five  weeks  undergoing  repairs. 
They  were  not  far  from  the  castle  of  Queen  Vic- 
toria, who  furnished  the  emigrants  with  food  while 
on  shore  and  also  gave  them  supplies  for  the  con- 
tinuation of  their  voyage.  When  they  finally 
reached  America  Mr.  Wagner  and  his  familj'  at 
once  came  West  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Lombard, 
DuPage  County.  After  tlieir  children  were  mar- 
ried the  parents  came  to  Will  County  and  lived 
with  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Wendling,  until  their 
death.  The  mother  died  in  1871  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years,  and  the  father  in  1881,  aged 
eighty-one.  Botli  were  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Church. 


ON.  DWIGIIT  HAVEN.  A  great  poet  has 
said,  '-The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them. 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  Lheir  bones." 
'u<?il  Be  it  our  task  to  record  the  honorable  careers 
of  those  who  so  order tiieir  lives  as  to  exert  a  bene- 
ficial intinence  on  tiie  society  in  which  they  move, 
assist  in  the  grand  work  of  uplifting  humanity  to 
heiglits  before  unknown 

"And,  departing,  leave  liehind  them 
Footsteps  on  the  sands  of  time — 

Footsteps  that  perhaps  another 
Sailing  o'er  Life's  solemn  main. 

A  forlorn  and  shipwrecked  brother. 
Seeing,  may  take  heart  again." 

The  immediate  progenitor  of  the  Hon.  Dwiglit 
Haven,  of  New  Lenox  Township,  was  Samuel 
Haven,  who  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  N.  H.,  July 
1 4,  1 799.  In  Sheridan,  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y., 
January  11,  lS:il,  he  married  lleplizil>ah  'SI.  I)enn\'. 


This  noble  woman  was  born  in  Greenville,  Greene 
County,  N.  Y.,  May  29,  1802,  and  died  in  Will 
Count}',  111.,  August  11,  1860.  For  several  years 
after  their  marriage,  Samuel  Haven  and  wife  lived 
in  Chautauqua  County,  and  during  that  period 
four  children  were  born  to  them.  lu  September, 
1834:,  they  removed  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  New 
Lenox  Township,  Will  Count}',  being  numbered 
among  the  pioneers  of  that  locality.  Hero  Mr. 
Haven  gave  his  chief  attention  to  farming,  resting 
from  his  labors  on  March  12,  1866,  when  he 
crossed  the  River  of  Death.  He  was  an  upright 
and  conscientious  man.  living  as  he  believed  right 
in  the  sight  of  God,  regardless  of  the  opin- 
ions of  men.  A  strong  Abolitionist,  he  was 
indicted  for  assisting  negroes  in  their  flight  to 
Canada.  He  is  entitled  to  the  honor  of  organizing 
the  first  temperance  society  in  Sheridan,  N.  Y., 
which  was  also  one  of  the  first  in  the  Empire  State, 
dating  from  1826.  He  and  his  wife  belonged  to 
the  Congregational  Church,  of  which  he  was  a 
Deacon  manj'  3'ears. 

The  family  of  the  honored  couple  comprised 
eight  sons  and  daughters,  the  gentleman  with 
whose  name  we  introduce  this  sketch  being  the 
first-born.  Carlos  was  serving  his  second  term  as 
State's  Attorney  for  Cook  County  when  death  took 
took  him  from  among  his  fellow-men;  Samuel 
Rush  ilied  in  New  Lenox  Township,  this  county, 
May  4,  1890;  Emily  M.  became  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam B.  Cleaveland,  and  died  in  Frankfort  Township, 
October  20,  1855;  Amanda  Cordelia  is  the  widow 
of  James  Goodspeed,  of  Joliet;  Helen  M.  died 
July  28,  1839;  Alvan  S.  died  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  November  29,  1878;  Helen  E.  is  the 
wife  of  William  P.  Kimball,  of  Chicago. 

The  Hon.  Dwight  Haven  was  born  in  Sheridan, 
Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  December  It,  1821. 
He  came  to  the  Prairie  State  in  an  emigrant  wagon 
with  his  fatiier.  and  lived  with  him  until  his  mar- 
riage. During  this  period  he  toiled,  studied  and 
enjoyed  the  recreations  in  which  farmer  lads 
generally  participate,  and  shared  in  some  of  his 
father's  labors  of  love  toward  humanity,  helping 
liini  in  work  on  the  "Underground  Railway,"  and 
in  other  wa3S  becoming  more  of  a  companion  than 
many  sons.     He  adopted  the  pursuit  of  agriculture 


588 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


as  his  life  work,  from  which  he  has  now  retiree], 
although  he  still  occupies  his  pleasant  rural  home. 
It  consists  of  one  Imiulred  and  sixty-five  acres, 
bearing  tlie  various  im|)roveinents  wliich  it  would 
be  expected  tliat  a  man  of  his  ability  and  progres- 
sive spirit  would  make,  the  house  being  particu- 
l.arly  attractive  and  comfortable. 

In  Homer  Township,  this  couutj',  on  November 
3,  18-17,  the  interesting  ceremony  w.as  performed 
which  gave  to  Mr.  Haven  a  companion  and  lielp- 
mate.  Tlie  lady  of  his  choice  w.as  Helen  L.,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Deacon  Levi  Savage.  She  was  born 
in  New  York,  Novemljer  12,  1825,  and  died  in 
New  Lenox,  July  28,  185!).  Tlie  union  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  six  children,  of  whom  we  note  the 
following:  Lizzie  J.  is  the  wife  of  A.  Allen  Fr.ancis, 
of  New  Lenox;  Mar}-  E.  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Francis;  Helen  L.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Ferguson  ; 
Emma  J.  is  the  wife  of  Gilbert  Van  Duser,  of 
Kansas;  a  pair  of  twins  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Haven,  in  Chicago,  December  2G,  1801,  w.as 
a  second  time  married.  His  bride  on  this  occasion 
was  Miss  Elizabeth  Craig,  who  was  born  in  Dublin, 
Ireland,  and  came  to  America  when  eight  years  old. 
She  presides  over  the  home  of  which  she  is  one  of 
the  chief  attractions,  and  in  whatever  circle  she  is 
placed  her  intelligence,  tact  and  amiable  character 
give  her  prominence.  .She  bore  her  husband  five 
children — Dwight  C,  Samuel  I\.,  Edward,  Edith  A. 
and  Bertha  A.  Edward  died  November  8,  1880, 
when  eleven  years  old. 

For  many  years  the  Hon.  Mr.  Haven  has  been 
identified  with  public  affairs  in  this  county,  and 
since  1854  he  has  held  a  commission  under  every 
Governor  of  the  State.  He  has  been  Township 
Supervisor  several  terms,  and  for  upwards  of 
thirty-six  years  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  educa- 
tional affair.';,  exerting  a  wide  inlluence  in  behalf  of 
the  advancement  of  the  schools,  and  for  four  years 
giving  especial  attention  to  elevating  the  standard 
of  the  office  of  County  Superintendent,  to  which 
he  w.as  elected  in  1865.  It  would  naturally  be 
supposed  that  a  man  reared  under  Ihe  influences 
which  surrounded  his  boyhood,  would  be  deeply 
interested  in  political  affairs,  and  such  is  the  case. 
He  has  borne  a  prominent  part   in  the  work  of  the 


Republican  part}-,  to  which  he  has  belonged  since 
its  organization.  In  the  fall  of  1886,  he  was  elec- 
ted to  the  Thirty-fifth  General  Assembly,  and 
served  one  term  with  honor  to  himself  and  his  con- 
stituents. Since  the  death  of  his  brother,  Samuel 
Rush  Haven,  he  has  had  charge  of  the  business  of 
the  latter,  and  the  settlement  of  his  affairs,  lie  has 
been  blessed  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  this  world's 
goods  to  enable  him  to  gratify-  all  reasonable  tastes 
and  desires,  and  to  assist  with  his  means  as  well  .as 
his  personal  influence  in  various  good  works. 
Lithographic  portraits  of  Mr.  Haven  and  his  wife 
appear  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  it  is  needless  to 
sa}'  that  the}-  are  well  and  favorabl}-  known,  and 
have  m.any  warm  personal  friends,  the  circle  ex- 
tending over  a  wide  extent  of  territory'. 

]i.^-^^  ENRY  F.  PIEPENBRINK,  Secretary  and 
Tre.asurer  of  the  Frederick  Sehring  Brewing 
Company,  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
among  the  business  men  of  Joliet,  where  he 
has  spent  the  Last  twenty  3'ears.  He  is  a  native  of 
this  county  and  was  born  December  8,  1849,  to 
John  O.  and  Sophia  (Willie)  Piepenbrink,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  emigrated  to  America 
in  1848  and  settled  at  Beebe  Grove  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  this  county  where  the  father  in  due 
time  became  the  owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of 
choice  land.  He  is  still  living  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits;  the  mother  also  remains  the  com- 
panion of  her  husband  and  both  are  now  quite 
well  advanced  in  years.  There  was  born  to  them 
a  family  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  living 
and  residents  of  this  count}-.  They  were  named 
respectively:  Otto,  Henry  F..  Conrad,  William, 
John,  Philip,  Ellen  and  Sophia.  Ellen  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Siiorleder,  and  Sophia  married  John  Di- 
erson.  All  with  the  exception  of  Henry  F.  are 
residents  of  Crete  Township. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  a  youth  of  seventeen  years. 
Then  starting  out  for  himself  went  to  Concordia 
College,   Ft.  Wayne.  Ind.,    where    he    established 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


589 


himself  and  remained  three  years.  Later  for  a 
period  of  six  j-ears.  lie  was  in  the  ofllee  of  the 
Circuit  Clerk  at  Juliet,  and  subsequently  served  as 
Deputy  Sheriff  of  Will  Count3',  a  year  and  three 
months.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  had 
evinced  such  an  understan<ling  of  the  duties  con- 
nected therewith  that  he  was  appointed  Sheriff. 
This  was  followed  bj'  his  regular  election  on  the 
Republican  ticket  in  1^178,  and  he  was  re-elected  in 
1880.  At  tne  expiration  of  his  second  term  he  re- 
solved to  quit  politics  and  on  the  8lh  of  January, 
1883,  at  the  organization  of  the  company  with 
which  he  is  now  connected,  he  was  elected  Secretary 
and  Treasurer,  in  which  capacities  he  has  since 
served. 

In  the  meantime  INIr.  Piepcnbrink  looked  after 
his  own  personal  interests  in  another  direction,  se- 
curing to  himself  for  a  wife  and  helpmate.  Miss 
Margaretha,  daughter  of  Frederick  Sehring,  to 
wiiom  he  was  wedded  February  25,  1879.  Mr. 
Sehring  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Joliet 
and  is  duly  represented  on  another  page  in  this 
volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piepenbrink  are  the  proud 
parents  of  two  bright  children,  a  son  and  daughter, 
l.ouis  and  Linda.  The}'  belong  to  the  C4erman 
Lutheran  Church  and  have  contributed  liberally 
toward  its  support.  Mr.  Piepenbrink  is  looked 
upon  as  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Joliet 
and  has  been  no  unimportant  factor  in  advancing 
its  material  interests. 


'fiAME.S  L.  O'DONNELL,  Attorney-at-Law 
and  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Haley  & 
O'Donnell  has,  in  company  with  his  partner, 
a  well-equipped  ofHce  in  the  Barber  Building 
and  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage  among  the  people 
who  have  learned  to  rely  upon  him  as  an  able  at- 
torney, possessing  honest}'  and  sound  judgment. 
He  located  in  the  city  in  1874,  and  has  followed 
his  practice  continually  since. 

A  native  of  LaSalle  County,  111.,  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born  August  10,  1849,  and  is  the 
son  of  William  O'Donnell,  a  native  of  County 
Tipperary,  Ireland.  The  latter  emigrated  to  Amer- 


ica when  a  young  man  and  located  in  La^alle 
County,  111.,  where  in  1847  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Johanna  Caton.  He  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  April,  1889, 
when  he  was  seventy  three  years  old.  Upon  be- 
coming a  voting  citizen  he  identified  himself  with 
the  Democratic  party  and  he  was  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  was  a 
man  of  quiet  habits,  taking  no  part  in  [jolitical  af- 
fairs, being  a  successful  and  wealthy  farmer,  and 
enjoying  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors.  The  wife 
and  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  La 
Salle  County,  III.,  and  of  the  twelve  children  born 
to  her  and  her  husband,  nine  are  still  living. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  attended  the  district  schools  of 
his  native  county  during  his  younger  years  and 
later  repairing  to  Niagara  County,  N.  Y.,  became 
a  student  of  St.  Mary's  University.  At  the  end 
of  the  course  he  began  reading  law  with  Glover, 
Cook  it  Campbell  of  Ottawa,  and  later  he  was  with 
Mayo  &  Widner.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
the  Supreme  Court  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  January, 
1874,  and  in  April  came  to  this  county,  locating 
at  Braidwood,  where  he  remained  until  July.  The 
present  partnership  was  formed  July  29,  that  same 
year  and  has  continued  uninterruptedly  until  the 
present  time.  It  comprises  one  of  the  prominent 
law  firms  of  Joliet,  and  stands  second  to  none  in 
point  of  professional  ability  as  well  as  citizenship. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  was  married  in  September,  1877, 
to  Miss  Costelle  E.  Edgerly,  and  of  this  union 
there  have  been  born  three  children:  Edith,  Louise 
and  Francis.  Mrs.  O'Donnell  was  born  in  Penob- 
scot County,  Me.,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Lorrin 
and  Sarah  Edgerly,  who  were  natives  of  Maine. 
Mr.  Edgerly  came  to  Joliet  in  1876  and  is  still  a 
resident  of  the  city;  the  wife  and  mother  is  living. 
Mr.  O'Donnell  votes  the  straight  Democratic  ticket, 
and  in  1880  was  the  nominee  of  his  party  for  State's 
Attorney,  making  a  good  race.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  the  breeding  of  trotting  and  saddle 
horses,  the  use  of  which  constitutes  his  favorite 
recreation. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  is  the  Attorney  of  the  Mutual 
Loan  &  Building  Association,  in  which  he  is  also  a 
stockholder  and  Director.  The  firm  also  are  At- 
torneys for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 


590 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


road  Company  and  PLlgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  Railroad 
Company.  At  present  the}'  are  also  acting  at- 
torne3'S  for  the  _Wab:ish  Road  and  for  the  First 
National  15:uiK,  of'^(inindy  Count}-. 


-^? 
••==§ 


^1^ 
®^=="" 


|^EV.  CHRISTIAN  SANS,  for  many  years 
pastor  of  the  First  German  Evangelical  Lutli- 
<li\v  eran  Church,  of  Joliet,  is  a  man  of  note  in 
the  religious  circles  of  this  section,  and  is 
fulfilling  the  duties  of  his  high  position  in  an  able 
and  conscientious  manner,  lie  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  city  in  1860,  and  has  become  widely  and 
favorably  known  to  a  large  portion  of  its  people. 
He  is  possessed  of  a  thorough  education,  and  nature 
has  endowed  him  with  talents  of  a  more  than  ordi- 
nary degree. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  w-as  born  in  the  King- 
dom of  Westphalia,  Prussia,  June  9,  1813,  and 
lived  there  until  a  man  of  twenty-eight 3'ears.  He 
received  his  literary  and  theological  education 
at  various  institutions  in  his  native  i)rovince, 
completing  them  at  the  age  mentior.ed,  and  soon 
thereafter  set  sail  for  America.  Fpon  his  arrival 
here  he  set  about  learning  the  English  language, 
and  in  a  comparatively  short  time  learned  to  speak 
fluently  and  write  correctl}'. 

The  first  charge  of  Mr.  Sans  was  in  New  Orleans, 
La.,  where,  in  addition  to  fulfilling  the  duties  of  pas- 
tor, he  was  inspector  during  the  building  of  a  new 
church,  wliich  is  still  in  existence.  He  also  had 
the  oversight  of  three  schools,  which  continue  to 
be  permanent  institutions,  and  are  now  under  the 
charge  of  liis  two  brothers-in-law,  John  and  Jacob 
Ueber,  who  have  followed  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing successfully  for  the  long  period  of  fifty  years. 
Under  their  tuition  have  been  graduated  some  of 
the  most  eminent  men  in  the  country.  These 
schools  were  organized  by  Mr.  Sans,  who  educated 
man}-  of  the  teachers  who  afterward  presided  over 
them. 

Finall}',  Mr.  Snns  was  attacked  with  yellow 
fever,  which  he  found  diflicuUy  in  getting  rid  of, 
and  decided  upon  coming  North,  feeling  that  that 
was   the  only  means  of  saving    his    life.     He  fiist 


located  in  Carbondale,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  assumed  charge  of  a  congregation  and  built  a 
church  and  schoolhouse,  and  established  the  same 
institutions  at  Archibald.  Next  we  find  him  in 
Watertown,  Jefferson  Count}',  Wis.,  where  he  or- 
ganized a  society,  built  a  church,  and  placed  within 
the  latter  a  good  organ,  and  instituted  other  inno- 
cent attractions  in  order  to  call  the  people  together 
for  religious  worship.  After  a  sojourn  at  Water- 
town  for  eight  years  he  received  a  call  to  Joliet, 
and  upon  coming  here  organized  a  society  and 
built  and  dedicated  a  church,  also  instituting  a 
school  in  connection  therewith.  He  labored  faith- 
fully in  the  blaster's  vineyard  until  being  affected 
with  asthma  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  obliged 
abandon  the  ministry.  He  may  well  be  pardoned 
for  this  decision,  as  he  had  served  as  pastor  and 
teacher  for  fifty-two  years.  He  is  a  regular  mem- 
ber of  the  General  Synod,  and  honorary  member 
of  the  General  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  Amer- 
ica. While  having  left  the  pulpit,  however,  he 
still  jjcrforms  many  pious  duties,  as  his  health  per- 
mits, assisting  in  burying  the  dead  and  frequently 
filling  a  vacant  pulpit.  Personally,  he  is  of  a 
kindly,  genial  nature,  and  greatly  beloved  by  the 
l)eople  among  wh.om  he  lias  gone  in  and  out  for  so 
many  }ears. 

The  Rev.  Christian  Sans  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  IMiss  Ann  Mary  Ueber,  in  1845,  at  the  bride's 
home  in  New  York  City.  Mrs.  Sans  is  a  native 
of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  her  widowed  mother  and  brother  when  a 
young  lady.  Of  her  union  with  our  subjr ct  there 
have  been  born  six  children,  five  of  whom  grew 
to  mature  years — Elias  Peter,  of  Joliet,  is  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Hickory  Street  Methodist  Episco- 
copal  Church ;  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Henry,  of 
Morris,  tliis  Slate,  and  died  in  1888,  leaving  two 
children — Mabel  Cora  and  Charles;  Augusta  E.  is 
the  wife  of  John  Dahlem,  of  Joliet,  and  they  have 
five  interesting  children — Lillie,  Anna,  Ida,  Robert 
and  Walter  Earl ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Henry  C. 
Ruck,  of  Joliet;  they  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, only  three  of  whom  arc  living,  viz.:  Mabel, 
Frances  and  Elmer;  Ida  Sophia  married  C.  M. 
llenssgen.  an  alile  attorney  of  Joliet,  and  thoy  have 
two  children — Oscar  and   Eda;   Frank,    a    resident 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


691 


of  Bloomingtoii,  married  JMiss  Mary  Barker,  of 
Joliet,  and  they  have  two  children — Artluir  and 
Mary  Margaret..  He  is  proprietor  of  a  notion  and 
toy  store,  called  the  "No  Name  Store,"  and  is  do- 
ing well. 

Mr.  Sans  has,  as  is  the  cnstom  of  his  conntrj'- 
inen,  alwa3S  lived  frugally  and  within  his  means, 
saving  what  ho  eonld  of  his  income,  and  is  n(jw 
the  owner  of  valuable  proi>erty,  including  a  fine 
store  building  witli  residence  and  ollices.  and  he 
also  has  foui'  flats,  which  accommodate  three  fine 
stores,  and  two  offices  and  a  dining-room  occupied 
l)y  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  He  has 
also  put  up  a  fine  residence  for  himself  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  city,  and  is  now  in  a  condition  to 
live  retired  from  ac  tive  labor  and  enjoy  the  fruits 
of  his  early  toils.  His  son,  Elias  P.,  occupies  one 
of  the  flats  convenient  to  the  family  and  the 
church. 


♦^^^^- 


f/.^  ENRY  BEHRENS.  The  name  of  this 
worthy  German  citizen  is  familiar  to  many 
of  the  residents  of  Crete  Township  where 
\i^  he  died  at  his  homestead,  February  6,  1889. 
He  left  a  fine  estate  including  three  hundred  acres 
of  well-developed  land,  situated  on  section  30,  and 
which  with  its  improvements  stands  as  a  fitting 
monument  to  his  persevering  industry.  He  first 
came  to  Will  Conntj'  in  1850,  and  secured  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Crete 
Township  which  became  the  nucleus  of  the  fiue 
property  which  he  accumulated.  He  labored  with 
great  patience  and  economy  and  as  the  natural 
result  was  in  due  time  rewarded  with  a  home  and 
a  competence,  likewise  the  respect  of  all  who  knew 
him. 

Mr.  Behrens  was  born  in  what  was  then  the 
Kingdom  of  Hanover,  .January  9,  1836,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  laws  and  customs  of  his 
native  Germany,  was  placed  in  school  at  an  earl}' 
ago  and  received  a  good  education  in  the  German 
tongue.  About  1850,  he  set  out  with  his  parents 
for  America,  the  latter  being  Frederick  and  Mary 
Behrens  who  were  of  substantial  German   stock  for 


generations  back.  They  embai'ked  at  Bremer- 
haven  and  after  a  somewhat  lengthy  voyage  lauded 
in  New  York  City.  Thence  they  proceeded  to 
L'hicago,  111.,  and  shortly  afterward  to  this  counlv. 
settling  on  land  in  Crete  Townsliip,where  the  father 
prosecuted  farming  and  where  the  mother  died  in 
1 871 .  Fredeiick  Behrens  was  subsequently  married 
a  second  time  and  removed  to  It.asca,  this  State, 
where  In;  died  in  1  .S8  1  wlien  ({uite  aged.  He  and 
both  bis  wives  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

Mr.  Behrens  of  whom  wo  write  remained  on  the 
farm  with  his  parents  in  Crete  Township  until 
reaching  manhood  and  then  purchased  land  on 
another  section  of  the  same.  After  the  death  of 
his  parents  he  became  owntr  of  the  homestead. 
He  was  married  July  22,  1859,  to  Miss  Sophia 
C)hlondorf.  Mrs.  Behrens  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel, 
October  13,  1839,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Sophia  (Sene)  Ohlend.orf,  who  were  natives  of  Prus- 
sia and  of  pure  German  ancestry.  Two  of  the  nine 
children  born  to  them  died  iu  Germany.  Tlie 
remaining  five  sons  and  two  daughters  accompanied 
their  parents  to  America  about  1850.  They  were 
on  the  ocean  seven  weeks  and  landed  in  New  York 
Cit}',  whence  they  came  directly  to  Illinois  and 
settled  on  a  new  farm  in  Crete  Township,  AVill 
County.  Mr.  Ohlendorf  occupied  himself  iu  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  but  finally  removed  to  another 
farm  in  the  same  township,  where  he  died  in  1882. 
He  was  then  about  seventy  nine  j'ears  old.  He 
and  his  good  wife  joined  the  Lutheran  Church 
early  in  life.  Mrs.  Ohlendorf  is  still  living  at  the 
.age  of  eighty-three  years  and  makes  her  home  with 
her  son  August  in  Crete  Township. 

Mrs.  Behrens  was  a  young  girl  of  thirteen  years 
when  her  parents  came  to  America  and  she  remem- 
bers many  of  the  incidents  of  preparation  and  the 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  She  has  a  good  edu- 
cation iu  her  native  tongue  and  remained  with  her 
parents  until  her  marriage.  Since  the  death  of  her 
husband  she  has  managed  the  farm  in  an  admirable 
manner.  There  were  born  to  them  twelve  children, 
three  of  whom — Henry,  Louisa  and  Mary  died 
young.  The  survivors  are  Christina,  the  wife  of 
John  Haitman,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Iroquois 
Count}-,  this   State;  Sophia  M.,  Henry,  Christof, 


592 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Catherine,  Conrad,  Emma,  Willie  and  JNIary.  Mr. 
lU'lirens  was  an  active  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Clinreh  to  which  his  wifeand  children  also  belonged. 
Ill  (jolltics  he  was  a  Republican  and  his  sons  in 
this  resi>ect  also  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their 
honored  father.  Besides  the  propertj-  in  Will 
County,  the  estate  embraces  two  farms  in  Woodford 
Township.  Iroquois  Count}',  one  comprising  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  and  the  other  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres. 

'ii^^RANK  LAMBERT.  This  gentleman  is  a 
jlii^'^  representive  English-American  citizen  and 
Jl)  a  pioneer  of  DuPage  Township,  now  enjoy- 

ing the  many  comforts  and  the  ease  of  life  to  whicii 
liis  former  labors  fairly  entitle  him.  In  the  toils 
and  successes  of  long  years  he  has  been  aided  by  a 
noble  wife,  who  shares  with  him  in  the  results  of 
their  labors  and  in  the  deep  esteem  of  the  many 
friends  the}'  can  boast. 

Mr.  Lambei't  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England, 
Sei)teiiiber  19,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Eliza])etli  Lambert,  and  a  brother  of  Cleorge  Lani- 
liert,  whose  biography  occurs  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native 
country  with  Ijut  limited  school  |)iivileges,  and  in 
1851,  in  company  with  his  brother  George,  emi- 
grated to  America.  He  came  direct  to  Will  County, 
in  which  he  has  Ijeen  a  continuous  resident  since 
his  arrival.  In  1859  he  settled  ujion  a  tract  of  land 
on  section  20,  DuPage  Township,  wliere  lie  has 
made  for  himself  a  home  of  attractive  appearance 
and  value. 

The  farm  secured  by  our  subject  was  an  un- 
broken prairie,  upon  which  lie  turned  the  first  fur- 
row and  has  made  all  the  improvements  that  now 
stamp  it  as  a  well-developed  farm.  It  consists  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  wliich  bear  no  resem- 
blance to  their  pristine  rawness,  but  whereon  wav- 
ing fields  of  grain  replace  the  rank  grasses  of  a 
former  period,  and  good  buildings  shelter  a  pleas- 
ant famil}',  flocks  and  herds  and  plentiful  crops. 
Industry  and  perseverance  have  conquered  un- 
toward surroundings  and    Mr.  Lambert  can    point 


with  pride  to  the  record  he  has  made  and  the  share 
he  has  borne  in  the  development  of  the  country. 

The  faithful  companion  of  Mr.  Lambert  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Elizabeth  Arter, 
their  marriage  rites  having  been  celebrated  May 
27,  185C.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ellen 
After.both  born  in  Pennsylvania.  The  former  died 
June  23,  1890,  in  Phiinfield,  111.,  and  the  latter, 
March  31,  1868.  Her  maternal  grandfather,  John 
King,  was  an  Englishman  and  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier in  the  American  Army.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lambert  eight  children  have  been  born,  three  be- 
ing deceased,  namely:  Jesse,  Anna  B.  and  Sarah. 
The  survivors  are  :  George;  Ellen,  wife  of  A.  W(  iii- 
hold,  of  Kansas;  Frank  S.;  Alice,  wife  of  Rollin 
George,  of  Minnesota,  and  Grace. 

Mr.  Lambert  is  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  They 
have  instilled  into  the  mind  and  hearts  of  their 
progeny  the  jirinciijles  of  right  living,  carried  them 
out  in  their  own  lives  and  now  enjoy  an  extended 
circle  of  acquaintances  among  the  best  people.  Mr. 
Lambert  has  become  well  known  as  a  man  of  the 
strictest  integrity. 


m 


OHN  C.  DOESCHER.  Probalily  no  resident 
of  Crete  Township  is  better  known  through- 
out this  i>art  of  the  county  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  has  been  Postmaster  at 
Endor  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  and  engaged  in 
business  enterprises  there  which  have  proved  a 
great  accommodation  to  the  people  in  this  part  of 
the  township.  He  has  the  onlj-  store  in  the  place, 
carrying  a  good  stock  of  general  merchandise,  and 
well  patronized;  he  also  operates  a  sawmill  for  the 
manufacture  of  paling  fences  and  barrel  hoops,  and 
a  feedmill,  both  of  which  are  among  the  practical 
institutions  of  the  county.  A  natural  mechanic, 
Mr.  Doescher  has  been  engaged  in  some  practical 
mechanical  enteri)rise  since  early  life,  and  his  ex- 
perience has  developed  his  natural  skill. 

Mr.  Doescher  is  of  German  parentage,  being  a 
son  of  Herman  Doescher,  who  was  born  and  reared 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  where  he  learned    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


593 


ti'ade  of  a  rope-maker.  When  the  harbor  was  be- 
gun at  Bremen,  he  went  there  .and  started  a  rope- 
walk, which  he  carried  on  until  he  came  to  America. 
His  settlement  in  this  country  was  made  in  Lake 
County,  Ind.,  whence  he  afterward  came  to  the 
home  of  our  subject,  dying  .at  Endor  when  an  old 
man.  For  a  fuller  history  see  the  biography  of  H. 
Doescher. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  the  young- 
est member  of  his  father's  family  and  the  only  child 
born  in  the  United  States.  His  birtbpl.ace  was 
Brunswick,  Lake  County,  Ind.,  and  his  natal  day 
April  5,  1848.  He  was  well  reared  and  received  a 
practical  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
county,  which  he  left,  when  he  became  of  age,  to 
take  up  arms  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  G,  Twelfth  Indiana  Cavalry  in  1864, 
the  regiment  being  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Reed,  and  the  company  being  led  by  Capt.  James 
M.  Foster.  Accompanying  the  regiment  to  the 
front  Mr.  Doescher  participated  in  a  number  of 
active  engagements,  among  them  being  the  battle 
at  IMurfreesljoro,  where  lie  was  wounded  in  the  leg. 
His  wound,  however,  i<ei)t  him  out  of  t!ie  ranks 
hut  about  a  week.  He  was  present  atMol)ile  when 
Spanish  Fort  and  Ft.  Blakely  succumbed  to  tlie 
attack  of  the  Union  forces  and  the  city  was  siu'- 
rendcred.  lie  remained  iu  the  army  until  Decem- 
ber, 18G5,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and 
returned  to  his  home,  [iroud  to  knovr  that  he  had 
assisted  his  country  in  her  hour  of  need. 

Mr.  Doescher  took  up  civil  life  as  a  farmer  in  his 
na,tive  county,  also  carr3'ing  on  a  tubidar-pump 
business  until  August,  1874,  when  he  came  to  Will 
County  and  became  a  resident  of  Endor.  In  the 
meantime,  in  1870,  he  had  taken  a  companion  in 
Miss  Henrietta  Weber,  their  marriage  being  cele- 
brated near  his  birthplace.  Mrs.  Doescher  is  of 
Hanoverian  parentage,  but  is  herself  a  native  of  the 
United  States,  having  been  born  in  Wisconsin,  on 
the  'ieth  of  March,  184'J.  Her  parents  resided  iu 
the  Empire  State  for  some  time  after  their  emigra- 
tion from  (Germany,  afterward  going  to  Wisconsin 
and  still  later  to  Illinois.  Both  are  now  deceased, 
their  bodies  resting  in  the  cemetery  at  Dalton,  III. 
Mrs,  Doescher  is  an  energetic,  intelligent  woman 
who  was  educated   in    Wisconsin,   and   is  looking 


well  to  the  ways  of  her  household  and  the  training 
of  the  children  that  have  been  given  her.  The 
family  circle  includes  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
named  respectively:  Otto  H.  IL,  Tilda,  Ida  and 
Ilenrj'  H.  Mr.  Doescher  has  been  School  Treasurer 
for  3'ears,  his  financial  ability  and  strict  integrity 
being  recognized  by  his  fellow-men.  He  is  a  sound 
Republican  in  politics,  never  failing  to  deposit  his 
vote  on  election  day. 


i—^S-i-W?- 


WILLIAM  WEHMHOFER.  The  German- 
American  citizens  of  Will  County  form  a 
„  ^  portion  of  its  most  substantial  and  reliable 
element  and  have  contributed  largely  to  the  de- 
velopment of  its  agricultural  resources.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  notice  owns  and  occupies  his  father's 
old  homestead  to  the  original  acreage  of  which  he 
has  added, until  he  now  has  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  cultivated  land  and  twenty-eight  acres  of 
limber.  This  is  finely  located  on  section  15,  and 
has  been  his  home  since  his  boyhood. 

Mr.  Wehmhofer  was  born  in  the  Province  of 
llesse-Cass'el,  Germany,  December  2'J,  1844,  and 
came  when  a  boy  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States.  They  settled  at  once  in  this  county  where 
the  father  first  secured  eighty  acres  of  land  and 
later  doubleil  the  amount  from  which  he  opened  up 
a  fertile  farm  and  where  he  spent  the  closing  years 
of  his  life.  The  homestead  became  the  property  of 
our  subject  in  1875,  and  he  has  effected  additional 
improvements  so  that  it  has  become  the  source  of 
a  hnudsome  income,  making  the  iiroi)rietor  inde- 
pendent, financially. 

William  Wehmhofer,  Sr.,  was  also  a  native  of 
llesse-Cassel  and  was  of  pure  German  stock  as  far 
back  as  the  records  go.  The  i)aternal  grandparents 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  Fatherland.  William 
Sr.,  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  which  his  fa- 
ther followed  before  him  and  also  most  of  his 
brothers.  William  after  reaching  his  majority, 
was  married  in  his  native  province  to  Miss  Mary 
Wilkening,  who  was  born  and  reared  not  far  from 
the  early  home  of   her  husband.     They  remained 


594 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


there  until  after  the  birth  of  their  eklest  child,  the 
sul>ject  of  tliis  sketch,  and  then  about  18  1(5  set  out 
for  America,  embarking  at  ]5remerhaven,  and  after 
a  safe  vo\-ago,  landing  in  New  York  City.  Thence 
tiie\-  i)rocee(Ied  to  Chicago  and  shortly  afterwaid 
to  Will  County.  The  father  established  a  shop  in 
Crete  and  operated  this  a  number  of  j-ears  before 
settling  upon  his  farm.  He  died  in  1875,  aged 
sixty-three  j-eari<.  He  was  an  honest  and  industri- 
ous man,  making  a  good  living  for  his  family,  and 
by  his  straightforward  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
citizens  earned  their  confidence  and  esteem.  He  had 
been  reared  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
to  wiiich  he  faithfulh'  adhered  and  to  which  he  gave 
libeiall}'.  Upon  becoming  a  voting  citizen,  he 
ideiititied  himself  with  the  Republican  i):irt3'  of 
whose  principles  he  was  a  warm  supporter. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  home  with  her  daughter  in  Crete.  Al- 
though seventy  years  old  she  is  bright  and  active 
and  from  her  youth  has  been  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church.  AVilliam  was  the  only 
son  of  the  family  and  has  four  sisters  living,  all 
being  married  and  settled  in  comfortable  homes. 

Mr.  AVehmhofer  after  reaching  man's  estate  was 
married  in  Crete  Township  to  Miss  JIary  Brandts. 
Mrs.  Wehmhofer,  like  her  husband,  is  a  native  of 
Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and  was  born  in  1850. 
Her  parents  Christoph  and  Minnie  (Schwake) 
Brandts,  were  also  of  German  birth  and  parentage 
and  when  their  daughter  was  a  young  ]ad3' eighteen 
years  old  emigrated  to  America  and  coming  to  Will 
County',  settled  in  Washington  Township.  They 
are  still  living  and  both  have  attained  their  three- 
score years.  They  are  most  excellent  and  worthy 
people  and  consistent  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

Mrs.  Wehmhofer  was  the  second  born  in  a  fam- 
ily of  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  living  and  with 
one  exception  all  are  married.  She  was  reared  and 
educated  in  her  native  province,  being  more  than 
ordinarily  bright  and  intelligent  and  was  a  young 
lady  of  eighteen  years  when  coming  to  the  United 
States,  being  about  the  lirst  member  of  the  family 
to  leave  the  Fatherland  for  America.  .She  was 
joined  by  her  parents  and  the  other  children  one 
year    later.     She   has  proven  an  efficient  helpmate 


to  her  husband  and  they  are  the  proud  parents  of 
six  bright  chiblren,  all  of  whom  are  at  home  and 
named  respectively,  Sophia,  Mar3',  Emma,  Anna. 
William  Jr.,  and  Henr^-.  Our  subject  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  are  members  in  good  standing  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  Mr.  Wehmhofer  like  his  hon- 
ored father,  is  a  sound  Republican. 


* 


^OBERT  GOUDY  is  one  of  those  to  whom 
jl'^  DuPage  Township  owes  its  present  highly 
'^\  cultivated  antl  developed  condition.  He 
came  hither  in  1843  and  well  remembers  the 
time  when  settlements  were  "few  and  far  between" 
and  Chicago,  then  but  a  sma'U  town,  was  the  depot 
for  supplies  and  the  market  for  grain.  To  that  now 
wonderful  city  he  went  for  several  years  as  the 
trading  center. 

The  parents  of  our  sul)jeet  were  Alexander  and 
Jane  (Wallace)  Goud}-,  natives  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland,  respectivel}',  who  came  to  America  about 
1818.  They  located  in  the  Province  of  Ontario, 
then  Lower  Canada,  but  after  a  short  time  removed 
to  Vermont  and  still  later  to  Essex  Couut3',  N.  Y., 
where  they  lived  about  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
They  finally  came  to  Illinois  in  1845  and  died  in 
Will  County,  full  of  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  the  onl^-  survivors 
are  our  subject  and  a  sister  Jennie,  wife  of  George 
W.  Potter,  of  this  county. 

Mr.  Goudy,  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  iu  the 
Dominion  of  Canada,  January  2, 1822,  but  reached 
his  majority  while  living  on  a  farm  in  Essex 
County,  N.  Y.  He  received  but  a  limited  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  there  and  advanced  his 
knowledge  by  attending  school  one  winter  after  he 
came  to  Illinois.  He  has  endeavored  b3-  much 
reading  to  overcome  the  deficiencies  and  keep  up 
with  the  times  in  information  regarding  current 
events  and  topics  of  general  interest. 

The  greater  part  of  Mr.  Goudy's  life  has  been 
devoted  to  farm  work,  although  he  learned  a  trade 
in  his  3"0uth.  When  eighteen  he  became  a  black- 
smith but  followed  the  trade  only  four  years.  For 
seven  years  lie   was  lock-tender  on   the  Illinois  & 


^ 


iim 


^  X  0  ^^^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


557 


Michigan  Canal,  two  and  u  half  miles  north  of 
Loekpi  rt,  III.,  and  for  two  ^eais  ran  a  boat  for 
Norton  &  C'o.,  of  Lockport.  Tlie  rest  of  his  life  Ijas 
Iiocn  given  to  agiicultural  labore.  He  came  to  Ilii- 
iKiis  in  1813,  and  for  several  years  worked  as  a 
farm  hand  l)y  the  month.  Tlie  estate  of  one  linn- 
dred  and  twenty  acres  he  now  owns  has  been  se- 
cured bj'  industry  and  persevering  efforts  and 
l)Iaccd  under  good  cultivation  by  the  owner,  whose 
merited  success  is  a  nritter  of  rejoicing  to  his  many 
friends. 

On  the  l.jth  of  October,  1818.  Mr.  (ioudy  led  to 
tlie  hymeneal  altar  Miss  Ophelia  Welch,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  whose  estimaljlc  (lualities  had  won  his  re- 
gard. The  happy  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  four  children,  and  the  i)arents  have  been 
called  upon  to  part  with  three — William  11.,  Mary, 
and  Charles  \i.  The  living  child,  Julia,  is  the  wife 
(jf  ,T.  E.  Davis,  and  they  make  their  home  with  our 
subject.  Mr.  Goudy  has  served  as  School  Director 
and  as  Township  Highway  Commissioner  a  number 
of  years,  with  credit  to  himself  and  those  who 
l)laced  him  in  office.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
He  and  his  wife  are  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  en- 
joying the  fruits  of  useful  and  well  spent  j'ears, 
surrounded  by  friends  and  well-wishers,  whose  re- 
siiect  they  have  gained  by  their  honest  endeavors 
and  kindly  spirit. 


■-^*^' 


dNCENT  L.  D.  BARNEY.  Among  the 
V  //  honored  pioneers  of  New  Lenox  Township, 
Y'  none  are  more  worthy  of  mention  than  Mr. 
Barney,  a  portrait  of  whom  is  presented  on  the 
opposite  page.  Without  perhaps  making  any 
great  stir  in  the  world,  he  has  acquitted  himself  as 
an  honest  main  and  a  good  citizen,  and  possesses 
those  kindly  traits  of  character  which  have  drawn 
around  him  hosts  of  friends.  In  no  less  manner 
has  the  lady,  who  for  a  period  of  twenty-two 
years  has  been  the  sharer  of  his  earthly  for- 
tunes, earned  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the 
community.  Their  home  is  one  of  the  most  hos- 
pitable in  the  county,  and  is  the  frequent  resort  of 


the   friends    whom   they    have  attracted  to    them 
during  their  long  residence  in  this  county. 

In  noting  the  parental  history  of  our  subject  we 
find  that  his  father,  Perus  Barney,  was  a  native  of 
New  York  State,  and  married  Miss  EU'cla  Morton, 
who  was  born  and  reared  near  the  early  home  of 
her  husband.  After  uniting  their  lives  and  for- 
tunes they  settled  near  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  Hnd 
thence,  in  ]8.'5G,  emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  for 
several  years  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Babcock's 
Grove,  DuPage  County.  Their  next  removal  was 
to  Waukegan,  where  the3'  sjjent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  The  father  w.as  called  hence  Octol)er 
28,  1877,  and  the  mother  Seiitembt.r  29,  1885. 
There  was  born  to  them  a  family  of  seventeen 
children,  two  of  whom  died  unnamed  in  infancy, 
and  ten  of  whom  are  yet  living  (May,   LS'JO.) 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  second  child 
in  the  family,  and  first  opened  his  eyas  to  the  light 
May  1!),  1823,  in  Rutland,  near  Watertown,  N.  Y. 
He  was  thirteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  Illinois.  The  family  left  their  Eastern 
home  in  183(1,  taking  [lassage  on  a  schooner  for 
Milwaukee.  The  latter  city  was  reached  June  24, 
and  after  remaining  there  about  two  months,  on 
the  15th  of  August  they  left  for  DuPage  Count}', 
111.  They  traveled  in  a  primitive  manner,  with 
three  yoke  of  oxen  and  two  wagons,  camping  for 
the  night  wherever  darkness  overtook  them.  On 
arriving  at  their  destination  they  settled  in  a 
shanty  about  fourteen  feet  square,  and  there  lived 
until  the  following  suturaer,  when  they  erected  and 
moved  into  a  new  house.  DuPage  County  con- 
tinued to  be  their  home  for  eighteen  j'cars,  during 
which  period  six  of  the  children  married.  The 
remainder  of  the  family-  then  removed  to  Lake 
Count}',  111.,  and  since  then  the  remaining  children, 
with  the  exception  of  the  \'oungest,  have  settled 
down  in  homes  of  their  ovvn  in  different  States. 

Under  the  [jarental  roof  our  subject  grew  to  a 
stalwart  manhood,  and  at  the  age  of  twent3'-six 
l)repared  to  establish  a  home  of  his  own.  He  was 
then  married,  June  17,  1849,  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship, t(/  Miss  Clarissa,  daughter  of  Silas  Parker. 
Clarrissa  L.  Parker  was  born  B'ebruarjr  28,  1829,  in 
Westford  Township,  Chittenden  County,  \'t.  In 
her  eighth  year  she  removed   with   her  parents  to 


598 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Illinois  (then  the  ''Far  West"),  arriving  in  Chicago 
July  1,  1836.  They  settled  in  Plainfiekl,  Will 
County,  111.,  where  she  lived  about  eight  years, 
and  then  removed  to  New  Lenox  Township,  Will 
County.  The  3'oung  people  located  upon  the  farm 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  our  subject,  and  here 
he  has  since  uninterruptedly'  followed  agricultural 
pursuits.  Of  this  union  there  was  born  a  family 
of  seven  children,  tlie  eldest  of  whom,  a  son,  James, 
died  when  eighteen  months  old;  Caroline  is  the 
wife  of  George  Jlclnt^re,  and  they  live  in  Chi- 
cago; Sarah  married  Hiram  Summers,  an<l  they 
are  also  located  in  Chicago;  Silas  is  farming  in 
New  Lenox  Townshiii;  Charles  is  a  resident  of 
Wilmington,  this  State;  Emma  lives  in  Chicago; 
Clara  is  at  home  with  her  father.  Mrs.  Clarissa 
Barney  departed  this  life  at  the  homestead  April 
17,  1865. 

Our  subject  contracted  a  second  marriage  Octo- 
ber 1,  1867,  at  Chicago,  with  Miss  Sarah  Ann, 
daughter  of  the  late  Archibald  Clybourue,  of  that 
city.  Jlrs.  Sarah  Barney  was  born  March  24, 
1830,  in  Chicago,  where  she  received  her  education 
and  was  reared  to  womanhood.  ]Mr.  Clybourue 
wa.>  a  butcher  by  trade,  and  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  the  tiit^-.  There  is  living  of  this 
union  only  one  child,  a  son,  Archibald.  Jlaggie 
and  Mary  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Harney's  farm 
embraces  eighty-five  acres  of  choice  land,  upon 
which  have  been  effected  good  improvements.  The 
house  is  especially-  neat  and  comfortable,  and  with 
its  surroundings  forms  a  ver3'  attractive  home.  Mr. 
Barne\'  gives  his  uniform  allegiance  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  has  served  as  a  School  Director  in 
his  district.  Aside  from  this  he  has  never  assumed 
the  cares  and  resposibilities  of  office. 


lOBERT  B.  GRAVES  h:is  been  closely  iden- 
tified with  the  farming  and  slock-iaising  in- 

d^%  terests  of  Will  County  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  has  been  no  unimportant  factor 

in  extending  its  agriculture,  and  thus  in  promoting 

the  material  prosperity  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

He  owns  and  is  successfully  managing  a  fine  farm 


in  Plainfield  Township,  that  is  well  stocked,  and 
is  well  improved  in  point  of  cultivation,  and  sup- 
plied with  neat  and  substantial  buildings.  Mr. 
Graves  is  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  in  which  he  did 
honorable  service  as  a  brave  and  patriotic  soldier, 
and  in  commemoration  of  that  eventful  peiiod  of 
his  life  and  of  his  country's  history  he  is  now  a 
respected  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, belonging  to  Bartlesou's  Post,  No.  6. 

Our  subject's  native  place  is  among  the  beauti- 
ful hills  of  Orange  County,  Vt..  in  Williamstown, 
December  18,  1832,  being  the  date  of  his  birth.  He 
comes  of  sterling  New  England  stock,  and  his  father, 
David  Graves,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  as  was 
also  his  father.  The  latter  removed  from  the  old  Ba\- 
State  to  Vermont  in  the  early  years  of  its  settle- 
ment and  .becaiue  a  pioneer  of  the  State.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  but  a  boy  when  his  par- 
ents went  to  the  Green  Mountain  State  to  hew  a  new 
home  from  the  wilderness,  and  he  was  there  reared 
and  married,  Amelia  Persons,  a  native  of  that 
State,  becoming  his  wife.  He  resided  in  Williams- 
town  until  1845,  anil  tlien  came  to  Illinois,  the  re- 
moval being  made  with  a  team  to  Burlington,  and 
thence  by  steamer  to  Whitehall,  and  from  there  by 
way  of  the  Champlain  and  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo, 
and  thence  by  lakes  to  Chicago,  arriving  there  in 
September  of  that  3-ear.  He  located  in  Cook 
County, buying  two  hundred  and  fiftj-  acres  of  choice 
land  in  Shaumburg,  which,  including  improve- 
ments, stock  and  crops,  cost  him  $2,000.  He  soon 
became  prominent  in  the  public  life  of  the  town 
and  assisted  in  its  organization,  and  was  otherwise 
useful  as  a  citizen.  He  lived  there  ten  years  and 
then  sold  his  farm  advantageoush'  and  removed  to 
McHenry  County',  where  he  bougiit  another  farm, 
where  he  dwelt  until  1867,  when  he  sold  that  place 
and  coming  to  Plainfield.  died  in  the  home  of  our 
subject  at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty'. four  jears. 
His  wife  preceded  liim  in  death  one  year,  she  also 
having  attained  tlie  venerable  age  of  eighty-four. 
The}'  reared  three  children:  Daniel,  who  lives  at 
Ashton,  Dak.;  Robert  B.;  William  E.,  a  resident 
of  Pevelj-,  Mo. 

Robert  Graves  was  a  boy  of  thirteen  j'ears  when 
he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  i)arents.  He  was  reared 
to  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  was  activel}'  engaged  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  KIOGkaPHICAL  ALBUM. 


599 


this  occupation  when  the  great  rebellion  broke  out 
In  18C2  ho  laid  aside  his  work  to  take  up  arms  in 
defense  of  his  country's  honor,  leaving  his  pleasant 
liume  and  many  warm  friends  to  go  forth  to  the 
linrdships  and  struggles  of  a  soldier's  life.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Fifth  Independent  Battery 
of  Illinois  Light  Artillery,  and  going  South  with  his 
coMipan}',  took  part  in  several  battles  and  skir- 
mishes with  the  enemy.  He  was  an  actor  in  the 
battle  of  Kingston,  in  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Knoxville,  Tenn..  and  was  at  the  battle  at  Straw- 
berry'Plains.  In  the  winter  of  18U3-GI  he  and  his 
comrades  were  in  camp  in  Tennessee  and  suffered 
greatly  from  the  rigors  of  the  cold  Januarj*  so  well 
remembered  by  the  soldiers.  The  men  were  poorly 
clad,  not  having  drawn  an3'  clothing  since  the  i)re- 
ceding  Ai)ril.  Our  subject  was  protected  onl^-  by  a 
blouse  that  was  unlined  and  a  thin  jiairof  pantaloons 
that  were  nearly  through  at  the  knees.  Fortunatel}- 
they  were  in  a  well- wooded  countr}',  and  they  were 
enabled  to  keep  up  good  fires.  After  the  fall  of 
Atlanta,  Mr.  Graves  joined  Thomas'  command  at 
Nashville,  and  during  the  winter  went  to  W.ashing- 
lon,  D.  C,  from  there  tu  Alexandria,  where  he 
riubarked  for  Newbern,  N.  ('.,  and  from  there 
marched  to  Wiser's  Forks,  and  thence  to  Golds- 
lioro,  where  he  once  more  came  under  Sherman's 
command,  and  was  there  when  .lohnston  capitulated. 
From  there  his  companj-  was  sent  to  Greensboro, 
and  thence  to  Charlotte,  and  from  there  to  Chi- 
cago, where  it  was  discharged,  July  18,  1865,  after 
three  years'  faithful  and  honorable  service. 

After  his  military  experience  Mr.  Graves  came 
ti>  Will  County  and  rented  a  farm  in  AVheatland. 
and  in  1808  bought  his  present  farm,  which  is  lo- 
cated one  mile  southeast  of  Plainfield  Village. 
There  are  one  hundred  and  four  acres  of  excep- 
tiontilly  fine  farming  land,  that  is  under  high  culti- 
vation,is  provided  with  all  the  necessary  machinery, 
with  ample  buildings,  and  is  well  stocked  with 
horses  and  cattle  of  a  high  grade,  Morgans  being 
his  favorite  in  the  former,  and  Ilolsteins  in  the 
latter. 

Mr.  Graves  has  been  twice  njarried.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  first  wife  was  Marilla  Ketchum,  and 
they  were  united  in  marriage  February  22,  1857. 
She  was  born  in  North  Adams,   Mass.,  and  was  a 


daughter  of  Levi  Ketchum.  After  a  married  life 
of  seventeen  years  this  devoted  wife  and  mother 
was  removed  from  the  household  over  which  she 
had  presided  so  faithfully,  her  death  occurring 
June  11,  1874.  One  son  was  born  of  her  union 
with  our  subject — Walter  II.  Mr.  Graves  was  mar- 
ried to  his  present  estimable  wife,  formerly  Mari- 
etta King,  September  15,  1875.  Mrs.  (i  raves  was 
born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Al- 
vin  J.  and  Ann  King.  She  is  a  good  and  true 
woman,  and  looks  carefully  after  the  interests  of 
her  family.  The  home  circle  is  completed  by  the 
two  children  born  to  her  and  her  husband — Alice 
A.  and  Robbie  K. 

Mr.  Graves  is  a  man  of  honor,  trulhfulness  and 
strict  integritj'  in  all  his  business  and  social  rela- 
tions, and  is  classed  among  our  most  useful  and 
higldy  esteemed  citizens.  He  is  public-spirited  and 
is  actively  interested  in  whatever  will  advance  his 
adoi)ted  town,  and  takes  part  in  the  administra- 
tion of  its  civic  affairs,  doing  his  shaie  to  advance 
it  materially,  socially'  and  morally.  He  is  now 
serving  his  fourth  term  as  Assessor  of  the  town- 
ship, discharging  the  duties  of  his  olHce  so  ably 
and  impartiall\-  as  to  deserve  and  receive  the  com- 
mendation and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
He  is  a  man  of  sincere  and  liberal  religious  views, 
which  find  expression  in  the  Universalist  faith,  and 
he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  society  of 
that  denomination  in  Plainfield.  In  politics  he  is 
a  stanch  Republican. 


^J:^;^t^f^y<^ 


■*<-<T— 


iDMUND    DIBBLE,  a  veteran    in  the    late 
war  in  which  he  did  good  service,  for  which 
'J!  he  was  promoted  from  the  rauks  to  the  po- 


sition of  Sergeant,  has  since  leaving  the  army  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  sturdy,  wide-awake,  pro- 
gressive farmers  of  this  county,  his  farm,  lying 
in  Troy  Township,  comparing  favorably  with 
any  in  the  vicinity  in  regard  to  its  appointments. 
Mr.  Dibble  was  born  in  Lenawee  County, 
Mich.,  December  25,  1838,  to  Isaiah  and  Zoe3'  (La 
Duke)  Dibble.  His  father  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  was  of  German  descent,  while  his  mother 


600 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  from  Detroit,  Midi.,  and  was  of  French  ex- 
traflion.  Our  suliject  remained  iu  his  native  place 
until  lie  was  twenty  ^ears  of  age,  receiving  bis 
education  in  the  local  district  school.  Leaving 
tlie  home  of  his  birth  lie  came  to  Kankakee,  111., 
where  he  was  working  on  a  farm  when  the  war 
broke  out.  In  .July,  1862,  he  offered  his  services 
to  the  (Toverniuent  and  enlisted  in  the  One  Hun- 
dicd  .'uul  Thirteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  took 
part  in  the  seige  of  Vicksburg,  battle  of  Champion 
Hills,  and  was  .at  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post  on 
the  White  River.  While  Lefore  Yicksburg,  he  vvas 
i1(!tailed  with  others  to  run  a  mine  under  Ft.  Hill, 
in  whieii  was  placed  a  great  quantity  of  powder 
which  was  discharged  on  the  22nd  of  M.ay  and  a 
ciiarge  made  on  the  works  simultaneousl}',  the  ex- 
plosion blowing  up  the  whole  side  of  the  large  hill 
on  which  the  fort  was  located.  His  regiment  then 
did  f;uard  fluty  at  IMemiihis,  where  Mr.  Dibble,  for 
his  conduct  in  battle  and  general  efficiency,  was 
promoted  to  Commissary  Sergeant,  he  being  on 
detatched  duty  at  the  Provost  Marshal's  ollice. 
While  there  he  suffered  with  rheumatism  which  af- 
terward turned  to  erysiiielas  and  tliougli  he  is  en- 
lillcd  lo  a  pension  under  the  law,  he  has  never 
made  a[)plic:Uion  for  one.  June  27,  1865,  Ser- 
geant Dibble  was  mustered  out  of  the  ami}-,  liav- 
ing  done  faithful  and  honorable  service  for  the 
cause  of  his  country  for  three  long  and  weary 
years. 

After  his  military  experience  our  subject  came 
toJoliet  with  his  family  of  wife  and  one  child  and 
soon  settled  in  Troj'.  In  1868,  he  bought  one  lain- 
dred  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  since  added 
one  liundred  more,  all  of  which  is  under  a  aiie 
state  of  cultivation,  is  aniplj-  supplied  with  needed 
buildings,  and  is  in  a  flourishing  condition  gener- 
ally. 

To  the  wife,  the  homemaker,  who  renders  his 
home  comfortable  and  attractive,  Mr.  Dibble  was 
married  .at  Kankakee.  Mrs.  Dibble's  maiden  name 
was  Celia  Saramons.  She  is  the  daughtor  of  Wil- 
liam T.  Sammons,  who  liad  moved  to  Troy  Town- 
siiip  while  our  subject  was  in  the  army.  Two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union,  both  of  whom 
are  now  married  and  well  settled  in  life.  Duane 
was  married  to  Miss  Pinneo,  a  daughter   of   .1.  IJ. 


Pinneo,  and  their  children  are — Lotta  Eloise,  and 
a  babe,  Eugene;  Helen,  married  Edwin  G.  Fargo, 
who  now  lives  in  Iowa  on  a  farm  near  Gilmore 
City,  Humboldt  County,  and  they  have  one  child- 
Chester  DeWitt. 

Mr.  Dibble  is  a  whole-souled,  genial-hearted 
man,  and  the  unsullied  reputation  that  he  has  al- 
ways bo.-ne  entitles  him  to  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem that  is  accorded  him  by  his  fellow  citizens. 
Such  is  their  respect  for  him,  that  although  he  is  a 
strong  Republican,  having  an  .active  interest  in 
[lolitics,  twice  t'ley  have  called  him  to  the  respon- 
sible olBce  of  Assessor,  the  town  l)eing  a  Demo- 
cratic strong-hold,  throwing  two  Democratic  votes 
to  one  Republican.  He  is  patiiotic  and  public- 
spirited  iu  ever3'  way  and  is  earnestly  alive  to  the 
educational  needs  of  his  townshiii,  and  has  served 
zealously  as  School  Director  of  his  district  for 
manj-yeai-s.  He  keeps  alive  tlie  meinoiy  of  his 
da3S  and  niglits  on  the  battle-field  by  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Grand  Arm}'  of  the  Reiiublic,  of  Jol- 
iet. 


EV.  SAMUEL  T.  CARPENTER,  late  a 
minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  wlio 
\Y  was  well  known  to  many  of  the  residents  of 
this  county  as  a  man  thoroughly  devoted-to 
the  Master's  work,w.as  a  u.ative  of  Glassboro,  N. 
J.,  and  born  September  25,  1810.  He  received  a 
thorough  education,  being  graduated  at  Kenyou 
College,  at  Gambler,  Ohio,  and  soon  afterward  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  his  chosen  calling.  His 
flrst  charge  was  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  and  he  subse- 
quently located  iu  Monroe,  Mich.  He  was  for  a  time 
Chaplain  in  the  Main  Street  Hospital  in  Covington, 
Ky.  and  als^o  at  Camp  Dcnison,  Ohio.  His  death  oc- 
curred December  26, 1874, iu  Cincinnati, C)hio,when  a 
little  more  than  three-score  and  four  years  of  age. 
By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Carpenter  became  the 
father  of  two  children,  one  of  whom.  Samuel  C.  B. 
served  iu  the  Union  Armj'  .as  a  member  of  Com- 
panj'  B,  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  en- 
dured great  hardship  and  exjiosure  and  excessive 
marching,  which  so  undermined  his  health  that  he 
died  from  the  effects  tiiereof  October  1,  1871,  after 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


003 


a  long  illness  iu  Cincinnati  and  Joliet.  The  other 
cliild,  Frances  M.,  a  daugUter,  makes  her  home 
with  her  stepmother  in  Joliet. 

Later  Mr.  Carpenter  was  wedded  to  Miss  Emily 
D.  Thompson,  who  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
August  31,  1830.  Her  parents  were  Richard  and 
Elizabeth  (Dennj')  Thompson,  and  the  father  while 
a  resident  of  the  (Jiiaker  City,  occupied  himself  as 
a  commission  merchant.  In  that  city  he  passed 
awa}'.  Mrs.  Thompson  died  at  the  residence  of  Mrs. 
Carpenter  in  Joliet, in  Maj^l872.  Until  her  marriage 
Mrs.  Cariienter  lived  in  Philfidelphia  and  Wilming- 
ton, Del.  The  ceremony  was  performed  June  29, 
1852,  at  the  bride's  home  in  Wilmington,  bj'  Bishop 
Lee  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  that  city.  Of  this  un- 
ion there  were  born  five  children,  all  of  whom  are 
living.  Herbert  D.  was  Ijorn  in  Smyrna,  Del., 
June  2,  1853,  and  after  compleling  his  literary 
education  began  reading  law  under  the  instruction 
of  Phelps  ct  Clement;  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  December,  1878,  and  is  now  practicing  his  pro- 
fession in  Joliet,  being  located  at  No.  102  Jeffer- 
son Street.  He  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Florence  married  Albert  W. 
Fiero  of  Joliet;  Horace  T.  is  in  business  at  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.;  R.  Howell  is  engaged  in  railroading 
in  .Joliet;  Louis  T.  C.  is  a  salesman  in  a  wholesale 
house  in  Chicago.  Mrs.  Carpenter  and  her  chil- 
dren located  in  Joliet  in  18C5,  and  there  she  has 
since  lived.  She  is,  religiously,  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  and  stands  at  the  head  of  a  fam- 
ily wiiicli  is  highly  spoken  of  throughout  the   cit^'. 


^ATHER  THOMAS  F.  O'GARA,  Past6r  of 

)  St.  Rose's  Church  at  Wilmington,  was  born 

. in  Ireland  in  1846;  his  parents  Thomas  and 

Bridget  (Mc(iinnis)  O'Gara,  having  also  been  na- 
tives of  the  Emerald  Isle.  Thej'  came  to  America 
when  our  suliject  was  an  infant  of  one  year  and  lo- 
cated in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  where  the}'  resided  for 
several  years.  In  187!),  they  removed  to  Ottawa, 
ill.,  where  they  were  both  called  to  the  land  of 
eternal  happiness,  the  fatlier  in  1887,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eight\'-two  3'ears,  and  the  mother  one 


year  later  at  the  age  of  eighty  yeais.  They  left 
eleven  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth. 

He  of  whom  we  write,  grew  to  manhood  in  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  and  received  an  academic  education. 
He  was  in  the  dry-goods  business  for  several  years 
and  when  about  twenty-three  years  of  age  began 
studying  for  the  priesthood  and  completed  his 
studies  at  Montreal,  Canada,  in  1878,  being  tiie 
same  3'ear  ordained  a  priest.  lie  immediately  came 
to  Wilmington  and  took  charge  of  the  present 
parish  where  he  has  continually  resided  since  that 
time.  He  has  besides  his  work  here,  charge  of  St. 
Patrick's  Church  at  Wilton,  this  countj^  and  is  a 
man  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  the  citizens  of  Wil- 
mington and  elsewhere  with  whom  lie  comes  in 
contact. 

A  fine  portrait  of  P'ather  O'Oara  is  sliown  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume. 

ERNY  SPANGLER.  A  stranger  would  not 
not  be  in  this  country  long  without  iicaring 
the  name  which  stands  at  the  head  of  this 
biographical  notice,  and  learning  tliat  it  is 
the  cognomen  of  a  prominent  citizen  of  Jackson 
Township  and  one  who  is  widelj-  known  tlirough- 
out  the  county.  At  present  this  gentleman  holds 
the  office  of  Supervisor,  a  position  in  which  lie  lias 
served  his  fellow-men  for  several  years,  his  contin- 
uance in  it  proving  conclusive!}'  that  the  duties 
have  been  discharged  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 
This  is  not  the  only  public  capacity  in  which  Mr. 
Spangler  has  acted.  In  1882  he  was  elected  County 
Treasurer,  and  for  four  years  his  financial  ability 
and  integrit}' were  made  useful  in  that  capacity. 

Penns3lvania  was  the  native  State  of  David 
Spangler  and  Amelia  Batey,  who  became  man  and 
wife  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children.  Tlie}' 
removed  to  Summit  County. Ohio,in  which  the  latter 
years  of  tlieir  life  were  spent.  There  their  30ung- 
est  child  was  born  Februar}-  26.  1837,  he  being  the 
gentleman  of  whom  we  write.  He  remained  in  his 
native  .State  until  he  was  twenty  j-ears  old.  in  the 
meantime  becoming  well  versed  in  tlie  management 


604 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  a  farm,  as  bis  father  was  an  agriculturist,  and 
acquiring  a  gooii  education. 

Upon  leaving  iiis  native  State,  Mr.  Spangler  re- 
paired to  this  county  and  at  once  made  a  settle- 
ment on  section  1 2,  Jacksou  Township,  eng.aging 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  So  successful  have  been 
bis  labors  that  be  now  owns  live  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Jackson  and  ^Manhattan  Townships  and 
b.as  an  assured  financial  standing.  Ever3'  detail  of 
the  work  carried  on  upon  bis  place  is  under  care- 
ful oversight,  and  ever}^  part  of  the  large  estate 
evinces  the  taste  and  ability  of  the  owner.  A  full 
line  of  buildings  maj-  be  seen  thereon,  all  substan- 
tial and  well  designed,  while  stock  and  machinery 
are  excellent  and  sufficient  in  number  and  quantity. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Spangler  is  presided 
over  b}'  a  lad}'  whose  intelligence  and  grace  add  to 
the  attractions  of  the  hospitable  dwelling.  She  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Jliss  Rachael  Grove, 
and  was  a  native  of  .Summit  County,  Ohio,  in 
wliicli  her  marriage  to  our  subject  took  place.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spangler  have  four  living  children, 
named  respectively,  Samuel  M..  Ellery  G.,  Alvin  O. 
and  Dora  A.  The^'^  mourn  the  loss  of  a  daughter, 
Alraeda  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  j'ears. 
Mr.  Spangler  is  a  Democr.at  and  has  taken  quite  an 
active  part  in  political  affairs.  The  family  is  re- 
garded as  a  credit  to  the  section  in  w-hich  they  re- 
side, and  were  a  wish  expressed  regarding  them,  it 
would  be  that  they  might  long  continue  their  resi- 
dence here,  as  their  present  health  promises  will  be 
the  case. 

- — -i^l 


¥AVIER  MUNCH.  Nowhere  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  can  more  beautiful  farms  be 
mj  vsi  found  than  in  the  Prairie  State,  and  in  no 
section  of  it  are  any  more  attractive  than  in  Will 
County.  On  section  19,  Joliet  Township,  lies  a 
bodj'  of  land  sloping  to  tp.e  south  and  comprising 
one  hundred  and  twent3'-two  productive  acres, 
which,  under  the  hand  of  a  progressive  and  intel- 
ligent farmer  produce  abundantly.  The  estate  is 
a  home  of  which  an}'  man  might  well  be  proud,  all 
the  improvements  upon  it  being  excellent  and  in- 
eluding  every  convenience  and  proper   means  of 


adornment.  The  owner  of  this  fine  estate,  although 
of  foreign  birth,  has  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  America. 

The  ancestral  home  of  the  ^luneh  familj-  was  in 
that  section  of  Europe  the  possession  of  which  h.is 
been  a  subject  of  controversy  between  two  of  the 
most  powoiful  nations  of  the  earth.and  which  is  now- 
included  in  the  German  Empire.  This  country — 
Alsace — was  a  part  of  France  when  Xavier  Munch, 
Sr.,  was  born  near  Strasburg.  He  married  Cecelia 
Potter,  and  after  the  birth  of  four  sons  and  three 
daughters  emigrated  to  America,  crossing  the 
ocean  in  the  spring  of  1830.  During  that  summer 
the  family  lived  in  Leraont,  HI.,  and  in  the  fall 
removed  to  Joliet,  whei'c  they  made  their  home 
about  two  years.  They  then  returned  to  Leraont 
for  a  short  sojourn,  but  in  April,  1842,  rented 
land  in  Troy  Township,  Will  Count}-,  of  the  late 
Andrew  King.  Upon  it  Mr.  Munch  resided  about 
two  ye.ars,  when  he  settled  on  the  farm  now  occu- 
pied by  our  subject,  remaining  here  until  Apiil  18, 
1852.  He  then  went  to  California  to  engage  in 
mining,  but  never  returned,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  he  died  there.  Mrs.  ]Muncli  breathed  her  last 
in  Joliet,  November  8,  1856. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  this  sketch  is 
introduced,  is  the  second  child  in  the  parental  fam- 
ily, and  was  born  in  Alsace,  July  31, 1823.  He  had 
but  fairly  entered  his  teens  when  the  family  came 
to  America,  and  he  followed  his  father  in  his  vari- 
ous removals  until  1847.  He  then  enlisted  in  the 
regular  army  and  participated  in  the  Mexican  War, 
returning  in  1848  to  Joliet,  and  again  taking  up 
his  residence  under  the  parental  roof.  There  he 
remained  until  his  marriage,  February  9,  1849,  to 
Miss  Mary  M.  Pfleger.  He  then  settled  on  section 
18.  .Joliet  Township,  whence  five  years  later  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  home.  Not  only  h.is  he 
manifested  ability  in  his  agricultural  career,  but 
has  lived  an  upright  life,  dealt  honorably  with  his 
fellow-men,  and  in  every  domestic  relation  has 
been  kindly  and  considerate.  In  politics  he  is  in- 
dependent, but  generally  votes  with  the  Democrats. 
Both  he  and  bis  wife  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church. 

The  lady,  who  in  the  summer  of  1849  became 
the  wife   of  our   subject,  shared   his  joys   and  sor- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


605 


rows    until  June  22,   1860.  when  she    was    called 

from  time  to  etcrnit}-.  Like  her  husband,  she  was 
a  native  of  Alsace.  Tlieir  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  seven  children,  named  respectively;  Ma- 
tilda, Ferdinand,  Daniel,  Marion,  Lawrence,  Eliza- 
betli  and  Frances. 

Jlr.  ]Muncli  contr.aeted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance in  .loliet,  choosing  as  bis  companion  RLs. 
Catherine  Siiaw  Freedel,  also  an  Alsatian.  She  lias 
borne  him  eight  children — Kate,  Franli,Rose,  Louis, 
Anthony,  Sophia,  Celia  and  Charles.  Her  former 
marriage  had  residted  in  the  liirth  of  live  children, 
of  whom  tlie  survivors  are:  Joseph,  JNIary,  and  Al- 
fred Freedel.  She  is  an  efficient  lielpmate,  a  good 
neighbor  and  a  devoted  motlier. 


#^ 


-80— • 


ENJAMIN  D.  RITCHEY.     This  gentleman 
A    has  done  much  for  the  growth  and  develop- 


ment of  the  section  in  which  he  resides  and 
'^^^f^  for  inan3-  a  j'ear  has  been  known  and  hon- 
ored as  a  worthy  citizen  of  Wesley  Township. 
After  3'ears  of  activity  he  has  retired  from  business 
pursuits,  disposed  of  the  farms  which  lie  owned, 
retaining  only  an  interest  in  buildings  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Ritchey,  and  is  now  taking  liis  ease,  as  far 
as  labor  for  sustenance  is  concerned. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject  was  Matthew  Ritchey, 
a  native  of  Scotland,  whose  parents  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania at  a  very  carlj'  day,  whence  he  subse- 
cjuently  removed  to  Ohio.  In  the  latter  State  he 
married  Rachel  Davis,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a 
daughter  of  a  Welshman.  This  was  the  third  mar- 
riage of  Matthew  Ritche}'  and  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  four  children,  two  of  wliom  are  now  living.  Tlie 
father  dep.arted  tiiis  life  in  1824,  tlie  mother  sur- 
viving until  1862. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  biographical  sketcii  is 
the  first-born  of  his  mother's  children,  his  natal  daj' 
being  October  24,  1815.  His  birth  took  place  in 
Ross  Count}',  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  early  j-ears, 
beginning  a  personal  career  at  an  early  .age.  AVhen 
twelve  j'ears  old  he  hired  out  by  the  month  on  a 
farm  and  continued  to  support  himself  in  this  way 
till  he  liad  reached  tlie  age  of  t wen tj' years.  He  had 


conceived  the  idea  of  buying  a  farm  and  working 
out  its  jiaymcnt,  and  lie  and  his  brother  John  carried 
out  the  idea  successfully,  thus  becoming  the  owners 
of  one  hundred  and  flft\-  acres  in  the  Buckeye 
State.  In  tlie  fall  of  1855  they  sold,  and  removing 
to  Illinois  settled  in  this  county  and  tlie  township 
wherein  our  subject  still  resides.  He  purcliased  a 
jiartly  improved  farm  and  engaged  in  mixed  farm- 
ing, having  cattle  and  horses  which  lie  had  liroiiglit 
from  Ohio. 

In  1862  Mr.  Ritchey  and  his  brother  embarked 
in  the  mercantile  Imsiness.Jiut  after  a  time  sold  out, 
our  subject  subsequent]}-  buying  the  business  him- 
self and  carrying  it  on  for  several  ye.ars  in  addition 
to  operating  his  farms.  Never  having  married  he 
has  had  families  keep  house  for  him,  and  during 
the  past  twenty-eight  years  hits  made  but  one 
change.  He  has  proved  his  ability  .as  a  manager 
and  money-m.aker  and  insured  himself  against  want 
unless  an  overwhelming  catastropiie  befalls  him. 
Not  only  so  but  he  has  been  useful  in  local  odices 
and  in  various  movements  which  would  tend  to 
improve  the  country.  Ritchey  Station  takes  its 
name  from  himself  and  brother. 

Mr.  Ritchey  for  several  years  belonged  to  the 
Grange,  of  which  he  was  Master.  He  was  Town- 
ship Assessor  and  Collector,  and  has  been  offered 
the  position  of  Township  Supervisor  but  declined 
it.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  United  States  Census 
Enumerator  for  Wesley  Township,  and  he  li.as  been 
Postmaster  at  Ritchey  for  seven  years.  He  has  fre- 
quently been  administrator  of  estates  both  In  Illinois 
and  Ohio,  and  has  also  been  guardian  in  the  latter 
State.  This  fact  alone  will  suffice  to  show  that  he  is 
looked  upon  as  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity  and 
great  prudence. 

Mr.  Ritchey  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  political  issues,  has  frequently  been  a  delegate  to 
county  conventions  and  otherwise  borne  a  fair  share 
in  the  local  campaign  work.  He  became  of  age  a 
few  days  before  the  Presidential  election  of  1836, 
and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen.  William  Henry 
Harrison.  Four  years  later,  during  the  ever  memor- 
able "hard  cider"  campaign  in  the  Buckeye  State,  he 
cast  his  second  vote  for  "Tippecanoe"  who  proved 
tiie  successful  candidate.  Some  years  later,  when 
the  Republican  party  came  into  existence  he  voted 


606 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


for  John  C.  Fremont,  and  1888  he  liad  the  pleasure 
of  voting'  for  Gen.  IJenjamin  Harrison,  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  the  old  hero  who  had  been  his  first  love 
when  bec-omiug'  a  voter. 

In  1844  Mr.  Kitchey  rode  ten  miles  on  liorseback 
on  two  consecutive  nights  to  hear  the  eloquent  and 
renowned  temperance  orator,  John  15.  Gougli,  and 
enlisting  under  iiis  banner  has  been  a  consistent 
temperance  man  from  that  day. 


-!^^' — 


lEORGE  W.  BARTLETT,  Insurance,  Real 
Estate,  Loan  and  Collection  Agent,  although 
comjiarativel}'  a  new  member  of  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  Joliet,  is  advancing  rapidly  toward 
the  front  with  bright  prospects  of  soon  reaching  a 
place  second  to  none  in  the  community.  He  is  a 
stirring  and  energetic  man,  with  such  qualifications 
as  especially  fit  him  for  his  present  business,  in 
which  he  is  building  up  a  good  trade.  lie  has  fol- 
lowed this  occupation  for  the  past  fourteen  years, 
during  which  time  he  has  represented  such  com- 
panies as  the  North  America,  of  Philadelphia;  the 
I'hrenix,  of  Brooklyn;  the  Hartford,  ^Etna,  Con- 
necticut and  Hartford,  of  Hartford;  the  Royal,  of 
Liverpool;  and  the  Traders',  of  Chicago.  Those 
which  he  now  represents  are  the  Continental,  of 
New  York,  and  the  Agricultural,  of  Watertown, 
N.  Y. 

In  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  Nathaniel  Bartletl 
and  Emily  Gilbert  were  born,  reared  and  marrried. 
The}'  came  West  in  1855,  locating  in  Grundy 
County,  111.,  where  they  are  yet  living.  Their 
family  comprises  three  children — Fred  A.,  a  jew- 
eler at  Lockport;  Elmer  E.,  a  moUler  in  Joliet; 
and  George  W.,  our  subject.  The  father  is  an  en- 
gineer by  trade  and  has  alwa^'s  pursued  that  avo- 
cation. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
was  born  December  20,185(),  in  Grundy  Count}', and 
spent  the  first  thirty-two  years  of  his  life  there.  Quite 
earl}'  in  life  he  began  to  manifest  the  energy 
which  is  so  prominent  a  characteristic  of  his  nature, 
taking  up  the  occupation  of  a  newsboy  in  Morris, 
and  learning  telegrapliy  while  still  a  boy.  aithougli 


he  never  pursued  this  work.  For  some  time  he 
clerked  in  a  dry -goods  store  and  then  took  up  the 
insurance  business,  carrying  on  at  the  same  time 
other  lines  of  work.  For  seven  years  he  clerked 
for  C.  II.  Gould.  President  of  the  Grundy  County 
National  Bank,  and  also  looked  after  the  gas  fitting 
in  the  place.  He  was  the  builder  and  manager  of 
the  Telephone  Exchange,  at  Morris,  and  also  of 
the  toll  line  south  of  tliat  city,  which  united  the 
towns  of  Mazon,  Hill  Park  or  Wanponsce,  Yerona, 
Kinsman,  Gardner  and  Minooka  with  the  county 
seat. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Bartlett 
took  place  in  September,  1881,  it  being  no  less  than 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Fannie  Zimmerman,  whose 
parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casper  Zimmerman',have  lived 
in  Grundy  County  a  number  of  years.  The  happy 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  bright 
daughter,  Carrie  M.,  in  whose  growing  intelligence 
the  parents  take  great  delight.  Mr.  Bartlett  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

allARLES  N.  SPRAGUE,  senior  member  of 
^  the  firm  of  Sprague  &  Hess,  forms,  with 
^  his  partner,  one  of  the  important  factors 
among  the  business  interests  of  Joliet,  operating 
a  creamery  and  dairy.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
the  creamery  business  since  1880,  following  this 
for  a  period  of  six  years  very  successfully.  The 
firm  now  turns  out  two  hundred  pounds  of  Imfter 
per  day,  and  besides  this,  deals  extensively  in  but- 
ter and  cheese  in  a  wholesale  w.ay.  He  associated 
himself  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Hess  March  1, 
1890,  enlarging  the  milk  route  and  increasing  his 
facilities  for  handling  all  kinds  of  dairy  produce. 
The  firm  unquestionably  Stan  's  at  the  head  of  the 
dairy  interests  in  Joliet. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  DuPage  Township,  this 
county,  January  19,  184G,  and  is  the  son  of  one  of 
its  earliest  settlers,  Thomas  J.  Sprague,  a  native 
of  New  Y'ork.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Lydia  Swift.  Tlie  parental  family  consisted  of 
nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  making  their 


^ 


^        --. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


611 


homes  mostly  in  Illinois.  The  father  pioseciited 
farming  in  DiiPage  Township  until  the  spring  of 
1  890,  then  retired  from  active  labor  and  took  up 
his  residence  in  Joliet,  where,  with  his  estimable 
wife,  he  still  lives. 

Mr.  Spragiie  lias  all  his  life  been  familiar  with 
agi'ienltiiral  i)ursuits.  He  obtained  his  education 
in  the  district  school,  and  w  hen  a  young  man  of 
twenty-two  jears  established  domestic  ties,  being 
married  November  2.5,  ISO',),  to  Miss  Allie  C.  Kill- 
mer.  Mrs.  Sprague  was  born  November  10,  1850, 
in  Dul'age  Townsliip,  and  is  the  daughter  of  R. 
^^  .  and  Hannah  Kilimer,  who  are  natives  of  New 
Yoilj.  The  father  is  now  living  in  .loliet,  and  llie 
mother  is  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sprngue  are  the 
parents  of  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living, 
these  being  daughters — Ilattie  and  Mabel.  Mr. 
Sprague  and  Ins  family  live  modestl}'  in  a  cora- 
fortalile  home  and  enjo}'  the  esteem  and  confidence 
of  their  neighbors.  In  politics  Mr.  Sprague  votes 
the  straight  Democratic  ticket.  He  is  one  of  the 
[)rominent  men  of  the  city,  and  while  a  resident  of 
DuPage  Township  officiated  as  Assessor  and  Town- 
ship Clerk.  He  lias  been  for  some  years  connected 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


TON  SKARLES.  The  por- 
opposite  pages  will  be  imrae 
zed  as  those  of  a  higidy 
rcs()ected  citizen  of  ^Vill  County  and  his  estimable 
wife.  Mr.  Searles  is  well  and  favorablj^  known 
throughout  this  countj',  both  in  business  circles  and 
public  life.  As  an  agriculturalist  of  superior  in- 
telligence and  progressiveness,  he  has  wielded  a 
potent  influence  in  placing  this  county  in  the  front 
ranks  of  its  sister  counties,  and  Troy  Township 
finds  in  him  one  of  its  most  enterprising  citizens 
and  a  leader  among  its  farmers  and  stock-growers. 
Mr.  Searles  was  born  January  .30,  1830,  in  Sum- 
mit County,  Ohio,  and  was  reared  near  Columbus. 
His  parents  were  Amos  and  Hannah  (Hulburt) 
Searles.  They  had  come  from  Connecticut  and 
were  early  pioneers  of  that  part  of  Oiiio.  His 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Isaiah  Hulburt,  a  Revo- 


lutionar}'  soldier,  who  enlisted  when  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  faithfully  served  tliroughout  the  entire 
war,  being  under  Washington  the  whole  seven 
3'ears.  Amos  Searles  was  a  descendant  of  people 
who  caaie  to  this  country  early  in  the  seventeenth 
century  and  settled  on  ijong  Island,  where  some  of 
the  family  still  reside. 

Our  subject  passed  the  early  years  of  iiis  life 
within  eighteen  miles  of  Columbus,  and  wiien 
twent^'-one  years  of  age  left  his  old  home  to  try 
his  fortunes  in  tiie  Praiiie  State.  He  bought  a 
farm  about  three  miles  from  where  he  now  lives, 
which  he  disposed  of  three  3ears  later  and  in  1856 
purchased  the  one  on  which  he  now  resides.  It 
was  at  tiiat  time  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  and  much 
hard  labor  was  required  to  bring  it  to  its  present 
high  state  of  improvement.  He  put  up  a  building 
in  which  he  lived,  using  a  part  of  it  for  a  barn,  until 
the  latter  part  of  the  summer  when  he  erected  a 
small  house.  This  latter  was  afterward  burned, 
and  clearing  away  large  quantities  of  the  hazel 
brush  which  stood  on  his  land,  Mr.  Searles  erected 
a  more  substantial  residence.  He  has  since  put  up 
an  excellent  set  of  buildings,  erecting  his  present 
house  in  1866,  and  now  has  one  of  the  best  places 
in  the  county,  consisting  of  six  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation.  His  farm  is 
well  stocked  with  cattle  and  hogs  of  the  best  breed, 
as  he  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding  that  class  of 
stock. 

Mr.  Searles  was  married  in  18C6,  to  Miss  Harriet 
Walker,  of  Plainfield,  111.,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  J. 
Walker,  who  is  credited  with  being  the  first  settler 
in  Will  County  and  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812,  taking  part  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans 
and  in  many  Indian  fights.  During  the  Black 
Hawk  War  he  was  Captain  of  a  company  and  was 
very  active  in  subduing  the  Indians.  In  1828  he 
came  to  this  county  with  his  family  from  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  and  pre-empted  for  his  first  claim  a 
part  of  the  land  on  which  the  village  now  stands. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Searles  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Walker,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Jesse 
VV^alker,  who  came  here  as  a  missionary  in  1826. 
He  was  from  East  Tennessee,  while  the  family  origi- 
nated in  Rockingham,  Va.  Upon  arriving  in  Illi- 
nois in  1804,  Jesse  Walker,  who  was  a  minister  in 


612 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  Methodist  Church,  settlerl  in  St.  Clair  County. 
During  tiiis  long  journey  he  had  been  accompanied 
by  his  family,  who  made  tlie  trip  on  horseback. 
He  became  very  well  known  in  the  count}'  and 
State,  and  wa.s  a  contemporary  and  associate  of 
Peter  Cartwriglit.  Mrs.  Capt.  Walker,  prior  to 
her  marriage,  was  a  missionary  among  the  Indians. 
The  first  frame  building  erected  in  Chicago  was 
built  of  lumber  sawed  at  Capt.  Walker's  mill  in 
Plaiufield,  this  county. 

Possessed  of  a  noble  character  and  fine  mental 
endowments,  Mr.  Searles  would  have  lieen  an  honor 
to  any  community.  A  man  of  broad  views,  keen 
observation  and  extensive  information,  he  has  a 
fine  library  well  supplied  with  clioice  books.  In 
the  management  erf  public  affairs  he  has  taken  an 
important  part,  and  for  eight  jears  was  Supervisor 
of  the  townsiiip,  which  is  strongly  Democratic.  He 
is  a  stanch  Repuliliean,  but  his  well-known  ability 
and  popularity  carried  the  day. 

Mr.  Searles  and  his  wife  have  had  four  children, 
of  whom  three  are  living,  one  having  died  in  in- 
fanc}-.  Maud  is  a  young  lady  at  home;  Linn  AV. 
operates  the  farm,  and  Edna  is  a  maiden  of  fifteen 
years.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  they  are  active  workers. 
Socially,  tlieir  friends  are  manj',  for  their  refinement 
has  made  them  respected  wherever  known. 


j\N  ICHARD  O.  GREENLEAF.  Cashier  and 
ir  bookkeeper  for  the  Bates  Manufacturing 
Compan}',  assumed  the  duties  of  his  present 
^^  position  soon  after  the  organization  of  that 
company  in  .loliet.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  since  June,  1881,  and  first  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business.  In  1881  he  was  profifered  his 
present  position  and  arranged  his  private  affairs  so 
that  he  could  convenientlj'  accept. 

A  native  of  South  Burwick,  ^le.,  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born  Januarj'  31,  1828,  and  was  the 
son  of  Richard  and  Eliza  (Akerman)  Greenleaf,  the 
former  of  whom  removed  from  Xewburyport, 
Mass.,  the  old  homo  of  the  family,  to  Charlestown, 
that  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 


ness. A  few  years  later  he  died,  leaving  his  widow 
with  one  child,  the  latter,  Richard  0.,  our  subject, 
with  whom  the  mother  now  makes  her  home.  She 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1805,  and 
has  consequently  now  arrived  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty  five  j'ears. 

Mr.  Greenleaf  grew  to  mature  3'ears  in  Newbury- 
port,  Mass.,  where  he  completed  his  education  and 
soon  afterward  engaged  In  mercantile  pursuits,  re- 
maining in  the  Bay  Stale  until  1857.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Nashua,  N.  H.,  where  he  sojourned  until 
1861.  The  Civil  War  now  having  broken  out,  he 
on  the  19th  of  April,  that  \ear,  immediatel}-  after 
the  firing  upon  Ft.  Sumter,  raised  a  company- under 
the  call  for  one  hundred  days'  men  and  this  being 
assigned  to  the  Arm^'  of  the  Potomac,  they  repaired 
thither  and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  'Jth  of 
August.  Bcfng  then  mustered  out  Mr.  Greenleaf 
returned  to  New  Hampshire  and  immediately  raised 
Company  B,  which  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  New 
Hampshire  Infantry ,and  of  which  he  was  made  Cap  • 
tain.  Soon  after  repairing  to  the  South,  they  en- 
countered the  enem^'  at  various  points  and  saw 
considerable  active  service  including  the  siege  of 
Morris  Island,  near  Cliarlestown. 

Returning  North  soon  afterward  with  his  regi- 
ment, Capt.  Greenleaf  with  his  company  was  as- 
signed to  the  Tenth  Corps,  Army  of  the  James,  and 
he  thereafter  followed  the  fortunes  of  his  regiment 
until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  in 
September,  18G4.  He  had  in  the  meantime  been 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major,  with  which  title  he 
was  mustered  out. 

We  next' find  Mr.  Greenleaf  in  Hillsborough 
Count}',  N.  H..  where  he  remained  until  1872.  and 
then  came  to  Illinois  engaging  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness until  1878.  In  October  of  that  year  he  re- 
turned to  Nashua,  N.  H.,  wdiere  he  remained  until 
1881.  and  that  j'ear  became  a  resident  of  Joliet. 

Mr,  Greenleaf  was  married  September  16,  1861, 
in  Nashua,  N.  H..  to  Miss  Martha  A.,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Flinn.  Of  this  union  there  are  no  children. 
Mr.  Flinn  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  one  of  the 
organizers  of  a  large  cotton  manufactory  in  New 
England;  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased.  Mr. 
Greenleaf,  politically  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 
About  1858  he  indentified  himself  with  the  Masonic 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


613 


fraternity  in  Nashua,  N.  H.,  and  is  now  a  member 
of  Rising  Sun  Lodge.  He  also  belongs  to  .John  G. 
Foster  Post,  at  his  old  home  in  New  Hampshire,  in 
which  he  is  Post  Commander.  Socially,  and  in  busi- 
ness circles  Mr.  Greenleaf  bears  an  excellent  repu- 
tation, and  is  well  vvorthy  of  representation  in  a 
work  of  tins  kind. 

W  ERMANN  STUDTMANN.  Northern  Illi- 
'i  Jij  nois,  like  all  of  the  other  States  cf  the  Un- 
ion, owes  no  small  share  in  its  rapid  growth 
and  development  to  the  energy  and  indus- 
try of  its  substantial  German  citizens.  They  came 
here  mostlj'  poor  in  purse  but  well  fitted  by  hab- 
its of  industry  and  economy  to  battle  with  the  dif- 
ficulties attending  the  opening  np  of  new  farms, 
and  instituting  iion)es  in  the  land  of  their  adoption. 
Among  these  may  be  properly  mentioned  Peter 
SUidtmann,  the  father  of  our  subject,  who  came 
hither  from  the  Fatherland  in  October,  1873,  as- 
sisted his  sons  as  best  he  could  in  his  labors,  and 
(lied  at  his  home  in  1885. 

Peter  Studtniann  was  a  native  of  the  Kingdom 
(if  Ibuiover  as  also  was  his  son  Hermann,  of  tills 
sketch,  the  latter  being  born  May  13,1848.  The 
ii;other  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Yonderohe. 
She  spent  her  entire  life  in  her  native  Hanover, 
dying  .about  1865.  The  parental  family  con- 
sisted of  two  children,  both  of  whom  came  to 
America.  Hermann  was  a  youth  of  nineteen  years 
when  crossing  the  Atlantic,  and  after  landing  at 
New  York  City,  he  made  his  way  to  Chicago, 
111.,  hut  only  sojourned  there  a  few  weeks.  AVe 
next  find  him  in  Peru,  this  State,  of  which  he  was 
a  resident  for  about  five  years.  In  September, 
187.'3,  he  came  to  New  Lenox  Township  and  se- 
lected a  tract  of  land  on  section  20,  where  he  took 
up  his  abode  and  has  since  lived.  He  commenced 
in  life  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  and 
while  in  La  Salle  County  was  employed  by  the 
month  as  a  farm  hand.  He  is  now  the  owner  of 
on<'  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  nil  of 
which  is  in  a  productive  condition,  embellished 
with  neat  modern   buildings    and    having  all    the 


other  appurtenances  of  the  well-regulated  country 
homestead.  His  first  house  was  destroyed  by  fire 
October  22,  1889,  but  he  relnnlt  and  is  rapidly  re- 
trieving his  loss. 

!Mr.  Studtmann  was  married  in  New  Lenox 
Township  March  20,  1873,  to  Miss  Lena,  daughter 
of  Christian  and  Caroline  (Stein)  Keitel.  Mrs. 
Keitel  died  in  Germany  in  1871.  Mrs.  Studtmann's 
father  is  still  living  in  this  township.  She  was 
l>orn  in  Germany  November  22,  1848,  and  came 
to  America  in  January,  1872.  Of  her  union  with 
our  subject  there  have  been  born  six  children,  one 
of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  survivors  are  Ma- 
tilda, Hermann  Jr.,  Bernhard,  Lizzie  and  Frieda- 
lien.  In  politics  Mr.  Studtm.anu  is  a  stanch  Dem- 
ocrat. He  has  served  as  School  Director  in  his 
district  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  German  Lutheran  Church.  He  is  a  go-ahead, 
enterprising  citizen  and  is  rapidly  taking  i  posi- 
tion among  the  leading  men  of  his  community. 

^ ^^-^ ^ 


^/_.  ON.  FRED  WILKE,  of  Beecher,  is  one  of 
j|j  the  mo'it  prominent  men  in  this  part  of  the 
,^  count}'.  Not  only  is  he  well  known  as  a  gen- 
(^)  eral  dealer  in  all  kinds  of  grain,  as  a  farmer 
and  breeder  of  Holstein  cattle,  but  he  has  also  come 
before  the  putilic  as  an  oHicial  who  has  served  with 
credit  to  himself  and  his  constituents  in  the  legisla- 
tive halls  of  the  State.  He  moved  to  Beecher  in 
the  fall  of  1889,  succeeding  to  the  grain  tr.ade  of 
Mr.  H.  Matthews,  deceased.  Prior  to  that  time  he 
had  resided  on  his  farm,  which  is  located  on  sections 
17  and  18,  of  the  fractional  part  of  Washington 
Township.  The  estate  comprises  three  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres,  favorably  located  and  well 
improved,  and  h.as  practieall}' been  made  what  it  is 
1)V  the  present  owner. 

The  Hon.  Fred  Wilke  wfis  born  in  Westphalia, 
Germany,  March  17,  1829.  His  father,  Herman 
Wilke,  was  a  native  of  the  same  Province  and  be- 
longed to  a  respectable  family  who  were  engaged 
in  husbandry.  He  married  Elizabeth  Waltman, 
who  h.ad  been  well  and  carefully  reared,  after  his 
marriage  settling  near  their  birthplace.     When  our 


614 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


subject  was  eleven  years  old  tbe  wife  and  mother 
died,  at  tbe  age  of  thirtj--niue  j-ears.  Tbe  husband 
and  father  survived  but  tliree  years,  being  tifty- 
eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  bis  decease.  Both 
jjirents  were  active  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  and  endeavored  to  train  their  children  in 
paths  of  usefulness.  Their  family  comprised  five 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  Germany;  the  others 
came  to  America  and  three  are  yet  living,  two 
making  their  home  in  Will  County,  III.,  and  the 
other  in  Lake  Count}-,  Ind. 

After  he  was  old  enougii  to  enter  the  army  our 
subject  served  his  countrj',  according  to  the  custom 
of  that  land,  his  connection  with  the  soldiery  being 
from  ISoO  to  1852.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  he  em- 
barked at  Bremerhaven  on  a  sailing  vessel  which 
anchored  at  New  York  Cit}'  after  a  voyage  of  six 
weeks.  Mr.  Wilke  went  directly  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  found  employnnent  as  a  teamster, 
making  that  city  his  home  until  ISGO.  He  had 
visited  Will  County,  111.,  in  1857,  purchasing  land 
which  was  slightly  improved  and  upon  which  he 
settled  in  1860.  It  was  situated  on  section  17, 
Washington  Township,  and  is  a  part  of  tbe  estate 
now  owned  by  him.  The  energy'  of  Mr.  Wilke 
soon  gave  him  a  i)r()niiuent  position  among  the 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  the  vicinity,  and  ere 
long  be  was  enabled  to  add  to  his  landed  estate  and 
put  the  whole  place  under  excellent  improvement 
and  cultivation. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Wilke  took  place  in  bis 
native  laud,  his  bride  being  Jliss  Ann  Nunker,  who 
was  born  in  the  same  neighborhood  as  himself  and 
whose  good  qualities  he  thoroughly  understood. 
A  year  after  he  had  come  to  America  she  followed 
him  across  the  briny  deep,  joining  hira  in  Cincin- 
nati, where  she  died  at  the  birth  of  her  second 
child  who  did  not  long  survive.  Mrs.  Wilke  was 
but  twenty-four  years  old  when  called  from  time 
to  eternity.  She  was  a  birthright  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  had  consistently  carried  out 
its  teaching  in  her  daily  life.  Her  firstborn,  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Scheiwe,  died  at  the  age  of  thirtj'-four  ye.-irs, 
leaving  three  children. 

The  second  matrimonial  alliance  of  Mr.  Wilke 
was  contracted  in  Cincinnati,  his  bride  on  that  oc- 
casion   being  Miss  Stena  Brutl.ng.  who  w.as  born  in 


Westphalia.  She  was  reared  to  the  age  of  twenty 
years  in  her  native  land  and  then  crossed  the  ocean 
alone,  coming  to  Cincinnati,  where  soon  afterward 
she  became  the  vvife  of  our  subject.  She  is  the 
mother  of  two  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  living  is  a  son,  H.  F.,  who  married 
Miss  Lena  Meier,  who  died  leaving  one  child — 
Fred.  He  subsequently  married  Miss  Sophia  ^Meier, 
who,  although  bearing  the  sama  surname,  is  not 
related  to  bis  first  wife.  This  union  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  four  children :  Emma,  Lena,  Amelia 
and  Herman.  II.  F.  Wilke  now  occupies  and  oper- 
ates his  father's  farm  in  Washington  Township.  He 
Is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  he  and  his  wife  be- 
long to  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  is  now 
serving  as  Supervisor  and  Treasurer  of  the  town- 
ship, the  former  of  which  offices  be  has  held  almost 
continuously  since  1870,  the  onl}^  exception  being 
the  time  when  he  was  representing  the  county  in 
the  Legislature.  He  has  been  Assessor  some  years 
and  Collector  one  term.  In  1888  he  was  elected 
to  the  State  Legislature,  where  he  proved  to  be  a 
valuable  worker  for  the  good  of  the  constituency 
which  he  represented  and  the  interest  of  the  count}- 
at  large.  His  record  as  a  member  of  committees 
and  a  worker  on  the  floor  is  creditable  to  himself 
and  those  who  elected  him.  He  is  a  sound  Repub- 
lican. He  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  nj-ominent  in  every  good 
work  which  is  going  on  in  the  community.  The 
personal  traits  of  ^Ir.  Wilke  are  such  as  to  give 
him  the  reputation  of  a  "  first-class  fellow"  and  he 
exerts  an  extended  influence  for  all  that  is  moral 
and  elevating. 

-   o^o    ■ 


0 


RIAS  EICHELBAR6ER,  a  Pennsylvanian 
by  birth, has  been  associated  with  the  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Illinois  for  sever.al  years, 
and  has  been  much  prospered  in  his  agricultural 
undertakings  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  large  and 
well  conducted  farm  on  section  4.  DuPnge  Town- 
ship. 

Our  subject  is    a    native    of  Lancaster   County, 
Pa.,  born  April  23,  1839.  to  John  and  Susan  Eich- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


615 


elbarger,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  that  State 
and  were  of  German  descent.  His  fatlier  is  now 
deceased.  His  mother,  who  is  between  seventy 
and  eightj-  years  of  age,  makes  her  home  in  Nap- 
erville,  this  State.  Our  subject  is  the  oldest  son 
in  the  family  of  whom  the  following  survive: 
Trias;  John,  living  in  Kansas, (Dickenson  County); 
]Mar}%  wife  of  Joscpii  Taylor,  of  Du  Page  Town- 
ship. 

Urias  Eichelbarger  was  reared  in  tlie  place  of  his 
birth  and  at  the  youthful  age  of  twelve  j'ears,  left 
tiie  parental  home  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  lived  out  with  a  farmer  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  old  and  then  began  to  learn  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of 
three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
opened  up  asuiith}'  in  his  native  county  and  car- 
ried on  his  calling  for  several  years.  After  aban- 
doning that  trade  for  a  short  time,  he  engaged  in 
marketing,  buying  butter,  eggs  and  other  farm 
l)roduce.  He  then  began  farming  for  himself  in 
Lancaster  County  and  carried  on  agriculture  there 
for  three  years.  In  1869,  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
for  a  j'ear  and  a  half  resided  in  Naperville,  Du 
Page  County,  where  he  worked  as  a  journeyman 
blacksmith.  After  that  he  again-  took  up  farming 
and  pursued  the  calling  as  a  renter  in  Wheatland 
Township  for  eleven  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  purchased  his  present  farm  in  DuPage 
Township.  This  comprises  three  hundred  and 
forty  seven  acres  of  land  which  is  under  fine  til- 
lage and  exceptional  improvement,  its  fields 
yielding  rich-  harvests  and  it  is  provided  with  con- 
veniently arranged  buildings.  Mr.  Eichelbarger 
acquired  this  property  solely  by  the  exercise  of 
those  faculties  that  make  him  an  intelligent  per- 
severing, industrious   member  of  society. 

During  these  3'ears  of  labor  Mr.  Eichelbargeii. 
has  not  been  without  the  assistance  of  a  capable 
wife  who  has  labored  by  his  side  since  their  mar- 
riage in  1859.  Mrs.  Eichelbargcr's  maiden  name 
was  Martha  Eshleuian  and  she,  like  her  husband,  is 
of  Penns3'lvania  origin.  They  have  five  children 
living,  namely  :  John,  Abraham, George,Susan,  wife 
of  James  Brossman,and  Amanda. 

Mr.  Eichelbarger  is  in  everj'  sense  a  live,  wide- 
awake man,  of  strong  common   sense,  and  a  keen 


insight  into  the  best  methods  of  conducting  agri- 
culture to  the  best  advantage,  as  is  attested  by  the 
fine  condition  of  his  farm.  In  politics  he  is  a 
firm  believer  in  liie  policy  of  the  Republican  party 
and  supports  it  by  voice  and  vote.  He  served 
three  years  as  Road  Commissioner  of  DuPage 
Township,  and  has  been  School  Director  of  his 
district  a  numlicr  of  years  and  in  both  capacities 
has  aided  in  advancing  the  best  interests  of  the 
Community  with  CDmniendable  public  spirit. 


^,  ARMOX  V.  FRAZER.  This  venerated  cit- 
izen of  Homer  Township  is  approaching 
^  the  seventy-fourth  j-ear  of  his  age,  having 
%  been  born  October  6,  1816,  and  his  native 
State  was  New  York.  His  parents  were  James  G. 
and  Polly  (Hawkins)  Frazer,  natives  of  Connecti- 
cut, whence  they  emigrated  to  Monroe  County, 
N.  Y.,  settling  near  the  town  of  Pittsford.  Later 
in  life  they  joined  their  children  in  this  county, 
and  spent  their  last  days  in  Homer  Township. 
There  was  born  to  them  a  family  of  five  sons  and 
four  daughters,  nine  in  all,  and  Harmon  V.  was  tiie 
third  in  order  of  birth.  He  lived  in  his  native 
State  until  about  thirty-four  years  old. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Frazer  was  married  in 
Pittsford,  N.  Y.,  September  16,  1847,  to  Miss  Sa- 
mantha  Warren.  In  October,  1849,  they  came  to 
this  county  and  settled  in  Homer  Township,  of 
which  they  have  since  been  residents.  Mrs.  Fra- 
zer was  born  April  3,  1825,  in  Pitcher,  Chenango 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  second  in  a  family  of 
ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  living.  Her  par- 
ents, Ely  and  Sarah  (Ferguson)  Warren,  were  na- 
tives of  New  York  and  spent  their  last  years  in 
that  State. 

Mr.  Frazer's  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  good  land,  which  through  his 
management  has  become  very  fertile,  yielding  the 
richest  crops  in  Northern  Illinois.  He  has  neat 
and  substantial  buildings,  and  by  the  assistance  of 
his  good  wife  has  been  enabled  to  accumulate  a 
,    competence  for  their  declining  years.     They  have 


616 


PORTRAIT  AND  hlOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


no  chilch-en.  In  politics  Mr.  Frazer  gives  his  un- 
divided suppoit  to  tlie  Piohibiliuii  party,  being 
totally  opposed  to  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  in- 
toxicating liquors.  lie  and  his  wife  are  |)roini- 
ncntly  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
t'hr.rch,  and  enjoy  the  friendshiii  and  acquaintance 
of  the  best  lesidcnts  of  the  county,  who  have 
known  them  long  and  well  and  learned  to  appre- 
ciate them  for  their  sterling  worth.  Mr.  Frazer  is 
genial  and  hospitable,  while  his  estimable  wife  is 
in  no  wise  lacking  in  those  qualities  which  have 
gained  them  a  good  position  in  their  community, 
where  thej'  are  universally  spoken  of  as  being 
among  the  most   worthy. 


^ETER  CHRISTENSEN  owns  and  occupies 
an  excellent  farm  on  section  5,  Jackson 
Township.  Being  under  the  control  of  a 
man  whose  life  has  been  spent  in  agricult- 
ural employment  and  who  is  ambitious  to  excel,  it 
is  thoroughly  tilled  and  well  managed  in  everj' 
particular.  The  buildings  upon  it  are  above  the 
average  and  the  whole  makes  up  a  home  which 
might  well  please  a  more  ambitious  man  than  our 
subject. 

The  life  of  Mr.  Christensen  has  been  marked  by 
no  remarkable  events  and  his  history  is  only  that 
of  one  who  quietly  pursues  the  labor  which  he  has 
chosen  and  fnuis  his  chief  pleasure  beneath  his  own 
roof-tree.  He  was  born  in  Denmark  June  4,  1846, 
remaining  in  his  own  country  until  the  summer  of 
1869,  when  he  embarked  on  an  outward-bound 
vessel.  He  landed  in  New  York  City  and  thence 
came  to  Illinois,  selecting  Will  County  as  his  future 
home.  For  two  years  he  worked  by  the  month  in 
Channahon  Township,  after  which  he  rented  the 
farm  which  he  still  occupies  and  which  is  owned 
by  his  wife  and  her  sister  Sarah. 

In  this  township,  December  28,  1880,  IMr.  Clii-is- 
tensen  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  M. 
Hemphill,  daughter  of  the  late  James  and  Uachael 
(Porter)  Hemphill.  The  bride's  parents  were  old 
settlers  of  this  county,  having  come  hither  in  1835 
from  Fountain  County,  Ind.,  where  they  had  been 


living  a  few  years.  To  that  region  they  had  gone 
from  Adams  County,  Ohio.  Their  home  in  this 
county  was  made  in  Jackson  Township,  where  they 
lived  until  their  death.  Mr.  Hemphill  died  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  Civil  War,  his  wi<low  surviv- 
ing until  October  11,  1872.  They  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church  and  are  remembered  with 
great  respect  by  those  who  had  the  |)leasure  of 
their  acquaintance.  The  cheerful  manner  in  wliicli 
they  endured  the  trials  which  surround  the  patli- 
wa}'  of  early  settlers  in  an  agricultural  region,  the 
kindliness  which  thc^-  exhibited  toward  their  fel- 
low-men, and  their  i)ious  lives  gave  them  excellent 
repute.  Their  family  consisted  of  eight  cluldren, 
whose  recoid  is  as  follows:  Mary  A.,  who  is  now 
dead,  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  A.  Mapps;  .John  and 
James  are  residents  of  Jackson  Township;  David, 
a  twin  brother  of  .lames,  lives  in  Channahon  Town- 
ship; .Sr.rali  and  Cyrus  live  in  Jackson  Township: 
Racbael  A.  died  when  seven  years  old;  Nancy  M. 
is  the  wife  of  our  subject.  Mrs.  Christensen  was 
born  in  .Tackson  Township,  and  under  the  careful 
training  of  her  parents  her  character  developed 
and  she  became  a  woman  capable  of  wortiiily  filling 
her  sphere  in  life. 


:^^^- 


AxMUEL  HOOD,  is  a  retired  physician 
whose  home  is  on  a  line  farm  near  the 
village  of  Crete.  When  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  abandon  the  practice  of 
his  profession  he  turnetl  his  attention  to  agricul- 
ture in  which  he  has  proved  successful,  reaching  a 
prominent  station  among  the  farmers  of  the  co\inty. 
His  home  comprises  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres 
►on  section  16,  Crete  Township,  and  is  well  improved 
and  is  kept  well  stocked  with  good  grades  of  cattle, 
horses,  etc.  Dr.  Hood  formerly  owned  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  here,  where  he  has  lived  for 
almost  half  a  century.  Not  onl^'  on  account  of 
his  enterprise  in  the  vocation  which  he  has  adopted, 
but  still  more  on  account  of  his  Christian  character 
and  cultured  mind  is  Dr.  Hood  highly  esteemed, 
his  reputation  extending  far  and  wide. 

Althougli  born  in   County   Tyrone,  Ireland,  Dr. 


PORTRAIT  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  ALBUM. 


617 


Hood  is  of  Englisli  ancestry  in  botli  lines,  his  father, 
liowever,  having  been  born  in  tlie  Einerald  Isle. 
Samuel  Hood,  Sr.,  was  a  merchant,  he  was  four 
times  married,  and  in  l!S40,  came  to  America,  set- 
tling on  new  land  in  Cook  C'ounty,  III.,  where  he 
devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  died 
when  eighty-seven  years  old,  having  survived  his 
fourth  wife  twelve  3'ears.  He  was  successful  in 
worldly  affairs  and  well  known  in  and  about  Uloom. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Metiiodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Maria  E.  Van- 
haften,  who  was  born  in  Bombay  and  became  the 
wife  of  a  Sui'geon  (ieneral  in  an  East  Indian  t'om- 
pany,  named  NcNeilens.  Dr.  McNielens  and  wife 
finally  settled  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  there 
the  Surgeon  General  died  and  his  widow  subse- 
(juently  married  Samuel  Hood.  .She  died  a  few 
years  later,  when  her  son,  our  subject,  was  but  a 
child.  He  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  two  children 
born  to  her  and  iiis  father.  Mrs.  Hood  belonged 
l<i  a  line  English  family,  was  a  life  long  menibei 
of  the  Melliodist  Church,  and  the  possessor  of  a 
bright  mind  and  much  culture. 

The  natal  day  of  Dr.  Hood  was  .June  25,  1815. 
He  received  his  fundamental  education  in  the  pulj- 
lic  schools  of  County  Tyrone,  and  when  eighteen 
years  old  became  a  student  of  medicine,  first  serv- 
ing three  years  in  an  apothecary  shop  and  then  en- 
tering a  medical  college  in  Jjondon,  England. 
Three  years  later  he  was  graduated,  and  going  to 
Liverpool  he  took  i)assage  for  America.  After  five 
weeks  and  three  days  spent  upon  a  sailing  vessel, 
he  landed  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  whence  he  went  to 
Pittsburg.  He  afterward  practiced  at  different 
places  in  the  Key  Stone  State  for  a  number  of 
years,  removing  thence  to  Gentry  Count}',  Mo., 
where  he  continued  his  professional  labors  for  four 
years.  He  then  came  to  Illinois  and  after  twenty 
years  of  professional  life  became  a  farmer.  His 
reputation  as  a  i)hysician  is  a  creditable  one  and 
the  energy  which  has  brought  him  success  in  his 
later  field  of  labor,  was  equally  manifest!  in  carry- 
ing into  practice  the  knowledge  of  Therapeutics 
which  he  had  obtained  in  a  famous  school  and  in 
adapting  it  to  the  needs  of  his  patients. 

One    of  the  most  im|)orlant  steps  in  the   life  of 


Dr.  Hood,  was  liis  choice  of  a  life  companion,  with 
whom  his  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Butler 
County,  Pa.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ellen 
Stewart,  was  born  in  County  Donegal,  Ireland, 
and  came  to  America  with  her  parents  about  the 
year  1830.  For  more  than  fifty  years  she  has 
shared  in  the  toils  and  successes,  the  joys  and  the 
sorrows,  which  have  gathered  about  her  husband's 
pathway,  jnoving  her  worth  as  wife,  mother,  and 
meml)er  of  society.  Although  now  seventy-two 
years  of  age,  she  is  still  smart  and  active;  she 
possesses  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinary  Inightness 
and  her  intellect  has  been  exercised  in  various  lines 
of  thought,  her  domestic  duties  not  iireventSng  her 
from  taking  an  interest  in  the  world's  .affairs. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hood,  nine  children  have  been 
born,  but  four  of  whom  are  now  living.  The 
deceased  are,  an  infant;  Thomas,  a  smart  young  man 
who  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  twenty- one  years; 
Samuel,  another  bright  and  promising  youth, 
who  died  when  eighteen  years  old;  Daviil,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  seven;  and  an  infant.  The  old- 
est of  the  living  children  is  John  J.,  who  is  now 
farming  in  the  Upper  Peninsula  of  Michigan;  he 
has  been  twice  married.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
first  wife  was  Jennie  Hunter,  his  jjresent  wife  having 
borne  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Caldwell. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Nelson  Seymour,  a  farmer  at 
Ilomewood,  Cook  County.  Maria  married  Henry 
Seymour,  engineer  of  the  Crete  Manufacturing 
Company.  Harriet  is  the  wife  of  Roland  Hewes, 
their  home  being  on  a  farm  in  Crete  Townsiiip. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hood  belong  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  the  Doctor  is  a  sound  Republi- 
can in  ijolitics. 


^¥r 


,,...  LEXANDER  BALLANCPl  The  railroad 
/Lili  business  is  a  prominent  industry  of  Joliet 
and  the  men  who  have  charge  of  its  vari- 
ous dei>artmentsare  conspicuous  figures  in 
mechanical  and  financial  circles.  The  gentleman 
above  named  has  been  foreman  of  the  round 
house  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  for  nearly 
twenty  years  and  enjoys  the  friendship  and    con- 


618 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


fidcnce  of  the  officeis  of  the  road,  who  consider 
liim  a  valuable  member  of  their  corps.  He  bears 
the  reimtation  of  a  thorough  mechanic  and  his 
faithfulness  has  stood  the  test  of  j'ears.  Such  has 
been  his  industrj-  that  not  a  month's  pay  has  been 
missed  in  all  the  j-ears  of  his  service  as  foreman,  and 
in  a  capacity  previousl.y  occupied. 

Mr.  Ballance  was  born  in  the  Dominion  of  Can- 
a<la,  in  the  year  1854,  and  accompanied  his  parents 
to  this  country  when  five  years  of  age.  The  loca- 
cation  selected  was  Michigan  City,  Ind..  and  there 
the  lad  grew  to  maturity.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  :v!id  nnder  the  system  in  which  the  Iloosier 
State  takes  just  pride,  became  versed  in  practical 
knowledge  of  tin  chief  branches  of  study.  When 
eighteen  years  old  he  entered  the  machine  shops  of 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  and  after  a  faithful 
apprenticeship  was  emplo3ed  as  a  master  mechanic 
and  later  as  foreman  of  the  round  house  in  that 
city. 

A  satisfactory  service  of  five  years  led  to  his  ap- 
pointment to  the  position  he  occupies  to-day.  As  a 
citizen  he  bears  a  good  reputation  and  among  his 
subordinates  he  is  spoken  of  as  one  in  whose  kind- 
liness they  have  trust,  while  acknowledging  his 
strict  oversight  of  the  details  of  their  work.  Mr. 
Ballance  is  unmariiod.  but  his  mother  who  is  still 
hale  and  active  keeps  house  for  him.  He  has  re- 
cently purchased  an  elegant  location  where  they 
will  ere  long  reside.  His  father  breathed  his  last  in 
Michigan  City  in  1881. 


S^'REDP:RICK  FIDDYMENT  is  associated 
|r=^  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Will 
/lis  County  as  an   active  and   capable   farmer, 

and  liis  farm  in  I'hiinfield  Township  is  one  of  the 
most  desirable  in  this  vicinit}-.  as  it  is  highly  cul- 
tivated and  is  replete  in  all  its  appointments.  Mr. 
Fidd3'ment  was  born  in  Norfolk  County,  England, 
July  3,  1839,  a  son  of  William  Fiddyraent.  of  that 
place.  Daniel  Fiddyment.  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, is  also  supposed  to  have  been  born  there,  and 
he  w.as  there  reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  dying 
also  in  his  native  Englanil.     His  widow  and  three 


sons,  AVilliam,  .John  and  Walter,  came  to  America, 
and  she  died  at  the  home  of  her  son  .John,  in 
Lockport,  Ills. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  bred  on  a  farm, 
living  in  England  until  1849,  when,  having  re- 
solved to  make  a  new  start  in  life,  he  embarked 
for  America  in  the  month  of  July,  taking  passage 
at  London,  in  the  sailing  vessel  '-Lucinia."  After 
a  long  and  stormy  voj'age,  he  landed  at  New 
York,  in  the  month  of  August,  and  one  week  later 
set  out  for  Illinois,  coming  by  the  Hudson  Kiver 
and  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  thence  by  the  lakes  to 
Chicago,  and  from  there  by  canal  to  Lockport, 
this  county.  For  a  few  years  after  coming  here, 
he  worked  in  his  brother's  distillery,  and  then 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  buying  a  tract  of 
wild  timber  land  three  miles  north  of  Lockport. 
He  erected  suitable  buildings,  greatly  improved 
the  land,  and  there  built  up  a  comfortable  home, 
in  which  he  died  in  the  month  of  April,  1878. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Hannah  Nivet, 
and  she  was  a  native  of  the  same  shire  as  himself. 
She  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  haying 
reared  four  children,  as  follows:  Daniel,  who  re- 
mains with  her;  Frederick,  our  subject:  Hannah, 
who  married  William  Fisher  and  lives  in  Lock|)ort; 
and  Walter,  who  resides  in  Lemont. 

The  son.  of  whom  we  write,  was  a  lad  of  ten 
\'ears  when  he  accomjtanied  his  parents  to  this 
country,  and  he  still  remembers  well  the  incidents- 
of  the  long  and  perilous  voyage.  He  was  quite 
young  when  he  commenced  work  with  his  father, 
and  was  with  him  in  the  distillery  about  fifteen 
years.  Then  he  began  his  career  as  a  farmer  and, 
in  1868,  first  became  the  owner  of  land,  buying  a 
tract  of  wild  prairie  on  section  32,  Plainfield  Town- 
shi|).  He  did  not,  however,  locate  on  the  place  at 
that  time,  but  rented  land  for  two  or  three  years, 
and  then  settled  on  his  own  land.  In  1875,  after 
greatly  imin'oving  the  place,  he  disiio-^ed  of  it  at  a 
good  price,  and  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
lives.  This  farm,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, lies  on  both  sides  of  the  DuPage  River, 
and  comprises  one  hundred  and  sevent3--two  .acres 
of  as  fertile  farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  Will 
County.  It  was  here  that  the  lumber  was  cut  and 
sawed  for  the   first   frame   house  ever   erected  in 


Res.ofDedrich  Brumund.5ec  29.  Green  GardenTrWillCoIllCThisFarm  for  sale.) 


M^^^- 


RE5IDENCE0F  F.  Fiddyment.Sec.ii&ho.PlainfieldTp.,  Wi LL  Cu.Ill. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


621 


Chicago.  Not  only  Ims  Mr.  Fifldyment  erected 
subsl.iiitial  and  commodious  buildings,  but  he  has 
placed  the  land  under  admirable  tillage,  and  has 
all  the  conveniences  for  carrying  on  his  operations 
to  the  best  advantage.  A  view  of  lii.s  pleasant 
home  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

By  his  marriage,  in  18GC,  to  Catiierine  Rausli,  a 
native  of  Germany,  Mr.  Fidd3ment  secured  a  no- 
ble wife,  who  has  cheerfuUj^  aided  him  in  his  work 
of  upbuilding  their  home.  The}'  have  ten  chil- 
dren living,  namely  :  John,  Elizabeth,  Emma,  Fred, 
Willie,  Mary,  Franklin,  Julia,  Grace  and  Florence. 

It  is  the  united  testimony  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men that  Mr.  Fiddyment  is  in  all  respects  a  man 
of  conscientious  principles  and  exemplar}^  habits, 
and  one  who  is  free  hearted,  kind  and  considerate, 
always  willing  to  lend  a  hand  to  those  less  fortu- 
nate than  himself.  In  his  religious  views  he  s\ra- 
pathizes  with  the  tenets  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  is  a  faithful  attendant  at  divine  services  in 
the  house  of  worship  dedicated  to  that  denomina- 
tion in  riainlield. 


^T^IEDRICH  BHLMUND.  A  high  rank 
among  the  farmers  of  (jreen  Garden 
Township  is  accorded  to  the  gentleman 
above  named,  and  he  well  deserves  the 
good  report  of  his  fellow-men  by  reason  of  his 
energy  and  activity  in  his  own  worhlly  affairs  and 
in  public  enterprises,  as  well  as  for  his  pleasing 
iraits  of  character.  He  owns  one  hundred  and 
tvventj'  acres  on  section  29,  eighty  acres  on  section 
•JS.  and  forty  acres  on  section  32,  this  fine  body  of 
land  lying  about  eight  miles  from  Frankfort.  His 
residence  is  a  very  pleasant  one,  as  nia}'  well  be 
imagined  b}'  the  reader,  who  will  lu^ticc  a  view 
of  it  in   this  volume. 

Diedrich  Urumund.  Sr.,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  an  early  settler  in  this  township  to  which 
he  came  in  1849.  He  was  born  in  Oldenburg, 
Germany,  and  tlicrc  received  an  excellent  educa- 
tion to  which  was  subsequently  adiled  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Dutch  language,  which  he  acquired 
while  clerkins;  in  Holland.     He  became  a  merchant 


and  was  succeeding  in  bis  career,  when  he  deter- 
mined to  try  his  fortunes  iu  the  New  World.  Cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  he  selected  Will  County,  111.,  as 
the  scene  of  his  future  labors  and  the  second  year 
after  his  arrival  bought  land  near  Mokena  and  set- 
tled upon  it.  He  began  store-keeping  on  his 
farm,  but  when  the  railroad  was  built  through  the 
neighboring  village  he  abandoned  his  former  oc- 
cupation and  gave  his  entire  attention  to  farming. 
His_  early  experiences  were  not  ahva3's  pleasing, 
including  as  they  did  the  hauling  of  goods  from 
Chicago  with  oxen,  which  on  one  occasion  ran 
away  into  the  canal. 

Mr.  Brumund  became  the  possessor  of  three 
hundred  and  seventeen  acres  iu  the  home  farm, 
and  some  seven  hundred  acres  in  Green  Garden 
Township,  together  with  Iowa  land  and  two  sec- 
tions in  Stoddard  County,  Mo.  As  he  was  able 
to  get  land  cheap  from  the  Government  when  he 
flrst  came  and  soon  became  successful  in  his  farm 
work,  it  is  easy  to  see  one  reason  for  his  great 
prosperit}'.  He  bought  soldiers'  land  warrants,  in 
this  waj'  also  adding  to  his  real  estate  and  like- 
wise adding  to  the  funds  at  the  command  of  the 
lads  who  were  not  able  to  cultivate  the  ground. 
He  was  a  fine  mathematician  and  scholar,possessed  a 
large  amount  of  the  spirit  which  desires  the  devel- 
opment of  the  country,  and  became  well  known, 
not  simply  as  a  man  whose  labors  are  crowned 
with  worldly  success,  but  as  a  worth}'  citizen  and 
anil  upright  man.  He  belonged  to  the  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran  Church  and  helped  in  building  the 
etlifice  in  which  the  congregation  worshipped.  He 
breathed  his  last  Februai^-  17,  1885,  in  his  sixty- 
seventh  year. 

The  wife  of  Diedrich  Brumund,  Sr.,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Nicholine  Folkers.  Like  her  hus- 
band, she  was  a  native  of  Oldenburg,  in  which 
city  their  marriage  was  celebrated.  She  is  now 
living  in  Englewood,  Cook  Count}-.  When  she 
and  her  husband  came  to  America  the}-  were  ac- 
companied by  foui  children.  Others  were  added 
to  their  family,  seven  being  the  number  who  grew 
to  maturity.  Of  these  the  oldest,  G.  H.,  enlisted 
in  1861  in  the  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry  and  af- 
ter serving  three  months  came  home  seemingi}-  at 
the  point  of  dcaili.     He  recovered  his  health  how- 


622 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ever,  and  again  enlisted,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  Sixt3'-fiftli  regiment,  with  which  he  served  un- 
til agoin  taken  very  ill.  Me  was  removed  to  tlie 
(Juincj'  Hospital  and  liually  taken  to  his  home. 
He  lived  until  1883  when  he  breathod  his  last  in 
Florida.  Next  on  the  family  roll  were  Peter 
and  Helen,  twins,  the  former  of  whom  became  a 
physician  and  died  in  Colorado  iu  the  fall  of  1889; 
his  twin  sister  married  L.  Jorndt,  and  is  living  in 
Stoddard  Count}-,  Mo.  The  next  of  the  family 
circle  is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  and  following  hira 
are  Julia,  wife  of  Prof.  J.  Leuder,  of  Elmhurst  Col- 
lege, and  Lina  and  Lizzie  who  live  in  Englewood. 

This  gentleman  whose  cognomei.  forms  the  head- 
ing of  this  sketch,  was  born  November  16,  1848, 
in  Oldenburg,  German}'.  He  was  still  an  infant 
when  his  parents  left  Biemerliaven  on  the  sailing 
vessel  "Ornholt  Bomiog"  and  seven  weeks  later 
lauded  in  New  York.  His  boyhood  was  spent 
upon  the  farm  in  this  .State  and  he  attended  the 
district  schools.  He  was  early  taught  to  work  and 
no  man  in  the  county  has  labored  harder  than  he. 
He  plowed  when  he  was  so  small  that  the  handles 
were  scarce!}-  within  his  reach.  When  twenty 
years  old  he  and  his  brother,  G.  H.,  went  to  the 
Indian  Territory  to  cut  hay,  the  latter  having  a 
cattle  ranche.  They  traveled  by  r:iil  to  Leaven- 
worth, Kan.,  and  there  bought  a  team  with  which 
they  continued  their  journey  to  Baxter  Springs  on 
the  Spring  River,  which  they  made  their  head- 
quarters. They  remained  there  six  mouths,  put- 
ting up  some  six  hundred  tons  of  hay,  [i.iying  the 
Indians  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  for  the  privi- 
lege of  cutting. 

Young  Brumuud  liked  the  country  and  had  no 
objection  to  his  employment,  but  he  could  not 
stand  the  chills  and  in  November  returned  by  stage 
to  Ft.  Scott,  and  thence  by  cars  to  his  home.  Af- 
ter spending  two  weeks  with  his  friends  he  went 
to  Bloomficld,  Stoddard  County,  Mo.,  and  taking 
possession  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  his 
father's  land  near  there,  he  improved  and  operated 
it  until  the  following  July,  lie  then  returned  to  the 
Prairie  State  and  led  the  lady  of  his  choice  to  the 
hymeneal  altar,  the  interesting  ceremony  which 
united  their  lives  and  fortunes  taking  jjlace  in 
Joliet,  August  29,  1870.    The  young  couple  began 


house-keeping  on  the  Missouri  farm,  remaining 
thereuntil  November,  1872,  when  they  again  be- 
came residents  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Brumund  operated  his  father's  place  near 
Mokena  six  years  and  in  March  1879,  traded  his 
own  Missouri  property  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  lives. 
With  the  exception  of  a  small  house  no  improve- 
ments had  been  made,  and  the  new  owner  at  once 
began  the  course  which  has  resulted  in  making  of 
the  property  one  of  the  most  ple-asaut  homes  in 
this  section.  He  broke  the  land,  put  in  tiling, 
built  an  excellent  house,  barn  and  other  edifices, 
set  out  an  orchard  and  grove,  and  enclosed  and 
divided  the  land  by  good  fences.  The  barn  is 
eighteen  feet  high  and  has  a  ground  dimeusion  of 
30x68  feet;  the  corn  crib  is  40x26  feet,  and  the 
other  structures  are  of  corresponding  size.  Addi- 
tional land  has  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Brumund 
and  he  is  carrying  on  a  successful  business  in  the 
cultivation  of  grain,  principally  corn  and  oats,  and 
in  the  raising  of  hogs,  cattle  and  other  stock.  He 
now  has  about  tn'euty  head  of  Holsteius  of  good 
grade. 

The  lady  to  whose  housewifely  skill  and  amiable 
disposition  Mr.  Brumund  owes  the  comfort  of  his 
home  life,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Dorothea  Bat- 
tenhausen.  She  was  born  in  Kur-Hessian,  Ger- 
many, ^larch  19,  1850,  being  the  oldest  child  of 
Adam  and  Catiierine  (Walper)  Battenhausen,  who 
were  born  in  the  same  village  as  herself.  The 
other  members  of  the  household  in  which  she 
spent  her  maidenhood  are  Henry,  now  living  in 
Martin  County,  3Iinn. ;  Mrs.  Jenny  Baumgartner 
'  of  Peotone;  and  Mrs.  Katie  Saunter  of  Frankfort 
Township. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Battenhausen  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, settling  ia  Cook  County,  111.,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  former  occupation  of  a  farmer.  In 
that  county  he  died  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  years.  He  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Ger- 
man army  and  for  some  years  had  official  rank. 
He  belonged  to  the  Evanglical  Church.  Mrs.  Bat- 
tenhausen survived  until  February,  1888,  beino;  an 
inmate  of  our  subject's  home  during  the  latter 
years  of  her  life.  She  was  sixty-seven  years  old 
when  called  from  time  to  eteruitv. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


623 


Mr.  anil  Mrs.  Brumund  are  the  parents  of  five 
eliildren,  named  respeclivcly,  Lydia  K.,  Diedrich 
A.,  Prank  G.,  Alvin  L.  and  Lina  A.  The  older 
daughter  was  graduated  at  Valparaiso,  Ind..  taking 
the  business  course  in  the  college  there  and  nearly 
completing  the  two  years'  teacher's  course.  She 
is  now  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  neighborhood  of 
her  home  and  is  successfully  pursuing  lier  chosen 
vocation.  The  oldest  sou  is  now  pursuing  his 
studies  in  the  Wentworth  School,  Chicago.  For 
seven  years  Mr.  Brumund  has  been  a  member  of 
the  School  Board  of  vvhich  at  this  writing  he  is 
Clerk.  He  held  the  office  of  Assessor  for  one  year. 
In  politics  he  is  a  sturdy  Republican  and  his  ser- 
vices have  been  called  into  requisition  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Central  Committe,  and  delegate  to 
county  conventions.  Ue  is  enrolled  among  the 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Church  at  Peotone, 
and  was  formerly  Trustee. 


^^^ 


<ifJACOB  ADLKR,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Adler  Bros.,  is  with  his  brother 
Peter,  conducting  successfully  a  large  meat 
market,  prominently  located  on  Exchange 
Street,  Joliet,  and  forms  no  unimportant  factor  in 
the  business  community  of  this  thriving  citj'.  An 
experience  of  thirty  years  in  the  cattle  and  meat 
trade,  has  given  him  an  insight  into  all  the  details 
of  the  business,  and  succeeded  in  making  him  com- 
paratively independent,  financially.  He  is  of  Ger- 
man birth  and  ancestrj',  and  possesses  in  a  marked 
degree  the  substantial  and  reliable  qualities  of  one 
of  the  best  nations  on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  Prus- 
sian Province  of  Greis  Metsig  Brodorf,  March  17, 
1837,  to  Michael  and  Margaret  (Sebastian)  Adler. 
The  family-  in  1838,  emigrated  to  America,  landing 
in  the  then  unimportant  city  of  Chicago,  May  20. 
Later  they  located  in  Will  County,  where  the 
father  engaged  in  farming.  The  familj'  comprised 
then  Init  two  children,  one  of  them  being  .Jacob 
who  is  now  the  onlj'  member  of  the  family  living 


who  was  born  in  the  Fatherland.  The  farm  lay 
in  the  vicinity  of  New  Lenox.  The  father  was  a 
resident  of  Joliet  Township  from  1843,  to  1870. 
He  had  therein  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  besides  considerable  city  property'  .and 
town  lots.  He  finally  removed  to  Joliet,  which  re- 
mained his  residence  twenty-one  years  prior  to  his 
death  which  occurred  July  10,  1889.  He  h.ad  then 
arrived  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  3-ears. 
The  mother  died  December  15,  1888,  aged  eighty- 
four.  Michael  Adler  was  born  November  2,  1803, 
and  his  wife,  Margaret,  December  6,  1804.  Both 
were  members  of  St.  John's  Catholic-Church. 

The  elder  Adler,  u|)on  becoming  a  voting  citi- 
zen, identified  himself  with  the  Republican  part}^ 
with  whom  he  remained  until  after  the  extinction 
of  slavery,  when  he  wheeled  over  into  the  ranks  of 
the  Democrac}'.  He  became  quite  prominent  in 
local  affairs,  served  on  the  School  Board  and  in 
some  of  the  minor  offices.  He  accumulated  a 
comfortable  property,  putting  up  buildings  on  Jef- 
ferson and  Chicago  Streets.  His  honesty  and  inteo-- 
rity  caused  him  to  be  highly  respected  in  his  com- 
munity. He  was  a  self-made  man  in  ever3-  partic- 
ular, commencing  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  and 
climbing  up  to  a  good  position,  socially  and  finan- 
cially among  his  fellow-men.  To  him  and  his 
good  wife  there  was  born  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  died  in  earlj'  life.  The  sur- 
vivors are  Jacob,  our  subject;  JNIargaret,  the  wife 
of  Frederick  Rappal  of  Cook  Count}';  Angeline 
is  with  the  sisters  of  St.  Francis;  Peter,  who  lives 
with  our  subject;  Veronica  and  Mary  live  together 
in  the  old  homestead;  Jasper  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty -sis  years. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  developed  into  man- 
hood on  the  old  farm  in  "Will  County,  remaining 
a  member  of  the  parental  household  until  reaching 
his  majorit}'.  He  then  joined  the  caravan  going 
to  Pike's  Peak,  journeying  across  the  plains  from 
Leavenworth  and  following  the  old  trail,  making 
the  first  part  of  the  journey  with  horses,  then  tak- 
ing oxen  and  being  on  the  road  three  months. 
Arriving  at  his  destination  he  engaged  in  mining 
and  remained  in  that  vicinity  until  the  approach 
of  winter.  Then  satisfied  with  his  exjjeriment 
in  the  wild   West,  he  returned  to  bis  native  haunts 


624 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


aud  the  following  j-ear  engaged  in  shipping  cattle 
to  Chicago,  Boston  and  "New  York  City.  He  also 
commenceil  butchering  and  established  himself  in 
the  meat  business.  He  purchased  inanj-  of  his  cat- 
tle in  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Colorado,  Kansas  and  Mis- 
souri, shipping  mostlj'  to  the  East.  Later  he  be- 
gan buying  cattle  which  he  shipped  to  Chicago 
and  to  this  he  has  given  his  attention  largel}'  for 
the  last  ten  j-ears. 

Mr.  Adler  established  his  meat  market  about  1861 
and  has  l>een  engaged  off  and  on  in  the  meat  mar- 
ket and  agricultural  business  for  a  term  of  j-ears,  be- 
ing fortunate  in  his  business  enterprises.  For 
the  last  five  years  his  brother  Peter,  has  been  his 
chief  assistant,  although  he  operated  with  him  con- 
siderablj'  previous  to  this  time.  He  is  the  owner  of 
the  National  Hotel  Block,  in  which  his  market  is 
situated  and  he  has  other  improved  property  on 
Joliet  and  Chicago  Streets,  and  also  farm  propert}'. 

Mr.  Adler  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  voted  for  three  Republican 
Presidents  thereafter;  then  feeling  that  he  had 
reason  to  change  his  views,  he  allied  himself  with 
the  Democratic  part}',  of  which  he  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter. He  is  a  man  prompt  to  meet  his  obliga- 
tions, and  occui)ies  no  secondary  position  among 
the  business  men  of  his  adopted  city,  lie  has 
represented  the  .Sixth  "Ward  in  the  City  Council 
four  years,  but  otherwise  has  refrained  from  as- 
suming the  responsibilities  of  office. 

Mr.  Adler  was  married  January  13,  1«C6,  to 
Miss  Emily  Erliard.  Mrs.  Adler  was  born  in  Jul}', 
1842,  in  Joliet,  and  is  the  daughter  of  George  and 
Louisa  (Perilot)  Erhard.  who  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  earl}'  settlers  of  this  county,  to  which 
the}'  came  in  1835.  They  are  now  deceased.  To 
Ml.  and  Mrs.  Adler  there  have  been  born  eleven 
children,  of  whom  only  seven  are  living,  namely: 
Louisa,  Jacob,  Emilj",  Lawrence,  Michael,  Patricia 
M.  and  Catherine.  They  form  a  bright  and  inter- 
esting group  aud  will  be  given  the  best  advantages 
the  citj'  affords  from  an  educational  point  of  view. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adler  are  connected  with  St.  John's 
Catholic  Church,  whose  church  edifice  Mr.  Adler 
assisted  materially  in  building,  and  he  has  always 
contributed  liberall}'  to  the  support  of  the  society. 
The  family  occupies  a  neat,   modern  residence  on 


South  Chicago  Street,and  they  number  their  friends 
by  the  score  among  the  people  where  they  have 
lived  for  so  many  vears. 


*^^E 


HELDON  YOUNG.  A  list  of  the  old  set- 
tlers of  this  count}-  would  be  incomplete 
without  the  above  name,  which  is  borne 
by  one  of  Jackson  Township's  most  intel- 
ligent and  public-spirited  citizens.  He  is  one  of 
the  older  members  of  a  large  family  born  to  Phillip 
and  Sarah  (Teeple)  Young.  His  father  was  born 
in  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died  in  Oneida 
County.  His  mother  was  born  in  Schoharie  County, 
and  there  breathed  her  last.  In  the  county  which 
w:is  his  father's  birthplace  he  of  whom  we  write 
was  born,  December  3,  1  820,  and  continued  to  live 
until  the  fall  of  1838,  when  he  became  a  citizen  of 
Illinois. 

After  reaching  this  State,  Mr.  Young  determined 
to  make  Will  County  his  future  home  and  at  once 
began  his  residence  in  Jackson  Township.  His 
taste  led  him  to  adopt  the  vocation  of  farming 
which  he  has  been  successfully  pursuing  from  early 
life.  His  home  is  a  pleasantly  located  farm,  upon 
which  good  buildings  have  been  erected  and  other 
iiuprovemenls  made,  and  many  fond  memories 
cluster  about  it.  To  it  he  brought  his  bride  not 
long  after  their  marriage,  and  here  an  interesting 
family  has  grown  up  about  him;  here  also  some 
griefs  have  befallen  him,  some  of  his  offspring 
having  been  removed  from  him  by  death,  and  his 
true  hearted  wife  having  here  breathed  her  last, 
June  28,  1887. 

The  lady  whose  sterling  qualities  won  the  regard 
of  Mr.  Young  in  his  early  manhood,  bore  the  name 
of  Eliza  Hougham.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  August 
18,  1822,  aud  came  to  this  county  about  1839,  rid- 
ing about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  on  horseback 
with  her  father.  The  latter,  Jonathan  Hougham, 
dieil  in  Indiana,  her  mother  having  also  breathed 
her  last  in  that  State,  in  Parke  County.  Miss 
Hougham  became  the  wife  of  our  subject  Decem- 
ber 1.  1842,  the  marriage  rites  being  celebrated  in 
Jackson  Township.     They   became  the  parents  of 


xri- 


^w^;i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


627 


twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  reached  mature 
years  and  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living.  The 
children  were  named  Ara  B.,  Nancy  A.,  Lana  A., 
Jonathan.  John  S.,  Albert  L.,  Laura,  Mary  E., 
Elmnia,  Julia  E.,  Mattio  E.,  and  Walter  H. 

Of  the  surviving  members  of  this  farail}' circle 
we  note  the  following:  Ara  is  now  living  in  Min- 
den,  Neb.;  Lana  is  the  wife  of  E.  D.  Williams; 
Mar3'  E.,  is  the  wife  of  Levi  H.  Eib;  Emma  is  the 
wife  of  Marion  Palmer;  Julia  married  Robert 
Eaton;  JIaltie  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Pierce;  Walter, 
who  IS  still  at  home,  possesses  a  fine  education 
being  a  graduate  of  Browu'sUaiversity,  at  Prov- 
idence, K.  I.  Mr.  Young's  abilities  have  been  made 
useful  to  his  fellow  men,  whom  he  has  served  as 
Supervisor,  Road  Commissioner  and  School  Trus- 
tee, for  many  years  having  been  incumbent  of  the 
last  named  position.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
lie  belongs  to  the  Baptist  Church  of  which  his  wife 
was  also  a  member. 


^^EORGE  WHITTIER.  Of  the  enterprising 
ill  ,— -,  citizens  of  Joliet  who  liave  been  called 
^^^  from  the  active  scenes  of  life,  none  have 
been  better  itnown  perhaps  or  more  sincerely 
mourned  than  Mr.  Whittier.  His  portrait,  which 
we  are  pleased  to  present  on  the  opposite  page, 
represents  a  gentleman  whose  long  and  successful 
business  career  in  the  city  of  Joliet  gained  for  him 
the  reputation  of  being  honest,  public  spirited  and 
generous.  His  business  qualifications  were  fine, 
while  as  a  neighbor  and  friend  it  was  universally 
conceded  tliat  he  held  the  good  will  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  lie  lived,  always  assisting  those  in 
need  and  ever  having  a  kind  word  for  those  around 
him.  A  marked  trait  of  his  character  was,  that 
whenever  he  pledged  himself  to  any  obligation  or 
the  performance  of  any  task,  lie  never  failed  to 
redeem  his  pledge. 

This  gentleman  was  born  in  Sommersworth, 
N.  H.,  November  27,  1830,  his  parents  being  Jo- 
seph and  Nancy  (Locke)  Whittier.  When  he  was 
si.x  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  from  that  State 
to  the  land  of  Penn,  locating  in   Philadelphia,  Pa., 


but  with  that  restlessness  which  characterizes 
Americans  as  a  rule,  before  many  years  had  passed, 
they  made  another  cliange  of  residence.  For  a 
time  they  resided  in  Penobscot,  Me.,  whence  the 
father  came  to  Illinois  in  1859,  and  established  him- 
self in  the  lime  business.  Hither  the  son,  our 
subject,  came  two  years  later  and  joined  his  father 
in  the  enterprise,  in  which  success  crowned  their 
efforts.  After  a  worthy  and  honorable  life  the 
father  was  called  hence,  August  12,  1889,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years,  eight  months 
and  eleven  days.  He  had  thus  almost  rounded 
out  a  full  centur}',  .and  his  life  W!is  filled  with  good 
deeds  and  worthy  actions.  Starting  in  life  poor, 
he  seemed  to  have  taken  for  his  motto,  "  Either  I 
will  find  a  way  or  make  one."  In  his  honorable 
endeavors  he  was  successful  and  prosperous. 

Joseph  Whittier  was  a  cousin  of  the  far-famed 
poet,  John  Greenleaf  Whittier,  whom  Americans 
delight  to  honor  and  whose  fame  has  penetrated 
distant  lands.  Unto  Joseph  and  Nancy  Whittier 
were  born  the  following  children,  besides  George, 
our  subject:  Samuel,  now  a  resident  of  New 
Brunswick;  Joseph,  who  is  engaged  in  the  lumber 
trade  in  East  Saginaw,  Jlich.;  Mrs.  Adeline  Buffom, 
deceased ;  Mrs.  Lydia  Jones,  whose  husband  is  an 
attornej'  in  Bangor,  iMe.;  Charles,  of  San  Jose, 
Cal.;  Mrs.  Eliza  Wahyorth,  wife  of  a  Univor- 
salist  minister  in  Baltimore,  Md.;  and  Mrs.  Ellen 
Smith,  of  SanDiego,  Cal. 

A  few  months  after  the  death  of  the  father,  our 
subject  also  passed  to  rest  November  10,  1889,  and 
now  lies  buried  in  Oakwood  Cemeterj-,  Joliet. 
He  left  a  widow  and  three  children,  daughteis,  to 
mourn  their  loss.  Many  friends  also  h.ad  been 
made  during  the  years  of  his  residence  in  Joliet. 
lie  had,  politicallj-,  been  a  stanch  Democrat,  and 
socially,  was  welcomed  in  the  best  circles  of  the 
city.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  M. 
Lindsay,  and  their  wedding  ceremon}-  was  cele- 
brated at  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents,  James 
and  Eliza  (Purrington)  Lindsay,  February  10, 
1854.  James  Lindsa}^  followed  the  occupation  of 
a  cooper  and  farmer,  and  unto  him  and  liis  wife 
were  born  the  following  children:  Henry  H.,  now 
a  resident  of  Lincoln,  Me.;  Mrs.  Eliza  E.  Hasey,  in 
Joliet;  Mrs.  Lucy  Severance,  also  of  Lincoln,  Me.; 


628 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Mrs.  Wliittier.  The  latter  was  born  in  the 
Pine  Tree  State,  in  the  town  of  Chester,  .Tanuarj' 
16,  1832.  Her  marriage  with  our  subject  was 
lilessert  by  the  birth  of  tluee  eliibb'en — Mrs.  Ange- 
line  Stedman,  of  Oak  Park,  now  a  i)urt  of  Ciiicago; 
Mrs.  Lucy  M.  Way  man,  of  Chicago,  and  Miss 
Claire,  wlio  is  3'et  with  her  mother.  The  widow 
and  daughter  occupy  the  homestead,  where  tlie\' 
enjoy  tiie  fruits  of  a  life  tliat  w.as  spent  in  provi<l- 
ing  for  their  welfare.  Theii'  home  is  one  of  cul- 
ture and  relinemcnt,  and  they  are  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  those  to  whom  their  characters  and  attain- 
ments are  known. 


IIRISTOF  BATTERMANN.  Those  who 
believe  that  comfort  is  not  to  be  found  in 
country  life,  have  but  to  visit  the  home  of 
the  above-named  gentleman,  to  see  conclusive  evi- 
dence to  the  contrary,  and  to  learn  that  a  farmer's 
family  ma}-  be  surrounded  with  evidences  of  taste 
equal  to  those  found  in  tlie  majority  of  city  homes. 
The  estate  to  which  W(!  allude  is  located  on  section 
19,  Crete  Township,  and  comprises  two  hundred 
and  thirty-eight  acres  of  well  developed  land.  It 
is  well  stocked  with  domestic  animals  and  farm 
implements  and  machinery  of  the  best  models,  the 
evidences  of  progressive  agriculturism  being  every- 
where manifest.  The  buildings  which  adorn  the 
place  are  commodious  and  well  designed,  and  in- 
clude every  convenience  for  household  and  farm 
work. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  is  a  native  of  the 
kingdom  of  Hanover,  having  been  born  near  the 
city  of  the  same  name,  .April  22,  1822.  He  is  the 
son  of  Henry  Battermann,  a  native  of  the  same 
kingdom,  who  was  rearcil  when  cloth-weaving  was 
the  predominant  industry  there,  and  who  was  thor- 
oughly skilled  in  that  trade.  AVhile  following  it 
in  the  capital  city,  lie  married  Miss  Dorothea  Batt- 
niann,  who  was  born  just  l)e3'c>nd  the  limits  of  the 
kingdom,  but  grew  to  womanhood  within  it,  her 
parents  having  settled  there  when  she  was  quite 
young.  After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bat- 
termann  remained  in  the  city,  working   hard,  and 


rearing  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter, 
onr  subject  being  the  youngest  son. 

When  he  had  reached  a  proper  age  to  learn  a 
trade,  our  subject  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three 
years  as  a  weaver,  after  which  he  worked  as  a  jour- 
neyman for  a  short  time.  The  accounts  which  had 
reached  his  ears  of  the  country  beyond  the  sea, 
convinced  him  thai  a  broader  field  for  life's  labors 
was  to  be  found  in  the  United  States,  and  he  de- 
termined to  come  hither  and  make  himself  a  home. 
Accordingl3^  on  March  I  t,  1847,  lie  took  pass.age 
at  Bremorhaven  on  a  sailer,  and  after  a  tedious 
voyage  of  several  weeks  landed  in  New  York  City, 
anchorage  being  made  June  6.  After  making  ar- 
rangements for  coming  \Vest,  he  went  to  Albany', 
and  there  took  passage  on  a  canal  boat,  but  tiring 
of  the  trip,  lie  disembarked,  and  began  work  as  a 
laborer,  earning  money  with  which  to  reach  Chi- 
cago. When  he  arrived  in  this  country,  he  was  in 
debt  *lil,  but  he  has  since  made  a  comfortable 
little  fortune,  doing  it  all  by  his  own  persistent  ef- 
forts. The  comfortable  homo  which  he  jiossesses 
is  not  only  a  pleasant  abiding  place  for  his  own 
later  years,  but  he  looks  forward  to  its  being  the 
home  of  his  children  after  he  is  gone.  It  became 
his  home  in  1852,  for  three  years  prior  to  which 
date  he  had  lived  in  Cook  County,  allhduuli  he  did 
not  purchase  land  until  after  he  had  come  here, 
previously  working  as  a  farm  laborer.  After  he 
had  been  in  this  country  some  years,  his  |)aronts 
came  to  America  with  an  older  son,  finally  reach- 
ing this  county,  where  both  died  when  about  sev- 
enty' years  of  age.  They  were  life-long  and  active 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  worthy 
people,  who  left  to  their  descendants  an  honored 
name. 

The  wife  of  C.  Battermann  w.as  born  in  Bremer- 
liaven,  (iermany,  on  Christmas  day,  1833.  She  is 
the  third  child  am!  second  daughter  of  Herman  and 
Johanna  (Steffen)  Doesclier,  and  one  of  a  family 
of  six  children.  A  fuller  account  of  her  family 
is  to  be  found  in  the  biography  of  Herman  N. 
Doescher,  on  another  jiage  in  this  volume.  Slie 
was  ten3'ears  of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  the 
I'nited  States,  their  settlement  being  made  in  Lake 
County,  Ind.,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood,  acquir- 
ing useful   habits  and  an  estimable  character.      Her 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


629 


marriage  to  our  subject  was  celebrated  in  this  county-, 
October  10,  1852,  and  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  nine  children.  The  daughter — .Tohanna — 
died  in  infanc.y.  The  record  of  the  surviving 
children  is  as  follows:  Herman  married  Anna 
Barger,  and  is  farming  near  Brunswiclj,  Lake 
County,  Ind.;  Henry,  who  is  a  harness-maker  in 
Dyer,  Ind.,  married  Lena  Richard;  Edward,  a 
blacksmith  at  Hobart,  Ind.,  married  Carrie  Richard ; 
Charles  is  at  home,  oi>erating  the  farm  ;  Albert  mar- 
ried Lena  Olstermier,  and  their  home  is  on  a  farm 
in  Lake  County.  Ind.;  Henrietta  is  the  wife  of 
diaries  Berger,  a  harness-maker  in  Hobart,  Ind.; 
Matilda  is  still  living  under  the  parental  roof; 
August  is  an  engineer  .and  blacksmith,  living  in 
Hobart,  Ind. 

In  politics  Mr.  liattermann  is  a  sound  Republi- 
can, and  his  six  sons  are  equally  stanch  in  their 
support  of  that  party.  He  and  his  wife  are  active 
members  of  the  Lutiieran  Church.  The  financial 
prosperity  of  Mr.  Battermann  is  due  to  those  quali- 
ties which  win  respect  from  one's  associates,  and 
his  moral  character  and  intelligence  add  to  liie  repu- 
tation in  which  he  is  held. 


^  IfcHJJAM  M.  CLOSV^  is  the  son  of  one  of  the 
\/jJ//  most  prominent  pioneer  families  of  Will 
W^  County,  who  located  in  Wheatland  Town- 
ship in  an  early  day  of  its  settlement,  and  ever  since 
tlie  name  has  been  closely  connected  with  its  de- 
velopment and  material  prosperity,  its  present 
representative  wearing  worthily  the  mantle  of  his 
sire.  As  a  wide-awake,  intelligent  and  progressive 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  our  subject  bears  an  im- 
portant part  in  sustaining  and  extending  the  great 
agricultural  interests  of  liis  native  county.  He 
owns  a  farm  on  section  14,  that  compares  favorably 
in  all  respects  with  the  best  in  this  locality. 

Our  subject  was  born  December  18,  1850,  in  tliis 
county,  a  son  of  the  late  Robert  and  Rosanna 
(  McMicken)  Clow,  natives  of  Scotland.  The  fatiicr 
of  our  subject  came  to  this  country  in  1837  with 
his  father's  family,  his  mother  liaving    died    in    the 


old  country.  Tiiey  first  located  in  New  York  State 
and  remained  tiiere  till  1843,  when  they  came  to 
Will  County.  The  family  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  county,  and  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  wild  prairie,  comprising  nearly  one  thousand 
acres  of  land  for  which  was  paid  $1.25  per  acre. 

Robert  Clow,  the  father  of  our  subject,  became  a 
prominent  man  in  this  part  of  the  county,  both  in 
its  public  life  and  in  promoting  the  growth  of  its 
agricultural  interests,  and  in  his  death  September 
15,  1888,  the  county  lost  one  of  its  most  revered 
pioneers.  He  had  always  displayed  great  public 
spirit  and  substantially  aided  all  schemes  for  the 
improvement  of  the  county  or  township.  He 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  as  Supervisor  of 
Wheatland  Township,  fulfilling  the  duties  thus  im- 
posed upon  him  witli  marked  ability.  In  his  poli- 
tics lie  was  a  Republican  and  used  his  inlluence  to 
promote  the  interests  of  tlie  party.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  born  in  1825,  and  is  now  pleas- 
antly passing  her  declining  years  in  the  home  of 
her  son,  John  B.  Clow,  in  this  township. 

The  parents  of  our  suliject  had  eight  children  of 
whom  the  following  five  still  survive:  William 
M.;  Ellen  J.,  wife  of  Charles  H.  Farqubar  of  Chi- 
cago; Adam  S.  a  resident  of  Wheatland  Township; 
John  B.,also  of  this  township;  Rose,  wife  of  IL  11. 
Highland  of  this  township.  The  names  of  those 
deceased  are:  Sarah  IL,  Grace  M.,  and  Racliael. 

William,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  a 
manly  vigorous  manhood  amid  the  pioneer  influ- 
ences that  still  obtained  in  this  county  during  his 
3'outh.  A  bright,  apt  scholar,  he  was  given  excel- 
lent educational  advantages,  receiving  the  rudi- 
ments of  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
Wheatland  Township,  and  subsequently  entered 
Clark  Seminary,  now  known  as  Jcnning's  Seminar3' 
in  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  pursued  a  fine  course  of 
study  that  will  be  a  lielp  to  him  in  any  calling  iu 
which  he  is  engaged.  He  first  entered  the  teacher's 
profession  and  for  two  terms  taught  school  success- 
fully. But  having  a  natural  taste  for  the  vocation 
to  which  he  had  been  reared,  he  then  turned  to  it, 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  is  actively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  owns  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  thirty 
acres,  all  of  which   is   under  cultivation,  is    highly 


f.rio 


l^ORTRAIT  AND  BIoaRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


improved,  ami  witli  its  coiiimoilioiis.  weli-nppoinled 
buildings  and  vicli  liarvest  fields,  is  one  of  tlie  most 
desirable  pieces  of  properlj'  in  tiiis  part  of  tiie 
county. 

In  his  marriage  in  1871,  with  Miss  Eliza  V. 
Cherry,  Mr.  Clow  secured  the  blessing  of  a  true 
wife  who  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  famil\-. 
Four  children  liave  come  to  them  :  Ida  G.,  Robert 
C,  Anne  L..  and  Charles  II.  Mrs.  Clow  is  a  native 
of  the  ci(y  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  a  daughter  of 
Moses  and  Sarah  A.  (Mills)  Cherry,  of  that  city, 
both  of  whom  are  now  dece.ised. 

William  Clow  brings  to  his  work  a  fine  equip- 
ment of  brain.  energ3',  readiness  of  resource,  and 
adaptability  to  circumstances  that  make  him  an  in- 
fluence in  promoting  the  financial  prosperit}' of  his 
native  count}'.  His  genial  nature  and  general  up- 
rightness of  character  have  won  him  man}'  friends, 
and  with  his  wife  he  stands  among  the  first  people 
of  the  community.  In  his  politics,  Mr.  Clow  is  a 
member  of  tiie  Democratic  party.  He  has  taken 
part  in  pulilic  affairs  as  Township  Clerk  one  .year, 
and  as  Road  Commissioner  of  Wheatland  Township, 
and  in  both  capacities  proved  himself  to  be  a  sa- 
gacious and  faithful  civic  official. 

.^  ENRY  SPANGLER  is  the  fortunate  owner 
of  a  good  farm,  pleasantly  located  one  mile 
from  the  village  of  Flainfield,  th.at  is  sup- 
plied with  substantial  buildings,  good  ma- 
chinery, is  under  excellent  cultivation,  and  is 
otherwise  well  improved.  Our  suhjeet  is  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  Iw  birlli,  born  in  Potter  Township,  Cen- 
tre Count}',  January  2.5,  1834.  Ilis  father,  John 
Spangler,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  born,  it 
is  thought,  in  Lancaster  County,  and  his  fat'ier, 
Peter  Spangler,  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native 
of  the  same  county,  born  of  German  parentage. 
He  removed  to  Centre  County  in  an  early  d.\v  of 
its  stttlement  and  became  a  pioneer  of  Potter 
Township,  where  he  bought  and  iijiproved  a  tract 
of  land,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  thereon  the 
remain<ler  of  his  life. 

The   father  of  our  subject  was  n   Imy  when  his 


parents  removed  to  that  place,  and  there  he  learned 
the  tr.ade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed  for  a 
time  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  calling 
to  which  he  had  been  reared,  and  farmed  in  Centre 
County  until  1848.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, making  the  journej'  by  teams,  and  crossing 
but  one  railroad  on  the  wav,  which  was  a  primitive 
affair,  having  wooden  rails  and  an  iron  strap  on 
the  top  of  them.  He  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pio- 
neers of  Plainfield  who  had  preceded  him  to  this 
pleasant  place.  He  bought  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  parti}-  improved  land  and  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  some  years  until  his  retire- 
ment from  active  life  to  Joliet.  where  the  rest  of 
his  days  were  p.assed.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Catherine  Stem,  and  she  w.is  a  native  of  Centre 
Count}',  Pa.,  her  father,  Adam  Stem,  having  been 
a  farmer  in  that  part  of  Pennsylvania.  She  died 
on  the  home  farm  in  Plainfield  Township. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  a  lad  of  thirteen  years 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  their  new  home 
in  the  Prairie  State,  and  he  well  remembers  inci- 
dents of  the  journey  and  of  the  pioneer  life  that 
they  led  there.  He  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm, 
gaining  a  good  practical  knowledge  of  the  calling' 
that  he  was  to  adopt  for  his  life-work.  He  was  en- 
gaged with  his  father  until  he  w.as  twenty-one,  and 
he  then  rented  the  farm  from  him  and  carried  it  on 
successfully,  continuing  to  rent  land  until  1873. 
He  had  accumulated  considerable  money  and  in- 
vested it  in  his  present  homestead,  which  comprises 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  as  fertile  land 
as  is  to  be  found  in  this  exceptionally  fine  farming 
region.  He  has  erected  suitable  buildings,  h.as  all 
needful  appliances  for  carrying  on  agriculture  to  a 
good  advantage,  and  has  his  land  under  admirable 
tillage. 

Mr.  Spangler  was  married,  in  18.57,  to  Miss  3Iary 
Heinselman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daugh- 
ter George  Heinselman;  she  was  a  prudent,  thrifty 
woman  and  an  excellent  housewife,  and  has  con- 
tributed her  share  in  the  upbuilding  of  their  home. 
Five  children  have  been  born  to  them,  four  of 
whom  are  lining — Kate,  Frank,  Clinton  and  Melvin. 

Mr.  Spangler  is  industrious,  shrewd,  and  meth- 
odical, and  always  has  his  aflfairs  in  a  good  condi- 
tion.    He  stands  well   in    this  community   in    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


633 


varied  relations  of  husband,  father,  neighbor  and 
citizen,  and  is  esteemed  for  his  good  qualities  of 
head  and  lieart.  He  and  his  family  are  members 
in  good  standing  of  the  German  Evangelical 
Church.  Mr.  Spangler  is  independent  in  i)oliLi('s, 
voting  for  tiic  man  ratiier  than  for  party. 


-l-H-#=^^4^-^' 


iOBKRT  R.  CRELLIN.  In  making  note  of 
the  early  settlers  of  the  Prairie  State,  the 
the  name  of  Mr.  Crellin  is  justly  entitled 
to  a  prominent  position.  Though  several 
years  have  elapsed  since  he  was  removed  by  death, 
his  memory  is  still  cherished  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends.  He  came  of  a  worthy  ancestry,' and  was 
remotely  related  to  a  family  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Isle  of  Man,  representatives  of  which  are  now 
located  in  San  Diego  and  San  Francisco,  Cal.  With 
the  exception  of  relatives  living  near  Joliet,  these 
are  the  onl}'  known  families  of  the  name  in  the 
United  States. 

Ohio  was  the  native  State  of  our  subject  and  in 
Avon  he  was  born  October  25,  1843.  His  father, 
Thomas  Crellin,  was  a  life-long  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  a  reliable  citizen.  The  mother  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Catherine  Hampton.  The  family 
settled  in  Jackson  Township  in  1852,  the  father 
purchasing  Government  land  from  which  he  im- 
proved a  farm  and  there  with  his  estimable  wife 
sjicnt    the  remainder  of  his  days. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  a  member  of 
the  parental  household  until  his  marriage,  which 
occurred  April  23,  1867.  His  wife,  Miss  Leonora 
Kelley,  was  born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  August  31 
1849,  and  is  still  living,  being  now  a  resident  of 
.loliet.  Her  parents,  Robert  and  Catherine  (Cowle) 
Kelley,  emigrated  to  America  when  their  daughter 
was  a  child  of  three  years,  locating  first  in  Lake 
County,  Ohio.  There  Miss  Kelley  spent  her  girl- 
hood days,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until 
leaving  it  to  become  mistress  of  her  own  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelley  remained  residents  of  Ohio 
until  1880,  and  then  came  to  Florence  Township, 
this  county,- where  the3-  lived  until  the  fall  of  1888. 
Then  retiring    from  llip  active   labors  of  life  they 


removed  to  the  city  of  Joliet  where  the  father  died 
July  1,  1889;  the  mother  is  still  living.  The  pa- 
rental household  included  eight  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living  and  located  in  Hlinois  and  Indi- 
ana. INIr.  and  Mrs.  Crellin  after  their  marriage 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Florence  Township  where 
they  labored  together  in  the  building  up  of  a  home 
and  effected  good  improvements.  Then  on  account 
of  the  failing  health  of  Mr.  Crellon  they  removed 
to  Joliet,  where  his  death  occurred,  November  30, 
1K87.  The  familjr  residence  in  the  city  is  pleasantly 
located  at  No.  310,  Richards  Street,  and  Mrs.  Crel- 
lin still  owns  the  farm  which  is  the  source  of  a 
comfortable  income. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crellin  there  was  born  a  family 
of  four  children,  two  daughters  and  two  sons,  viz: 
Ella,  Laura,  George  and  Robert.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crellin  united  with  the  Richards  Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  many  years  ago.  The  cultured 
tastes  of  the  family  are  indicated  in  their  home  sur- 
roundings, and  a  fine  library,  filled  with  select 
works  furnishes  many  an  hour's  recreation.  Miss 
Laura  Crellin  completed  her  studies  at  the  High 
School  in  Joliet  and  for  the  past  three  years  has 
been  engaged  as  a  teacher.  Miss  Ella  has  fitted  her- 
self for  the  same  profession,  being  a  graduate  of 
the  Normal  School,  Normal  Park,  111.,  and  Joliet 
High  School.  She  has  already  had  three  years  ex- 
perience as  a  teacher.  George,  a  youth  of  sixteen 
years,  has  already  started  out  for  himself.  The 
yougest  son   remains  at  home   with  his  mother. 

The  many  friends  of  Mr.  Crellin  will  be  pleased 
to  notice  his  portrait,  presented  on  another  page. 


iJ^  ENRY  J.  SAWYER  is  a  well-known  manu- 
facturer of  Joliet,  although  at  the  present 
time  retired  from  active  business  pursuits. 
P'or  a  number  of  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Adler  &  Sawyer,  whose  boot  and  shoe 
establishment  on  Jefferson  Street  was  one  of  the 
prominent  retail  stores  of  the  city.  Mr.  Sawyer 
was  Superintendent  for  the  firm  of  M.  Selz  &  Co., 
of  Chicago,  who  had  a  prison  contract,  their  business 
(!onsuraing   $500,000  per  year  in  the  purchase  of 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


materials  and  manufacture  of  goods.  He  possesses 
a  practical  knowledge  of  the  business  from  the 
foundation  up,  liaving  liiinself  worked  through 
every  department,  and  liaving  also  a  decided  judg- 
ment and  tact  has  proved  liimself  an  excellent 
buyer,  organizer  and  manager  of  a  large  establish- 
ment. Ilis  personal  reputation  is  that  of  an  iion- 
orablc  man  and  worthy  citizen,  and  he  tlierefore 
commands  the  respect  of  his  fellow-men. 

The  natal  da}'  of  Mr.  Sawyer  was  January  22, 
1825,  and  his  birthplace  tiie  city  of  New  York.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  B.  Sawyer,  an  Eastern  man,  whose 
circumstances  were  such  that  the  lad  was  put  out  at 
the  age  of  nine  years,  having  his  own  way  to  make 
from  tliat  early  age.  His  younger  daj-s  were  spent 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  Worcester  County, Mass., 
where  he  gained  a  knowledge  of  manufacturing, 
the  firm  of  Bowker  &  Phipps  starting  a  boot  and 
shoe  manufactory  in  1846,  of  whicli  he  took  charge. 
When  they  opened  a  wareroora  he  continued  as  man- 
ager for  them  until  1850,  at  which  time  he  accepted 
a  position  with  B.  D.  Godfrej',  one  of  tlie  leading 
men  in  tlie  State  as  a  manufacturer  in  the  same  line 
of  business,  in  Milford,  Mass.  With  this  gentle- 
man Mr.  Sawyer  remained  until  tlie  s[)ring  of  1857, 
when  lie  lost  his  wife  and  changed  his  abode  to 
Hopkinton,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  for  six  years, 
still  in  his  old  line  of  business. 

Tlie  next  move  of  our  subject  was  to  Chicago, 
where  he  took  charge  of  tlie  manufacturino:  part 
of  the  boot  and  shoe  business  of  Davis,  Sawyer  iV- 
Co.,  retaining  the  position  for  a  period  of  six 
years,  until  the  time  of  the  great  fire.  An  oppor- 
tunity then  offering,  he  came  to  Joliet  in  tlie  em- 
ploy of  M.  Selz  &  Co.,  who  had  a  prison  contract, 
Mr.  Sawyer  being  tlie  only  person  in  the  concern 
who  understood  shoe  manufacturing.  He  tlierefore 
acted  as  General  Supcriiilendent  of  the  manufac- 
tory, organizing  the  bu.siness,  and  Iiuying  all  their 
goods  and  material  for  nearly  fifteen  years.  Their 
liouse  was  the  largest  in  Chicago  in  their  line  of 
business. 

In  1887,  his  health  failing,  Mr.  Sawyer  withdrew. 
He  was  the  manufacturer  of  the  Saws'er  boot,  which 
was  first  made  by  tlie  Inin  of  Davis.  Sawj'er  <fe  Co., 
during  liis  nianagcnicnt,  the  lirst  prison  enter|)rise 
in  that  line  that  was  successful,  the  material  which 


he  used  being  the  best  and  the  goods  well  made 
and  reliable.  The  concern  employed  five  hundred 
convicts  and  a  large  amount  of  skilled  citizen  labor 
and  was  altogether  a  magnificent  business.  Prior 
to  his  withdrawal  from  active  management  Mr. 
Sawyer  became  a  member  of  the  new  firm  of  Adler 
&  Sawyer,  retaining  his  interest  until  1889. 

Mr.  Sawyer  has  not  engaged  in  active  business 
affairs  for  some  time,  and  the  past  two  winters 
have  been  spent  by  him  in  Florida.  He  has  been 
too  bus3' to  indulge  in  any  political  aspirations,  but 
votes  with  the  Republican  part}*  at  all  times.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternitj',  having 
membership  in  Corinthian  Chapter,  No.  69,  of  Chi- 
cago, although  not  at  present  very  active  in  the 
order.  His  worldly  possessions  are  the  result  of 
his  activity  and  abilit}'  in  business,  and  of  his  wise 
management  of  the  remuneration  which  he  has 
received,  and  reflects  credit  upon  him  and  his 
efforts. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Sawyer  was  in  her  girlhood 
Miss  Chloc  S.  Comey,  of  Foxboro,  Mass.  She  was 
removed  from  him  by  death  April  4,1857,  leaving 
two  daughters,  who  are  still  living.  They  are  Alma, 
wife  of  Clarence  A.  Claflin,  of  Omaha,  Neb.,  and 
Mary  B.,  wife  of  Clarence  A.  Thompson,  now  of 
Hopkinton,  Mass.  After  having  remained  a  widov.'er 
for  a  number  of  years,  Mr.  Saw3-er  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alliance,  being  united  on  Jan- 
iiaiy  27,  18G9,  with  Sarah  A.  Cook,  of  Blackstone, 
Mass.  The  union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  six 
children,  all  living  and  still  at  home.  They  arc 
named  respectively:  Henry  J.  Jr..  Gordonll.,  Mabel 
A.,  Gertrude  L.,  Klsie  L.  and  Ernest  M. 

VOHN  O.  BARRETT,  a  prominent  figure 
among  the  hardware  interests  of  Joliet,  has 
for  many  years  been  connected  with  this 
department  of  trade  and  acquired  a  good 
understanding  of  it  in  all  its  details.  He  is  a  man 
who  attends  strictly  to  business  and  one  who  bears 
the  reputation  of  being  strictlj^  reliable  and  worthy 
of  being  trusted  in  any  business  which  Iiis  judg- 
ment may  justify  him   in  undertaking.     He  carries 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


635 


a  well-selected  stock  of  goods,  valued  at  $35,000 
and  during  tiie  year  1889  transacted  a  business  of 
110), 000.  There  is  a  prospect  that  during  the 
year  1890,  his  sales  will  even  exceed  this  figure. 

Mr.  Barrett  w,as  born  in  Joliet,  III., March  10,1851, 
and  is  the  son  of  W.  F.  and  Clamana  (Onderdonk) 
Barrett,  the  former  of  wliom  was  a  uative  of  Len- 
nox. Mass.,  and  a  tinner  by  trade.  When  leaving 
his  native  State  he  went  over  into  Canada  and 
worked  for  a  time  in  the  city  of  London.  From 
there  he  emigrated  to  Jackson,  Mich.,  ,ind  thence 
to  Joliet  in  1850.  The  [)arental  household  con- 
sisted of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  two  of 
whom  are  deceased.  Sarah  E.,  (Mrs.  Baird)  is  a 
resident  of  Walsenburg,  Col.;  Charity  Maria  (Mrs. 
Carson)  is  a  resident  of  Joliet;  John  0.,  our  sub- 
ject, was  tiie  next  in  order  of  birth.  W.  F.,  Jr., 
is  in  the  wholesale  millinerj-  house  of  D.  B.  Fisk  & 
Co.,  Chicago;  Elizabeth  Acker  remains  at  home; 
Edward  C.  is  with  his  brother,  Joiin  O.,  in  the 
hardware  store.  The  father  died  iu  Joliet  June  4, 
1879.  He  was  prominent  in  local  affairs  and  had 
been  a  member  of  the  City  Council  a  number  of 
years.  The  mother  is  still  living  on  the  West  Side, 
in  .Joliet. 

Mr.  Barrett  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon school  and  subsequently  for  a  time  was  en- 
gaged as  a  clerk  in  the  hardware  store  of  T.  P. 
Ford.  He  was  married  September  16,  1873,  to 
Miss  Mary  C,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Warren  of 
Worcester,  Mass.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barrett  have  no 
children.  Mr.  Barrett  votes  the  straight  Republi 
car.  ticket,  but  has  declined  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  office. 


'j|<^,ICHOLAS  KORST,    whose  home  is  on  sec- 
[(     l/i  tion  5,  Jackson  Township,  is  the  fortunate 


11>,Z^!  owner  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-three 
acres  of  valuable  lrtn<l,  a  part  of  which  lies  in  Jol- 
iet Township.  The  most  of  the  buildings  upon 
the  estate  were  erected  by  himself,  and  they  in- 
clude every  needful  and  convenient  structure,  all 
well  built,  well  designed,  and  kept  in  perfect  re- 
pair.    Tlic  other    improvements    wliich   have  been 


made  upon  the  estate  are  equally  as  good,  and  it 
needs  but  a  glance  to  assure  oven  the  most  unob- 
scrving  of  the  fact  that  industry, frugality,  and  en- 
terprise are  prominent  traits  in  the  character  of 
the  owner.  A  meniion  of  his  name  secures  the 
additional  information  that  he  is  numbered  among 
the  public-spirited  and  reliable  citizens  of  the  sec- 
tion in  which  lie  has  made  his  home  for  raanj' 
years. 

•  The  birth  of  this  gentleman  took  [)lace  in  the 
Ivingdom  of  Prussia,  September  24,  1827,  and  he 
acquired  a  good  understanding  of  the  more  im- 
portant branches  of  education,  under  the  system 
which  Germany  so  generously  provides.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  stone-cutter,  following  it  both 
in  his  native  land  and  after  coming  to  America, 
for  many  years.  Believing  that  in  the  United 
St.ates  he  would  have  a  better  opportunity  to  use 
to  his  worldly  advantage  the  energies  which  na- 
ture had  bestowed  upon  him,  he  emigrated  in  1857. 
He  bade  adieu  to  his  native  land  June  27,  and 
landed  in  New  York  at  noon,  August  12.  He 
came  direct  to  Chicago  and  thence  to  Joliet,  near 
which  city  he  lived  until  1873.  He  then  settled 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  still  following 
his  trade  in  connection  with  his  farm  work. 

When  Mr.  Korst  made  his  first  appearance  in 
Joliet  he  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  three 
children,  and  his  capital  in  trade  amounted  to 
twenty  shillings.  The  property  which  he  lias  ac- 
cumulated and  the  manner  in  which  his  family 
has  been  reared,  is  one  of  the  best  proofs  that  he 
possesses  the  qualities  above  mentioned. -^  He  is  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  in  whose 
society  an  hour  can  always  be  spent  to  advantage 
and  his  personal  character  is  such  as  to  cause  him 
to  be  regarded  with  great  respect.  Ho  has  been 
useful  in  the  community'  as  School  Director  and 
Overseer  of  Highways.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  and  his  family  are  communicants  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 

The  faithful  companion  of  Mr.  Korst  is  a  lady 
of  his  own  country,  born  September  3,  1830,  and 
bearing  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Surges. 
The  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated  between  them 
November  27,  1852,  and  since  that  day  ;Mrs.  Korst 
has  shared  as  a  devoted  helpmate  in   the  toils  and 


G36 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


successes  of  lier  husband.  They  arc  the  parents  of 
eleven  children — .Susannah,  Simon,  John,  William, 
Barbara,  Michael,  IMary,  Frank,  NichoLas  and 
Peter,  now  living,  and  Mathias,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. Susannah  is  now  the  wife  of  Edward  Baura; 
Simon  lives  in  Chicago;  John  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship; William,  in  Minnesota;  Barbara  is  the  wife 
of  Jose|)h  Hodyraaker;  Mari'  is  the  wife  of  Jacol) 
Eis. 


I) WARD  HOWAUD  AKIN.  This  name 
will  be  remembered  by  the  older  residents 
of  Will  Count3'  as  belonging  to  one  of  its 
most  prominent  citizens  and  successful  men.  lie 
was  born  in  Johnstown,  N.Y.,  July  3,  1815,  and  de- 
parted this  life  at  his  home,  in  Joliet,  December 
26,  1880.  lie  was  the  offsining  of  a  good  old 
family,  being  the  son  of  Alirahani  and  the  grand- 
son of  Edward  Akin,  the  former  of  whom  spent 
his  Last  years  in  Lockport,  Will  County,  111. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Asenath  IMatthews.  When  his  son  was 
but  a  boy,  Abraham  Akin  removed  wiili  his  family 
to  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  five  hundred  acres  near  Syracuse,  upon  which 
he  settled,  and  where  Ivhvard  II.  grew  to  man- 
hood. The  latter  when  twenty-one  3-ears  old  left 
the  farm  and  entered  a  store  at  Liverpool,  N.  Y. 
This  movement  was  the  result  of  a  long  mental 
conflict  under  the  conviction  that  he  was  fitted  for 
something  better  in  life  than  Labor  in  the  field. 
He  laid  down  his  hue  one  da3'  and  told  his  mother 
that  if  hft  could  make  his  living  in  some  other  way 
he  would  never  hoe  another  row  of  corn. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  remained  on  the 
farm  in  New  Y'ork  State  as  long  as  the  father  w.as 
able  to  engage  in  active  labor.  They  then 
came  to  this  county-,  and  the  father  died  three 
3'ears  later,  in  Locki)ort,  in  1846.  The  mother 
died  July  28,  1872,  at  the  same  place.  Mr.  Akin, 
of  whom  we  write,  putting  his  resolve  into  execu- 
tion, entered  a  store  in  Liverpool,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
began  his  mercantile  career.  Later,  in  company 
with  his  father,  under  the  linn  name  of  Akin  & 
Son,  he  carried  on  general  merchandising  at  Liver- 


pool, X.  Y.  He  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  salt  at  l,ivcr))ool,  and  continued  a  resident  of 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  until  removing  to  Ber- 
rien County,  Mich,,  in  the  fall  of  1847.  Later,  he 
went  to  Chicago  with  his  family,  and  there  his 
eldest  son,  John,  was  born.  On  account  of  the 
breaking  out  of  cholera,  he  left  Chicago  and  re- 
turncil  to  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  Lock- 
port,  111. 

In  April,  1850,  Mr.  Akin,  in  company  with  a 
party  from  Lockport,  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia, driving  mules  and  oxen,  and  arrived  at  his 
destination  after  a  three  months'  journey'.  He  oc- 
cupied himself  at  mining  successfull}'  along  the 
Yuba  River,  also  at  Placerville  and  Sacramento. 
Kcturning  to  Lockport  in  October,  1851,  he  pur- 
chased his  mother's  farm.  In  1851  he  removed  to 
Joliet  and  established  a  stave  maniifactoiy  and 
cooper  s'lop.  This  enterprise  proved  successful 
and  gave  employment  to  twenty  men  continually 
until  1861.  For  six  years  afterward  Mr.  Akin  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  flour  at  Hennepin.  He 
returned  to  Joliet  in  1867  .and,  in  company  with 
others,  carried  on  a  woolen  mill,  of  which  he  was 
Superintendent.  He  subsequently  embarked  in  the 
real  estate  business  and  followed  this  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  December  26,  1880. 

Mr.  Akin  laid  out  the  subdivision,  of  which  he 
was  owner,  which  is  now  called  Brookl3n,  and 
erected  the  Akin  Block  in  1877.  He  was  regarded 
as  an  enterprising  business  man  and  contril)Uled 
his  full  share  toward  the  growth  of  his  adoi)led 
city,  lie  was  a  Mason  in  good  standing,  having 
attained  to  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  and  in 
polities  .he  was  an  ardent  Republican.  He  regu- 
larly attended  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church, 
of  which  he  w.as  a  supporter,  and  also  a  Trustee 
during  the  later  years  of  his  life.  He  was  oile  of 
the  founders  of  the  People's  Loan  &  Homestead 
Association,  of  which  he  was  .ajso  a  Director,  and 
one  of  the  Directors  of  Oakwood  Cemetery.  He 
was  likewise  Treasurer  of  two  Masonic  bodies. 

Mr.  AJiin  was  married  June  10,  1840,  in  Cort- 
land, N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Sophronia  C.  Merrill.  This 
Lady  was  born  September  18,  1818,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Abel  and  Charlotte  (Curtis)  Merrill, 
who  spent  their  Jast   3'ears   in    New   York    State. 


^.^-rrrY 


PORTRAIT  AND  BTOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


639 


Her  father  died  when  Mrs.  Akin  was  only  three 
years  old.  The  four  children  born  of  this  union 
are  all  living.  Charlotte  was  bdru  September  3, 
1812,  at  Liverpool,  N.  Y.,  and  resides  with  her 
mother  in  Joliet;  Lucy  H.,  who  v/as  born  in  Liver- 
pool, June  18,  1846,  also  resides  with  her  mother; 
John  .1.,  liorn  August  26,  1848,  married  Maargar- 
eta  S.  Miller,  of  Philadeli)liia,  Fa.,  is  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  of  the  Cable  Companj'  owned  by  the 
Chicago  S3-ndicate,  and  makes  his  lieadquarters  at 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  F^dward  C.  married  Louise, 
daughter  of  the  late  Judge  Josiah  McRoberts, 
is  State's  Attornej'  for  Will  County  and  is  a  resi- 
dent of  the  city  of  Joliet.  He  read  law  under  the 
instruction  of  George  S.  House,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  is  one  of  the  most  successful  practitioners 
in  the  county.  Mrs.  Akin  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  since  1835,  and  since 
185-1  of  the  Central  Preiiliyterian  branch.  She  is  a 
lady  greatly  respected  in  her  community  and  en 
joys  the  friendshi[)  and  acquaintance  of  its  best 
l)ei>ple. 

We  clip  the  following,  in  regard  to  IMr.  Akin, 
from  the  Joliet  RopuhUcan:  "Both  in  public  and 
private  life  iMr.  Akin  was  held  in  high  respect  and 
admiration.  As  a  luisband,  none  were  more  lov- 
ing and  kind.  As  a  father,  he  trained  his  chil- 
dren to  be  men  and  women  of  the  world,  and  able 
to  fill  their  parts  in  tlie  phiy  of  life.  As  a  citizen. 
Mr.  Akin  has  left  a  bright  and  honorable  record, 
and  yet,  though  he  has  p.assed  from  among  us,  he 
left  behind  las  better  part — tiie  legacy  of  his  hon- 
orable example." 


/ILLLVM  E.  HENRY.  Examples  of  per- 
sistence in  a  chosen  vocation  and  of  hon- 
est labor  followed  by  success,  are  numer- 
ous, and  it  is  ever  a  pleasure  to  record  the  lives  of 
tliose  who  furnish  them.  A  portrait  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biographical  record  appears  on  the 
opposite  page.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  have 
spent  many  years  in  one  calling  and  whose  lives  are 
marked  by  honorable  dealing  and  moral  iirinciple. 


He  is  now  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  at 
Joliet,  where  he  has  long  resided. 

Joseph  and  Nancy  (Apgar)  Henry,  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  were  of  German  descent  and  natives 
of  New  Jersey,  in  which  State  the  father  was  en- 
gaged In  farming.  He  died  at  the  age  of  about 
sixty  3'ears,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1864. 
Their  family  comprised  three  sons  and  four  daugli- 
ters,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  first 
born.  George  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years ; 
Jacob  A.,  is  living  in  Joliet;  Mrs.  Lydia  A.  Lowe 
resides  in  Fredericksburg,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Swackhammer  lives  In  New  Jersey;  Mrs.  Catherine 
Washburn,  now  deceased,  resided  in  Massachusetts; 
Mrs.  Ellen  White,  a  widow,  lives  in  Joliet. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  opened  his  eyes  to  the 
light  in  New  Germantown,  Hunterdon  County, 
N.  J.,  November  24,  1820,  and  passed  his  boyhood 
days  in  his  native  Slate.  At  the  age  of  twent}' 
years  he  began  his  career  as  a  railroad  man  by  ob- 
taining a  position  in  the  track  department  of  the 
Hartford  <fe  New  Haven  Railroad.  For  thirty-three 
3-ears  he  continued  to  do  railroad  work,  during  that 
time  laying  aV)Out  two  thousand  miles  of  track  in 
seventeen  different  .States.  His  last  venture  in  that 
line  was  a  contract  for  haying  one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  miles  of  the  trac-k  of  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railroad,  from  Valparaiso,  Ind.,to  Lansing,  Mich., 
and  terminated  unfortunately,  as  he  has  never  yet 
received  his  pay. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Henry  removed  to  Wellington, 
Ohio,  and  made  it  his  home  until  1854,  when  he 
returned  to  his  native  .State,  ten  3-ears  later  coming 
to  Joliet,  111.  Here  he  connected  himself  with  the 
Chicago  &L  Alton  Railroad,  as  Roadm.aster,  con- 
tinuing with  that  company  until  1870,  when  he 
took  the  contract  before  mentioned,  which  proved 
an  unremunerative  one.  During  the  years  of 
1863,  1864,  he  had  charge  of  the  railroad  tracks, 
bridges,  etc.,  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  At  the 
time  of  the  battle  of  Anteitam,  Md.,  he  was  la3'ing 
the  horse-car  road  from  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  the 
I'ost-oOlce  and  Navy  Yard  in  Washington  City,  as 
its  contractor.  The  Chickahomin3'  bridge  was 
built  b\-  him,  as  contractor,  before  the  war. 
In  1873,  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Joliet,  and  under 
his  faithful  oversight,  the  interests  of  the  city  were 


r.'io 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


i;i|)i(Ily  developed.  In  1876,  bavins:  permanently 
rftiiuil  from  the  raili-oad  business,  be  oi)enecl  a  real- 
estate  office  in  wliicb  be  yet  continues. 

In  polities  Mr.  Heiu  v  is  a  life  long  Democrat, 
J;\mes  K.  Polk  having  received  his  first  ballot  in 
the  .State  of  Connecticut,  when  a  pro|ierty  qiialifi- 
caiion  was  required  in  order  to  secure  the  right  of 
suffrage.  He  belongs  to  the  RLasonic  fraternity 
wliich  he  first  ji'iiied  in  Cleveland,  Oliio,  January 
24,    1850. 

The  first  niari'iage  of  Mr.  Henry  took  plai-e  .Jan- 
uary 20,  1845,  his  bride  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Stan- 
nard,  of  We.stlirook,  Conn.,  who  shared  his  for- 
tunes until  1854,  when  death  removed  her  from 
liiisband  and  family.  She  was  tiie  mother  of  five 
cliildren,  two  of  whom  are  yet  living,  their  names 
being  George  W.,  and  Jacob  J.,  and  both  being 
residents  of  Joliet.  On  January  20.  1856,  Mr. 
Ilenr}'  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alliance, 
his  companion  being  Miss  Susan  C.  Sburts.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  seven  child- 
ren, of  whom  those  named  below  are  yet  living. 
John  is  the  general  manager  of  the  Hubbard  Pub- 
lishing Company  in  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  Elmer  is  en- 
gaged in  the  crockery  business  in  Joliet;  Joseph  E., 
is  a  furniture  dealer  of  this  city;  Flora  and  Lillie 
remain  with  their  parents. 


-^^ 


E^ 


,^^EORGE  J.  MUNROE,  Attorney-at-Law,  in 
Joliet,  and  President  of  tbe'Citizens'  Loan 
and  Trust  Company,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
holds  an  honored  place  in  the  commercial  circles  of 
this  county.  During  the  twelve  years  in  which  liq 
lias  made  a  specialtj'  of  loans,  be  has  successfully 
handled  $1,818,000  mainly  for  Eastern  parties.  He 
also  bandies  municipal  bonds  and  other  negotiable 
securities.  At  present  Mr.  Munroe  advances  bis 
own  money  largely  in  making  loans  and  in  pur- 
chasing securities,  afterwards  selling  them  to  in- 
vestors at  home  and  in  the  East  and  realizing 
handsome  returns. 

Tiie  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  February-  1 1, 
1853,  in  Baraboo,  Wis.,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Adelia  (Paddock)  Munroe  who  are  still  living  and 


residents  of  Baraboo,  Wis.  John  IMunroe  was  born 
in  1833  in  INIunroe  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived 
until  reaching  man's  estate.  Ho  then  emigrated  to 
Southern  Wisconsin,  but  five  years  later  changed 
the  scene  of  his  o|)erations  to  Sauk  County,  of  which 
he  was  a  resident  forty-two  years,  and  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits.  Then  vvisel}'  retiring  from  active 
labor  he  removed  flo  the  city  of  Baraboo,  where  be 
and  bis  wife  are  highly  respected  and  are  [iromi- 
nently  connected  with  the  Unitarian  Church. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  at  Bar- 
aboo, Wis.,  in  1851.  Mrs.  Adelia  (Paddock)  Mun- 
roe was  born  in  1833  in  Antiocb,  Lake  Count}', 
III.,  where  she  was  reared  to  womanhood  and  re- 
ceived a  good  education.  She  taught  school  some 
time  prior  to  her  marriage.  Of  this  union  there 
were  born  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  living, 
viz:  George  J.,  our  subject;  Ward,  who  conducts 
a  cold  storage  warehouse  in  Baraboo;  and  Bessie, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Teal  of  that  city.  The  elder 
Munroe  was  prominent  iu  local  affairs  during  the 
years  of  his  active  life,  holding  the  office  of  Tovvn- 
sbi|)  Treasurer  and  School  Director,  and  during  the 
Civil  War  was  entrusted  with  a  large  amount  of 
funds  to  pa^'oft'  the  discharged  soldiers  at  Madison, 
Wis.  He  was  a  strong  Union  man  and  uniformly 
voted  with  the  Republican  party.  For  many  years 
be  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  Sauk  Count}'. 

The  Munroe  family  is  of  Scotch  origin  and  was, 
first  represented  in  this  country  by  the  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  George  Munroe,  who  crossed 
the  Atlantic  at  an  earl}'  day  and  settled  in  Munroe 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  which  iu  all  probability  was 
named  after  him.  The  great-great-grandfather  was 
also  named  George,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  Munroe  County,  N.  Y.  Their  descend- 
ants have  inherited  in  a  marked  degree  the  worthy 
and  substantial  traits  of  their  ancestors,  being  men 
who  have  held  important  positions  and  who  have 
almost  uniformly  been  found  worthy  of  the  trusts 
relegated  to  them. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  [nirsued  bis  early 
studies  in  the  schools  of  his  native  city  and  when 
a  youth  of  sixteen  years  repaired  to  Oberlin,  Ohio, 
and  entered  the  famous  Oberlin  College,  of  which 
be  was  a  student  two  years.  Later  be  attended  the 
Normal  School  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  and   from  which 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


641 


lie  was  duly  graduated  and  subsequently  followed 
the  iirofesslon  of  a  teacher  in  the  Buckeye  State. 
For  some  time  he  was  Priiieiiial  of  the  school  at 
Marlboro,  Oliio,  which  luiuiliered  six  hundred 
pupils.  Thence,  in  tlie  year  1874,  he  removed  to 
Chicago,  111.,  for  the  purpose  of  readini;;  law.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  at 
Springfield  in  1877,  and  soon  thereafter  came  to 
.Toliet,  where  he  followed  his  profession  success- 
fully to  the  present  time.  In  the  early  days  of 
Kansas  City  his  attention  was  called  to  its  growing 
prosperity  and  he  accordingly  made  some  invest- 
ments which  have  proved  very  valuable.  The 
Citizens'  Loan  &  Trust  Association  commenced 
business  February  1,  188[),  and  at  the  close  of  the 
first  year  was  enabled  to  make  a  most  satisfactory 
report  of  the  condition  of  the  company  which  has 
alread}'  established  itself  firmly  in  the  confidence 
of  the  business  7nen  of  that  place.  No  small  credit 
is  due  to  President  Mum'oe  for  the  successful  man- 
ner in  which  it  has  been  conducted. 

The  subject  of  this  n<jtice  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Miss  Addle  Siuiond,  of  .lollet,  November  21, 
1877.  The  following  jear  Mr.  Munroe  entered 
ui)on  the  regular  practice  of  his  [irofession  in  the 
same  office  which  he  now  occupies  and  where  he 
has  transacted  a  very  successful  business.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Munroe  occupy  a  snug  home  in  the  Seventh 
Ward  of  the  city,  and  are  now  the  parents  of  two 
bright  children,  a  daughter  and  son,  Jennie  and 
Harold.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Munroe  are  both  niemliers 
in  good  standing  of  St.  John's  Universalist  Church. 

ISIrs.  Munroe  was  born  May  22,  185G,  in  Joliet, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Salmon  t).  and  C.  J.  (Treat) 
Simond,  who  were  natives  of  New  York.  Mr. 
Simond  was  one  of  the  (lioneer  farmers  of  Munroe 
Count}',  N.  Y.,  but  after  coming  to  Joliet  became 
identified  with  its  educational  interests  and  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  Schools.  He  won  his 
wa}'  into  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  com- 
munity by  his  slraightforward  and  upright  life 
and  held  various  offices,  the  duties  of  which  he 
dischai'ged  in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself  anil 
satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  He  died  at  his  home 
in  Joliet,  May  30,  1888.  His  widow  is  now  living 
with  her  son-in-law,  Mr.  Munroe.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Jane  Treat,  and  was   born  in  Cat- 


taraugus County,  N.  Y.  To  her  and  her  husband 
there  was  born  a  family  of  two  children,  Mrs.  Mun- 
roe being  the  onl}-  one  now  living.  The  Simond 
family  were  among  the  e.arliest  settlers  of  this 
county,  and  made  for  themselves  a  good  record  in 
connection  with  its  growth  and  development. 


/^^  IIARLKS  11.  BLOGG.  In  a  city  like  Joliet 
the  subject  of  fuel  is  an  important  one  and 
a  trade  in  that  necessary  article  furnishes 
occupation  to  many  dealers.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  although  he  has  not  been  engaged  in  busi- 
ness here  for  any  great  length  of  time,  has  already 
built  up  a  fine  trar>o.  He  handles  all  grades  of  hard 
coal  together  with  the  Wilmington  and  Indiana 
block  coal.  His  boyhood  was  passed  upon  a  farm, 
and  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  he  was  engaged 
until  18.S8,  when  he  established  his  present  business. 
His  natiue  is  an  energetic  one,  and  his  early  train- 
ing developed  those  traits  which  are  needful  to  a 
successful  business  career  and  secured  for  him  the 
practical  education  without  which  a  man  can 
scarcely  succeed. 

Mr.  Hlogg  is  still  quite  young,  having  been  born 
June  22,  1851.  His  birthplace  was  Norwich,  Eng- 
land, his  parents  removing  to  Lockport,  III,,  when 
he  was  about  six  years  of  age,  and  he  is  the  oldest 
of  six  sons  and  two  ihuighters  born  to  them. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  organi- 
zation and  of  the  First  Presbj'terian  Church.  His 
|)rivatc  character  is  above  reproach,  while  in  knowl- 
edge of  general  topics  and  current  events  he  keeps 
pace  with  the  times.  The  estimable  lady  who  pre- 
sides over  his  cozy  home  is  the  daughter  of  one 
of  Will  County's  wealthy  farmers,  whose  home  is 
at  Plainlield.  Her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Ann 
Goodson,  and  her  parents  were  William  and  Sarah 
Goodson,  whose  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  was 
their  wedding  journey.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Blogg  were 
married  February  14,  1877,  and  are  the  parents  of 
one  child,  Mabel. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  are  John  and  Maria 
(Hilling)  Blogg,  natives  of  England,  whence  they 
came  to  America  in  1857.     In  England  John  Blogg 


642 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  a  farm  laborer  and  had  spent  twenty'- one  years 
in  the  employ  of  one  man.  Koat;hing  the  rnittd 
States  he  located  at  Lockport,  111.,  spending  some 
years  in  the  emploj'  of  .lohu  Fiddymcnt.  He  then 
engaged  in  farming  for  himself,  first  as  a  renter 
and  later  as  the  owner  of  real  estate.  The  brothers 
and  sisters  of  onr  subject  are:  AVilliam,  whose 
home  is  in  Florence,  Will  Connty;  Mrs.  Sai-ah 
Faulkner  of  Wilmington,  this  county;  Edward,  an 
engineer  in  the  wire  works  at  Lockport;  Samuel, 
an  engineer  in  .Toliet;  Mrs.  Mary  Dickson  of  Lock- 
port;  Albert  lives  in  Wilmington;  George  and 
Henr}'  reside  in  Florence. 


HAUL?:S  F.  BLOOD.  Tiiis  gentleman  nce<ls 
little  introduction  to  the  people  of  A\"ill 
'iJ^J  Count3',  as  he  has  long  been  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  Joliet.  He  is  universally 
popular  in  both  social  and  business  circles  and  is 
possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  ability',  together 
with  the  energy  and  enterprise  which  .seldom  fails 
to  win.  After  filling  many  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility  in  connection  with  the  city  fire  de- 
partment, he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Chief  of 
Police,  which  office  he  held  until  June,  1890. 
•  A  native  of  the  Empire  State,  Mr.  Blood  was 
born  in  Aurora,  Erie  County,  February  11,  184  1, 
and  is  a  son  of  Horace  and  Nancy  (Fairbanks) 
Blood,  who  were  natives  of  Putnam,  Vt.,  and  were 
of  Scotch  extraction,  the  father  born  in  1804  and 
the  mother  in  1808.  They  spent  their  childhood 
and  youth  in  the  place  of  their  birth  and  there, 
also,  in  1828,  they  were  married.  Horace  P>lood 
was  a  harness-maker  by  trade  but,  in  1834,  upon 
leaving  the  Clreen  Mountain  State,  emigrated  to 
New  York  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Patriot  War  and  was  prom- 
inent in  local  affairs,  serving  as  School  Treasurer 
and  Commissioner  and  occuiiying  other  positions 
of  trust.  Sojourning  in  New  York  State  until  1869 
the  father  of  our  subject  then  deciding  to  push  on 
further  westward,  emigrated  to  Jasper  County,  Ind., 
where  he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1889.     He  was  a  good  man  in  the  broadest 


sense  of  the  term  and  made  for  himself  an  honora- 
ble record  for  integrity  and  usefulness.  The  mother 
deiiarted  this  life  at  the  old  homestead  in  Indisna, 
in  1887.  Eleven  children  comprised  the  parental 
family,  embracing   four  sons  and  seven  daughters. 

IMr.  Blood  was  the  second  son  of  his  [jai'ents,  and 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  enlisted  when 
only  a  jouth  of  seventeen  years  in  the  Tenth  New 
York  Cavahy.  lie  gave  a  faithful  service  of  three 
years  to  his  country,  serving  under  (Jens.  Stone- 
man,  PleasauLon  and  Sheridan,  in  Kilpatrick's  Bri- 
gade. He  was  with  the  latter  at  the  capture  of 
Pickett's  Division  and  fought  at  Gettj'sburg  and 
Antietam,  following  the  army  of  the  Potomac  in 
all  of  its  great  movements  and  when  it  covered 
itself  with  glory.  At  Trevilian  Station,  Va.,  he 
was  wounded  in  the  foot,  but  not  so  seriously  asio 
prevent  his  continuance  with  his  regiment.  He 
endured  with  fortitude  the  various  hardshii)s  and 
privations  of  army  life,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

Returning  now  to  his  old  home  in  New  York 
State,  Mr.  Blood  resumed  his  studies  in  the  acad- 
emy, where  he  remained  one  3  ear.  He  then  came 
to  this  couni3',  locating  in  Plainfield  in  1868  and 
engaged  in  butchering.  Later  he  went  to  his  father's 
home  in  Indiana  where  he  sojourned  two  years.  In 
the  meantime  he  was  married,  June  29,  1871,  to 
Miss  Caroline  Foncannon.  This  lady  was  born  in 
Montezuma,  Ind.,  in  1848,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
an  old  soldier  of  the  late  war  who  gave  up  his  life  for 
his  country.  Immediately  after  marriage  the  30ung 
couple  came  to  Joliet  and  Mr.  Blood  bscame  the 
employe  of  J.  D.  Paige  in  the  bottling  works, where 
he  continued  until  1879. 

Being  called  upon  now  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
Assistant  Township  Assessor  of  Joliet  Township, 
Mr.  Blood  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this  position 
which  he  held  three  years.  Next  he  was  made  en- 
gineer of  the  City  Fire  Department  and  was  thus 
occupied  until  the  spring  of  1888.  Still  advanc- 
ing, he  was  next  ajjpointed  Chief  of  Police,  and  in- 
troduced many  reforms  in  connection  with  the 
force,  which  under  his  supervision  increased  in 
numbers  and  efficiency.  At  the  close  of  his  police 
duties,  in  June,  1890,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
T.  P.  Houghton,  and  commenced  dealing  in  coal. 


Jacob   Spaulding. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


645 


coke,  etc.  His  business  headquarters  are  at  Nd. 
731.  Washington  Street,  and  his  patrons  are  num- 
bered among  tlie  leading  residents  of  tlie  city. 

To  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Blood  there  has  been  born  a 
family  of  six  interesting  children,  the  eldest  of 
whom,  a  son,  Harry,  died  when  four  years  old.  The 
survivors  are  Otto,  Ernest,  Christine,  Horace  and 
Myra.  They  occupy  a  snug  home  on  Bluff  Street 
and  enjoy  the  association  of  many  friends.  Mr. 
Blood  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  23,  I.  O.  O.  F.  at 
Lockport,  and  Bartleson  Post,  No.  6,  G.  A.  R.  at 
Joliet,  also  Lodge  No.  2,  U.  V.  U.  at  Joliel. 


. ^at  •!> 


►^^IM- 


m 


\^AC()B  SPAULDING  is  distinguished  as 
being  the  oldest  living  jtioneer  of  AVheat- 
land  Township,  where  he  has  made  his  home 
for  nearly  half  a  century,  and  it  gives  us 
pleasure  not  only  to  record  his  life  in  this  volume, 
but  also  to  present  his  portrait  on  the  opposite 
pnge.  He  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  carrying  on 
his  business  at  his  well-appointed  farm  on  section 
•21,  so  as  to  derive  a  good  income  therefrom,  and, 
free  from  the  necessity  of  constant  labor  that 
beset  his  early  years,  he  can  enjoy  the  fruits  of  a 
well-spent  life  as  it  declines  toward  its  close. 

Mr.  Spaulding  was  born  in  Norfolk  Count}, 
England,  August  23,  1810,  to  Jacob  and  Mary 
Spaulding,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country. 
The  early  years  of  his  life  wei-e  spent  in  the  land  of 
his  nativity,  and  lie  was  reared  as  a  farmer  and 
laborer,  receiving  but  few  advantages  in  the  line 
of  education  while  he  remained  on  his  native  soil. 
After  coming  to  this  countrj'  he  attended  the 
evening  schools  in  this  State,  and  acquired  the 
rudiments  of  an  education.  In  1836  he  took  his 
life  and  fortunes  in  his  own  hands  and  emigrated 
to  America,  taking  passage  at  Yarmouth  on  a  sail- 
ing-vessel, and  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks  and 
four  days  landing  in  Quebec,  Canada.  He  did  not, 
however,  make  a  lengthy  stay  in  the  Queen's  domin- 
ion, but  crossed  the  border  to  Jefferson  County, 
N.  Y. 

After   working   there  as  a  farm   hand  for  a  few 
months,  Mr.  Spaulding  then  took  up  his  residence 


in  Onondaga  County.  He  was  there  for  some 
three  years,  working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in  1840 
sought  the  pioneer  State  of  Illinois.  He  hired  out 
here  for  the  lirst  summer,  but  the  next  summer, 
being  more  independent,  he  began  farming  on 
shares.  He  w^as  thus  eng.iged  for  two  seasons,  and 
finally  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  1844.  This 
he  had  purchased  the3'ear  before  from  the  Govern- 
ment, paying  §1.25  an  acre  for  the  eighty  acres 
that  then  comprised  his  homestead.  When  he 
settled  on  it  the  surrounding  country  was  very 
sparsely  inhabited,  and  his  farm  was  in  a  lonely 
place,  there  being  no  other  house  between  it  and 
Plainfield.  A  furrow  had  not  been  turned  on  the 
land,  and  our  subject  had  to  begin  at  the  very 
beginning  and  evolve  his  farm  from  the  wild 
prairie,  the  land  being  just  as  the  Indians  had 
left  it. 

A  great  deal  of  pioneer  work  has  been  accom- 
plished by  the  systematic  labor  of  Mr.  Spaulding, 
and  under  his  skillful  hand  the  farm  has  become 
finely  improved;  he  has  added  to  its  acreage  until 
he  now  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  as  fer- 
tile and  finely  tilled  farming  land  as  may  be  found 
in  the  township.  Here  he  and  his  wife  have  built 
up  a  substantial  home,  supplied  with  all  the  nec- 
essities and  comforts  of  life.  To  this  good  woman 
who  presides  over  his.  household,  Mr.  Spaulding 
was  united  in  marriage  January  1,  1848.  Mrs. 
Spaulding's  maiden  name  was  Jane  Vinson,  and 
she  was  born  in  Cornwall  County,  England,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1827.  Iler  parents  were  William  and  Mary 
(Corry)  Vinsen,  natives  of  England.  In  1833, 
when  Mrs.  Spaulding  was  in  her  sixth  year,  she 
accompanied  her  parents  to  America,  sailing  from 
Bedford,  and  after  a  voyage  of  eleven  weeks  land- 
ing on  Prince  Edward  Island.  Ori  the  very  next 
trij)  of  the  vessel  in  which  their  journey  had  been 
made,  she  sank  about  a  half  mile  from  Charlotte- 
town,  Prince  Edward  Island,  but  another  ship 
rescued  her  passengers.  The  family  lived  on  the 
Island  until  1844,  and  in  that  year  came  to  Illinois 
p.nd  resided  in  Kendall  County  for  a  short  time. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  have  been  born  ten 
children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living — Martha, 
wife  of  Lansing  Lockwood ;  Edmund;  Flora,  wife 
of  Hugh    Lemmer;  Cora,  wife  of  Lewis  Harford ; 


646 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Frank;  and  Nina  E.,  wife  of  James  Peck.  The 
names  of  Uie  deceased  children  are:  Jacob  W., 
Mary  P.,  Ricliard  W.  and  Charles  H. 

Coming  here  wlien  in  the  prime  of  a  vigorous 
manliood,  and  liaving  passed  so  many  of  the  yv>ars 
of  his  life  here,  Mr.  Spaulding  is  well  known  and 
is  greatly  esteemed,  his  reputation  for  vei-acity, 
integrity,  and  unostentatious  piety  being  of  the 
highest.  As  School  Director  and  as  Librarian  of 
tiie  Library,  which  positions  he  has  held  for  several 
jears,  educational  matters  have  received  careful 
attention  from  him.  He  was  at  one  time  Pound 
Master.  He  and  his  wife  are  among  the  most  res- 
pected members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  lead 
consistent  Christian  lives. 


"vw)OHN  FRIDLEY.  This  gentleman  is  one  of 
those  residents  of  Florence  Township  whose 
position  demonstrates  the  ability  which  as 
(^^'  farmers  and  financiers  have  marked  their 
lives.  Beginning  his  worldly  career  as  a  poor  man 
on  rented  land,  he  has  accumulated  a  large  share 
of  this  world's  goods,  including  a  fine  tract  of 
two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  acres  of  productive 
land.  It  is  situated  on  section  9,  and  attracts 
more  than  a  passing  glance  from  the  |)asser-by  on 
account  of  the  large  barns  and  other  good  out- 
buildings that  adorn  it,  the  neatness  and  order 
manifested  in  all  its  parts,  and  the  homelike  and 
well  bnilt  residence,  under  wliose  roof  one  is  sure 
that  geniality  and  good  cheer  abound. 

Mr.  Fridle}"  was  born  in  .Switzerland,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1822,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Frid- 
ley,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  romantic 
land.  The  familj'  is  of  German  stock,  as  are  most 
of  the  residents  of  the  section  of  Switzerland  in 
which  tiiey  lived.  He  of  wiiom  we  write  is  the 
sixth  child  of  a  famil}'  of  nine  sons  and  daughters. 
In  his  native  land  he  was  reared  and  remained  un- 
til he  was  thirty-three  years  old.  He  then  em- 
barked for  America  acconipanied  by  his  bride,  and 
made  his  home  in  Joliet  for  a  few  months.  In 
1850  he  removed  to  Reed's  Grove,  Jackson  Town- 
ship, where  he  prosecuted  his  labors  until   1870,  at 


which  time  he  removed  to  the  farm  he  now  occu- 
pies. On  this  tract  of  land  he  has  made  the  ex- 
cellent improvements  that  mark  it  as  the  home  of 
a  man  of  energy  and  good  judgment. 

The  lad^-  who  on  November  28,  ISaS,  became 
the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  known  in  her  maiden- 
hood as  Miss  Mary  Yonker.  She  was  born  in 
Switzerland  in  1829,  and  still  lives  to  enjoy  with 
husband  and  children  the  comforts  earned  by3'ears 
of  industry  and  prudence.  The  only  son  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife  is  John  F.,  who  on  January 
4,  1884,  married  Miss  ]\Iattie  A.  Y'ouker,  of  Mor- 
ris; he  remains  at  the  old  home  assisting  his  father 
in  the  care  of  the  estate.  The  only  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fridley  is  Mar}-  A.  This  lady  on 
October  14,  1885,  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin 
Yonker,  of  IMorris,  a  half  brother  of  her  sister  in- 
law. They  are  now  living  on  a  farm  in  the  same 
township  ;is  her  (jarents.  The  vote  and  influence 
of  Mr.  Fridley  was  given  to  tlie  Republican  party 
in  whose  principles  he  is  a  firm  believer.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Evanglical  Church.  Not  only  bj-  his 
associate  members,  but  by  .all  to  whom  he  is  known, 
he  is  respected  for  his  uprightness  and  ability, 
while  the  members  of  his  family  are  likewise  re- 
garded with  favor  by  their  acquaintance. 


ITZ  J.  ROBINS,  one  of  the  oldest  settlers 
of  Wheatland,  did  good  service  as  a  pio- 
neer of  the  county  in  the  early  years  of  its 
settlement,  actively  assisting  in  the  development  of 
its  rich  .agricultural  resources,  and  is  now  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  his  earl3'  labors  in  his  pleasant  home, 
finely  located  on  section  27,  on  one  of  the  best 
cultivated  farms  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Robins  is  an  Englishman  b}'  birth,  his  native 
place  being  on  the  Isle  of  AVight  in  the  English 
Channel,  where  he  was  born  October  2,  1826,  to 
James  and  Sarah  (Holly)  Robins.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  Joseph  Robins. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  fourth  child  in 
his  father's  familj',  and  passed  the  early  years  of 
his  childhood  on  his  native  isle,  remaining  an  in- 
mate of  the  parental   household    till  liis  sixteenth 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIO(iRA.PHICAL  ALBUM. 


647 


year.  He  was  tlien  apprenticed  to  a  general  car- 
pet, ter  and  wagon -maker  in  Devonshire,  England, 
and  had  seri'ed  for  two  years  to  learn  the  trade. 
Ambitious  to  see  something  mf)re  of  life  .nnd  to 
visit  this  country,  of  which  he  had  heard  so  much, 
thinking  that  his  prospects  of  earning  something 
more  than  a  mere  livelihood  would  be  better  here 
than  in  the  land  of  his  liirth,  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1843,  taking  passage  at  South- 
ampton on  a  sailing  vessel,  and  after  a  voyage  of 
about  five  weeks,  landing  in  New  York  City.  He 
came  directl}'  to  Illinois  and  for  a  short  time 
worked  at  his  trade  in  Chicago.  Observing  the 
many  advantages  that  the  remarkably  fertile  soil 
of  Illinois  gave  to  the  farmer,  he  aljandoned  his 
calling  to  give  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1845,  located  on  his  present  farm. 
This  was  at  the  time  in  a  wild  condition,  he  being 
the  first  white  man  to  locate  on  it.  His  first  work 
was  to  erect  a  small  frame  house,  one  and  one  half 
story  in  height  and  16x20  feet  in  dimensions,  which 
lie  made  his  home  for  a  iiuinber  of  j'ears.  In  1871 
he  remodeled  and  added  to  it  and  made  his  pres- 
ent commodious,  conveniently  arranged  dwelling. 
His  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  twent^'-five 
acres  of  land,  which,  he  has  placed  under  good  cul- 
tivation and  has  supiilied  with  excellent  improve- 
ments. 

October  2,  1851,  Mr.  Robins  and  ISHss  Elizabeth 
Kinh'y  were  united  in  marriage.  She  is  a  native 
of  Prince  Edward  Island,  born  July  3,  1832,  and 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Ann  (Allen)  Kinley. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Man  and  her 
mother  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  both  being 
descendants  of  a  sterling  English  ancestry. 

T'o.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robins  has  been  born  a  large 
f:unil3'~of  childrei;,  of  whom  the  following  eight 
survive :  William  K.,a  resident  of  Cherokee  Count}', 
Iowa;  Alfred  M.;  Idell  C,  wife  of  R.  S.  Sager,  of 
Story  County,  Iowa;  Lucy  A.,  wife  of  M.  J.  Ken- 
son,  of  Story  County,  Iowa;  Ethel  M.,  wife  of 
J.  C.  E3'er;  Eva  I.,  wife  of  Albert  Lemer,  Buena 
Vista,  Iowa;  Russell  C,  and  Bertha:  The  names 
of  the  deceased  children  are  Georgiua,  Lizzie,  John 
J.  and  James. 

Through  his  long  residence  here  Mr.  Robins  is 
well-known,  and  he  is   regarded    as    a  thoroughly 


good  man,  whose  life  is  guided  by  principles  of 
rectitude  and  unswerving  integrity,  whose  loyal 
citizenship  is  an  honor  to  the  place, and  whose  will- 
ing helpfulness  and  roundabout  common  sense 
makes  him  a  good  neighbor  and  a  safe  counselor. 
He  favors  all  schemes  for  improving  his  adopted 
township,  and  did  good  service  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner in  the  term  that  he  held  the  office.  He  is  a 
Prohibitionist  in  politics.  *  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Plainfield,  and 
cheerfully  give  their  support  to  every  good  work 
that  is  carried  on  b}'  its  pastor  and  members. 

/^  APT.  EDWARD  McALLISTER  is  classed 
[ iP^  among  the  leading  farmers  of  Plainfield, 
^^^'  where  he  has  a  farm  that  in  point  of  culti- 
vation and  general  improvement  is  considered  one 
of  the  most  desirable  in  the  township.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  Cue  representative  of  the  citizen-soldiers 
of  the  United  States  who  fought  in  the  late  war 
and  saved  the  Union  from  dissolution,  and  he  won 
an  honorable  record  as  an  intelligent,  brave  soldier 
and  etticient  leader. 

The  Captain  was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem, 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  December  24,  1828. 
His  father,  William  McAllister,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  town,  and  a  son  of  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Mc- 
Allister, a  native  of  Scotland.  He  wiis  born  and 
reared  in  that  country,  and  came  from  there  to 
America  accompanied  by  two  brothers,one  of  whom 
settled  in  Philadelphia  and  the  other  in  New 
York.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  agent 
for  a  company  of  large  land-owners,  and  held 
power  of  attorney'  to  do  business  for  them.  He 
was  one  of  the  three  fiisl  white  men  who  ever  set- 
tled at  Salem,  where  he  took  up  a  tract  of  timber 
land  and  cleared  a  fine  farm.  He  soon  began  to 
take  a  leading  part  in  public  life,  and  was  one  of 
the  foremost  citizens  of  Washington  County.  He 
was  its  first  Sheriff,  and  represented  the  county  in 
the  State  Legislature.  That  was  the  time  when 
each  member  had  to  pay  his  own  expenses,  and  as 
money  was  scarce,  many  of  the  legislators  had  to 
resort  to   various  expedients  to   foot    their    bills, 


C18 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  it  is  told  of  iiira  Ibat  Ids  faithful  wife  made 
butter  and  sent  it  to  Alban}-  to  pay  his  board.  In 
the  early  days  of  settlement  of  the  county  there 
were  no  mills,  and  on  one  occasion  bis  wife  took  a 
sack  of  wheat  on  horseback  by  an  Indian  trail  to 
Albany,  forty  miles  distant.  The  maiden  name  of 
the  grandmother  of  our  subject,  was  Sarah  Dick, 
and  she  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  was  of  Scotch 
ancestry. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  stalwart  man- 
hood in  his  native  county,  and  followed  agricul- 
ture all  his  days,  placing  himself  among  the  most 
substantial  and  well-to-do  farmers  of  the  county. 
He  inherited  a  part  ol  the  old  li  )mestcad  and 
bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  it,  antl 
there  his  entire  life  was  passed  in  tranquillitj'  and 
prosperity.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Anna  Shoudler,  and  sue  was  also  boru  in  Wash- 
ington Count}-.  Her  father,  Andrew  Shoudler, 
is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of  tlie  same 
county,  his  ancestry  originating  in  Holland,  lie 
was  a  farmer  and  also  kept  a  tavern  on  the  Troy 
and  Whitehall  Iload.  He  spent  his  last  years  on  a 
farm.  The  mullier  of  our  subject  died  on  the  old 
homestead  eight  ye:irs  after  his  father  de[)arted  this 
life.  To  that  worthy  couple  were  born  six  chil- 
(hei\,  live  of  whom  were  reared  to  maturity.  Archi- 
bald was  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Plauifield,  coming 
here  in  1818,  and  he  died  in  Chicago.  William  K. 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  eminent 
members  of  the  legal  profession  in  Illinois.  He 
was  at  one  time  Judge  of  the  old  Recorder's 
Court,  of  Chicago;  from  1870  to  1873  he  sat  on 
the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  State.  After  his  resig- 
nation from  that  position  he  was  again  elected  a 
member  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Cook  County,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  he  was  called  to  be 
Judge  of  the  Appellate  Court,  and  he  held  that 
olfice.  at  the  time  of  his  death  at  his  home  in 
Ravenswood,  Chicago,  in  1888  or  188'.).  Our  sub- 
ject's sister,  Catherine,  married  John  C.  Walker, 
and  lives  in  New  York  State.  His  brother,  Jesse, 
who  was  a  farmer  and  stock  man,  is  now  deceased. 

He  of  whom  we  write  passed  the  earl}-  3ears  of  his 
life  in  his  native  State,  but  in  the  prime  and  vigor 
of  the  oi)ening  years  of  his  manhood  he  left  the  scenes 
of   his  youth    and    his   many   frfends,   having   re- 


solved to  see  what  life  held  for  him  on  the  bound- 
liss  prairies  of  the  "Great  West,"  and  coming  to 
Illinois,  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  settlers  of  Will 
County,  locating  on  the  farm  that  he  still  occu- 
pies, and  which  under  his  careful  and  skillful  man- 
.agement  is  m.ade  to  yield  large  harvests  and  a 
comfortable  income.  He  was  busily  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  when  the  first  alarm  of  the 
war  was  sounded,  and  he  w.as  prompt  to  offer 
his  services  to  his  country.  He  previously  been 
Cajitaiu  of  a  company  of  State  militia,  and  April 
21,  18G1,  it  was  called  out  by  the  Governor  and 
sent  to  Cairo,  and  was  there  organized  .as  Company 
K,  Tenth  Illinois  Infantrj',  but  September  1  was 
mustered  in  as  Company  K,  First  Illinois  Artillery, 
generally  known  and  spoken  of  in  histories  .as  Mc- 
Allister's Battery,  in  honor  of  its  brave  Captain. 
Our  subject  was  soon  solicited  by  Gen.  Prentiss, 
the  commander,  to  remain  and  take  charge  of  the 
fort.  The  Captain  hired  men,  whom  he  paid  out 
of  his  own  pocket,  to  recruit  a  company,  of  which 
he  was  commissioned  Captain, and  w.as  in  command 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  where  his  men,  inspired  by 
his  presence  and  spirited  example,  did  noble  serv- 
ice. The  hardships  and  i)rivations  of.  military  life 
proved  too  groat  for  even  the  hardy  constitution 
of  our  subject,  and  soon  after  that  battle  he  was 
obliged  to  succumb  to  sickness  and  to  resign  his 
position.  He  returned  home,  and  as  soon  as  suf- 
ficiently recuperated  from  ill-health,  he  resumed 
farming,  and  h.as  ever  since  been  i)rosperously  eu- 
g.aged  at  that,  having  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  choice  farming  laud  under  high  cul- 
tivation, and  lia.s  it  amiily  supplied  with  substantial, 
roomy  buildings,  and  all  the  needed  appliances  for 
carrying  on  agriculture  after  the  best  methods. 

Capt.  McAllister  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure 
in  the  wife,  to  whom  he  was  wedded  in  18G0.  a 
true  helpmate  and  companion,  one  who  knows  well 
how  to  make  home  pleasant  and  attractive.  Mrs. 
McAllister's  maiden  name  was  Fanu\-  M.  Bebee, 
and  she  is,  like  himself,  a  native  of  Salem,  N.  Y., 
a  d.aughter  of  Norman  and  Sophie  Bebee.  Five 
children  have  been  bora  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  namely:  Carrie,  Ada,  Jessie,  Clyde  and  Will- 
iam King,  the  latter  being  deceased. 

Honorable  and  upright,  a  loyal  citizen,  true  hus- 


/n 


/f-r^C    J, 


(/Ax  '^^^t~ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


6.01 


band,  tender  father  and  faithful  friend,  in  our  sub- 
ject lownsliip  and  county  find  an  example  of  their 
best  citizenship.  The  Captain  votes  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  is  one  of  its  strongest  sup- 
porters in  tiiis  vicinity.  He  is  public-spirited  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  civic  affairs,  and  has  repre- 
sented Plainfield  on  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Plainfield 
Lodge,  No.  536,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  A  man  of  clear 
and  progressive  views  on  all  questions  of  general 
interest  religiously,  be  is  a  Univcrsalist,  he  and 
his  family  being  members  of  tlie  Universalist  So- 
ciety, of  Plainfield. 


-^^^^^^ 


z^ 


'REDERICK  SEIIRING.  Tlie  brewery  in- 
•(sy  terests  of  "Will  County  acknowledge  as 
among  their  leading  men  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  a  portrait  of  whom  appears  on  the  opposite 
page.  He  is  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  Joliet  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  City  Council  since  1874. 
Of  German  birtii  and  parentage,  he  was  born  in 
Langen  Duchy.  Hesse-Darmstadt,  December  19, 
1834.  His  father,  Weigaud  Sehring,  w.as  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1813,  in  Germanjs  .ind  married  Mar- 
garetlia  Keim.  They  came  to  America  in  1847, 
settling  in  Frankfort  Township.  Will  County, 
where  tlie  father  occupied  himself  as  a  farmer  until 
1854.  That  jear  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Joliet  and  conducted  an  hotel  until  1860,  while  in 
the  meantime,  Frederick,  who  was  fond  of  his 
books,  devoted  himself  to  stud}'.  At  their  home 
in  .Toliet,  the  parents  both  passed  to  their  last  rest. 
Mr.  Sehring  began  his  business  career  as  a 
Deputy  Clerk  in  the  Recorder's  oflice  of  the  county, 
where  he  remained  until  1863.  He  was  then 
elected  County  Treasurer  and  served  two  terms;  in 
March,  1874,  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  ward 
in  the  City  Council,  where  he  has  since  served  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constitu- 
ents. He  at  an  earlj'  age  evinced  unusual  business 
capacities  and  in  18G8,  had  accumulated  sufficient 
means  to  go  into  business,  which  he  did  in  com- 
panj'  with  a  partner  under  the  firm  name  of  .Toseph 
Braun  &  Co.     With  -*6,000  caidtal  they  established 


what  has  now  become  one  of  the  finest  breweries  in 
the  Northwest.  This  was  conducted  successfully 
until  January,  1883,  when  it  was  enlarged  and  in- 
corporated under  the  title  of  the  Fred  Sehring 
Brewery  Company,  with  our  subject  as  President; 
Henry  Sehring,  Vice-President ;  H.  F.  Piepenbrink, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  L.  J.  Sehring,  Super- 
intendent. The  new  corporation  started  in  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $50,000,  and  the  following  month 
bought  out  the  brewery  of  Henry  Eder  opposite. 
Tlie  brewery  now  has  a  capacity  of  thirty  thousand 
barrels  per  year  and  give  employment  to  twenty- 
five  men.  The  jilant  occupies  about  five  acres  of 
ground  and  with  its  buildings  and  machinery  is  of 
great  v:ilue,  being  one  of  the  leading  institutions 
of  Illinois  and  furnishing  the  beverage  not  only  to 
city  of  Joliet,  but  the  towns  surrounding. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  married  January 
16,  1855,  in  Joliet,  to  Mrs.  Louise  Bez,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  six  children,  all  living  and 
named  respectively:  Susan  E.,  Louis  J.,  Maggie, 
the  wife  of  H.  F.  Piepenbrink,  Henry,  Anna  and 
George.  The  eldest  son,  Louis,  was  born  in  Joliet 
April  12,  1858,  .acquiring  his  education  in  the  city 
schools  and  at  an  early  age  learned  the  brewing 
business  at  which  he  engaged  with  his  father.  He 
served  through  an  apprenticeship  with  this  at  Nevv 
York  and  Chicago,  and  then  returning  to  Joliet, 
took  charge  in  1878,  of  the  business  of  which  he 
h.as  since  been  Superintendent.  Like  his  honored 
f.ather  he  has  been  prominent  in  local  .affairs,  repre- 
senting the  Third  Ward  in  the  City  Council  for  two 
years, ( 1885-86).  Aside  from  this,  however,  he  lias 
devoted  himself  mainly-  to  business  and  displays 
ability  and  jutlgment  beyond  that  usually  evinced 
by  men  of  his  years.  He  belongs  to  the  various 
civic  societies  of  the  city  and  is  highly  spoken  of 
by  all  who  know  him.  The  father  certainly  h.as 
reason  to  be  proud  of  his  son. 

Our  subject,  politically,  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 
He  has  for  manj'  j'ears  been  prominently  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  rep- 
resenting it  in  the  Gr.and  Lodge  and  is  likewise 
identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  has 
gained  considerable  distinction  in  politics,  being 
nominated  in  the  fall  of  1874  by  the  liberal  Demo- 
crats to  the  State  Senate,  against  O.  M.  Marshall, 


652 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


llie  Republican,  and  C.  Frazier,  the  Granger  can- 
(H(1.ite.  Mr.  Marshall  was  elected  b^'  twelve  ma- 
jority over  Mr.  Sehring.  wlio  contested  the  election 
.and  proved  the  existence  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
illegal  votes — the  committee  reporting  these  in  his 
favor.  AVhen  put  to  the  regular  vote  the  Repub- 
licans and  Grangers  stood  twenty-six  for  i\Iarshall 
.and  twenty-three  for  Sehring. 


^^-^ 


ICIIAKL  RAPPAL.  The  farming  com- 
munity of  Joliet  Township  recognizes  a 
worthy  representative  in  the  subject  of 
this  notice,  who  pursues  the  even  tenor  of 
his  way  at  a  well-developed  farm  on  section  7,  and 
who  exercises  a  considerable  intlueuce  in  his  com- 
munit}-.  He  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  its  most  re- 
liable men,  and  has  held  the  various  local  offices, 
serving  as  Commissioner  of  Highways  six  j-ears, 
also  as  School  Director,  and  in  politics  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  to  whicii  be  and  liis  estimable  wife  belong, 
attending  services  at  Joliet. 

In  noting  the  antecedents  of  our  subject, we  find 
that  he  is  the  son  of  Samuel  Rappal,  a  native  of 
what  was  then  the  French  Province  of  Alsace,  but 
which  now  belongs  to  Germanv.  The  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Barbara  Anser.  She  was  a 
native  of  the  same  village  as  her  husband,  where 
they  were  married  and  lived  for  several  years  after- 
ward. In  1846  they  decided  upon  emigrating  to 
America,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  spring  of 
the  year,  coming  directly  to  Will  Count}-,  111.,  and 
settling  in  Joliet.  Tlie  father  occupied  himself  as 
a  farmer,  and  died  there  in  the  spring  of  1867. 
The  mother  survived  her  husband  a  number  of 
years,  dying  at  the  home  of  her  son,  our  subject, 
about  1885. 

To  Samuel  Rappal  and  his  good  wife  there  was 
born  a  family  of  five  children,  the  eldest  of  whom 
was  he  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  lie  was  a 
native  of  the  same  province  as  his  parents,  and  was 
born  August  2."),  1833.  He  was  a  lad  of  thirteen 
j-ears  when  the  family  emigrated  to  America,  and 
he  sojourned  with  them  about  four  years  thereafter. 
In  the  spring  of   1850,  when  a  3'outh  of  seventeen 


years,  he  started  for  California,  joining  the  caravan 
which  was  h.astening  thither  in  search  of  gold. 
After  an  absence  of  about  eighteen  months  he  was 
content  to  return  home,  and  thereafter]^ followed 
the  peaceful  pursuits  of  farm  life.  In  addition  to 
this  he  h.as  also  been  considerably  interested  in 
buying  and  shipping  horses,  especiallj-  during  the 
war,  and  for  some  time  afterward. 

Sir.  Rappal  was  married,  in  Chicago,  111.,  Sep- 
tember t,  1853,  to  Miss  Antoinette  Drendel.  This 
lady  was  also  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Alsace, 
and  was  born  May  7,  1833.  Her  parents  were  of 
German  ancestry,  and  are  now  deceased.  She  came 
to  America  with  her  parents  about  1846,  and  of 
her  union  with  our  subject  there  have  been  born 
six  children,  viz:  Teresa,  Louisa,  Mary  (the  wife 
of  John  Kiep),  William,  Anna  and  Joseph.  The 
five  unmarried  children  remain  at  home  with  their 
parents.  Mr.  Rappal,  about  1867,  purchased  his 
present  farm,  which  comprises  two  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  choice  land,  upon  which  he  has 
effected  good  improvements.  He  has  been  indus- 
trious, frugal  and  temperate,  and  has  acquired  a 
competenc3\ 


7OIIN  J.  RINCKER  is  the  owner  and  occu- 
pant of  one  of  the  fine  farms  in  Crete 
Township.  He  is  the  representative  of  a 
family  of  considerable  prominence  in  X.is- 
sau,  Germanv.  His  father.  Phillip  II.  Rineker.  was 
born  in  Prussia  and  became  a  mechanic,  owning  a 
bell  and  brass  foundry  and  manufacturing  machines, 
that  being  the  business  in  which  his  father  and 
grandfather  before  him  had  been  employed.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Tribnel,  who  was  also  born  and 
reared  in  Nassau,  and  who.  like  her  husband,  came 
of  s  good  German  family.  Mr.  Rineker  was  suc- 
cessful in  business,  leaving  his  foundry  to  one  of 
his  sons  who  is  continuing  it  with  credit  to  bis 
worthy  sire.  The  bells  that  peal  in  ail  the  prom- 
inent churches  of  Germany  were  cast  at  the  Rinek- 
er foundry.  Mrs.  Rineker  died  when  seventy 
j-ears  old.  Iier  husband  surviving  a  few  years  and 
breathing  his  last  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  The}' 
were  piomincnt  members  of  the  German  Reformed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


C53 


(Presbj'terian)  Cliurch  and  were  not  onlj'  Lighly 
regarded  on  account  of  their  connection  with  fam- 
ilies of  note  and  their  abundant  means,  hut  on 
account  of  tlieir  personal  character  and  genuine 
worth.  Their  family  comprised  ten  children,  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters.  Four  of  the  children 
came  to  America  and  two  of  them  have  since  died. 
Of  the  entire  family  but  two  sons  and  one  daugli- 
ter  are  now  living. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  biograpliical  notice  was  born 
in  Nassau,  November  21,  1810,  and  received  a  fine 
education  in  his  native  tongue,  as  well  as  in  Latin 
and  Froncli  in  his  native  city.  He  was  the  oldest 
but  one,  in  the  iiarcntal  family.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  a  btll  caster,  together  with  a  knowledge 
of  tiie  various  departments  of  the  business  carried 
on  by  his  father.  While  j'et  a  single  man  he  de- 
termined to  make  a  home  in  America,  and  taking 
passage  at  Havre  de  Grace  on  the  sailing  vessel  T5a- 
tavia,  he  reached  the  western  continent  after  a  te- 
dious voyage  of  four  weeks.  Landing  was  made  in 
New  York,  September  12,  1847,  this  being  before 
the  establishment  of  Castle  Garden  in  that  city. 

Mr.  Rincker  had  many  of  the  experiences  known 
to  the  early  emigrant  when  starting  out  in  this 
country  among  entire  strangers,  and  was  often  im- 
posed upon  before  he  arrived  at  Buffalo.  He  had 
a  ticket  to  Chicago,  but  was  obliged  to  stop  and 
earn  money  to  buy  his  bread,  having  become  ))cn- 
niless.  He  (inalh'  met  a  man  who  proved  a  friend 
in  need  and  gave  him  a  supply  of  eataliles  and  sent 
him  on  his  way  rejoicing.  Probably'  no  prouder 
man  ever  lived  tlian  was  Mr.  Rincker  at  that  time. 
He  soon  reached  the  new  city  of  Chicago,  which  he 
thought  the  muddiest  place  on  earth. 

H.  W.  Rincker,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  h.ad 
come  to  this  country  some  time  before,  and  upon 
reaching  this  State  and  his  brother's  home,  he  of 
whom  we  write  joined  him  in  the  establishment  of 
a  bell  casting  foundr}',  the  two  continuing  in  part- 
nershii)  four  years.  During  this  time  they  cast  the 
bell  weighing  eight  thousand  pounds,  which,  from 
its  position  in  the  courthouse,  tolled  forth  the  cal- 
amity which  in  1871,  befell  the  city  that  has  now- 
risen,  Phcenix  like,  from  her  ashes  into  a  more 
glorious  life.  The  failing  health  of  Mr.  Rincker 
decided  him  to  leave  the  noise  of  the  shop  and  the 


city  streets,  and  severing  his  connection  with  his 
brother  he  came  to  Will  County,  in  the  fall  of  18.il, 
and  became  a  farmer  here.  He  purchased  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of  land  in  Crete 
Township,  the  most  of  which  was  unltroken,  and 
the  greater  part  of  it  covered  with  timber.  This 
he  cleared  and  improved,  subsequently-  adding  to 
its  extent  until  his  estate  now  comprises  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  acres,  the  most  of  which  is 
in  an  excellent  state  of  improvement.  His  efforts 
have  made  of  the  farm  what  it  is  to-da3',  a  most 
comfortable  home,  and  the  source  of  a  sufficient 
income  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  family  and  make 
provision  for  declining  3-ears. 

One  of  the  most  important  steps  in  the  life  of 
Mr.  Rincker,  w.as  his  marriage,  which  took  place 
at  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Cook  County.  His 
chosen  companion  was  IMiss  Helena  Pusheck,  who 
was  born  in  Sleceal,  Prussia.  November  2,  1824, 
and  had  lived  in  Illinois  from  her  fifteenth  year. 
Her  parents.  Christian  and  Hannah  R.  (Hupsch) 
Pusheck,  had  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  on  a  farm  twelve  miles  west  of  Chicago. 
There  the  father  died  when  sixty  years  of  age,  his 
wife  surviving  him  fourteen  j-ears  and  being 
seventy-five  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death. 
Both  were  w-ell-known  to  a  large  number  of  tire  cit- 
izens of  Cook  County,  and  ranked  among  the  best 
of  the  Germans  who  had  sought  homes  in  Amer- 
ica. They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  careful!}'  reared  their  daughters  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  right  living  .as  well  .as  in  habits  of  use- 
fulness in  domestic  life. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rincker  eleven  children  iiave 
been  born,  all  l)eing  yet  alive  except  Ottelia,  one 
of  a  pair  of  twins,  who  died  when  two  years  old. 
Charles  married  Miss  Lena  Rinne  on  whose  father's 
farm,  the}- are  now  living;  Frank,  who  is  unmarried, 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Minnesota;  August,  wlio  married 
Matilda  Let/.,  operates  a  farm  in  AVatonwan  Conni^y, 
Minn.;  AVilliam,  is  his  father's  assistant  at  home; 
Emma  is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Rademacher,  a  farmer 
in  Crjte  Township;  Anna  married  Leno  Kucssner, 
a  wood  engraver  whose  home  is  in  Chicago;  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  William  Reilhel,  who  occupies  a 
farm  in  Calhoun  County.  Iowa;  Matilda  is  the  wife 
of  Henrj'    Meier,    of   Watonwan    Cotuil}',     Minn.; 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Helena,  is  now  in  C'iiicago;  Johanna,  is  with  her 
parents  at  home.  Tlie  entire  famil}'  are  muiubers 
of  tiie  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Rincker  is  a  sturdy 
Repiililioan.  After  liaving  been  in  this  country  twelve 
years  lie  made  a  trip  to  the  home  of  his  boyhood, 
spending  about  two  months  with  his  old  friends, 
but  very  glad  to  get  back  to  America  again  at  the 
expiration  of  th;it  time.  The  various  members  of 
the  family  arc  inanifesiing  the  traits  of  character, 
kindliness  of  nianner,  and  l)usiness  tact  and  energy' 
that  make  tiicm  worthy  to  hear  the  name  which  lias 
descended  to  them. 


;^OBERT  J.  BCXLAN,  the  owner  of  a  good 
home  on  section  1 5,  Jackson  Township,  is  a 
.^\\\  pioneer  of  the  county  and  as  such  deserves 
notice  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in  Sussex 
County,  N.  J.,  January  23,  1806,  arrtl  lived  there 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  learning  survej'ing 
and  civil  engineering  after  finishing  the  ordinary 
branches.  He  went  to  Onondaga  Count)-,  N.  Y., 
where  he  lived  about  seven  years,  during  that 
period  taking  for  his  wife  Miss  Angeliue  Brown. 
That  ladj^  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  March 
11,  1811,  and  died  in  Jackson's  Grove,  this  county, 
February  6,  1841.  To' her  had  been  born  three 
children — James,  who  died  in  California;  Mary,who 
was  bitten  bj'  a  rattlesnake  and  died  June  15, 183C, 
and  Mar3'  Jane,  now  widow  of  C.  M.  Kellogg. 

In  November,  1834,  Mr.  Boylan  came  to  what  is 
now  Will  County,  locating  in  Jackson's  Grove 
where  he  has  followed  farraiugin  connection  with 
surveying.  He  at  one  time  owned  over  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  of  land  but  now  owns  but  one 
hundred  and  four.  Upon  this  he  has  made  all  the 
improvements  it  bears.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
Countj'  Surveyor  eight  years,  has  been  School 
Treasurer  twenty -sis  consecutive  j-ears,  was  Road 
Commissioner  and  Treasurer  of  the  Board  sixteen 
consecutive  j'ears,  and  Township  Assessor  eight 
years.  He  has  taken  quite  an  active  part  in  politi- 
cal affairs  and  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  the 
convention  that  was  called  in  1836  to  organize  the 
Democratic  part)-  of  Will  County.     He  is  also   the 


only  survivor  of  the  petitioners  for  the  setting  off 
of  this  count)-,  which  was  done  at  Yandalia, January 
6,  1836.  In  former  years  he  acted  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  but  is  now  a  Proiiibitionist.  lie  ami 
his  estimable  wife  belong  to  the  Baptist  Church,  in 
which  he  has  been  a  member  for  fifty  years  and  siie 
for  nearly  as  long. 

The  present  Mrs.  Boj-lan  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject  in  Wesley,  this  county,  June  10,  1841.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  M.  Freer  and 
was  born  in  iSIontgomer)^  County,  N.  Y.,  June  18, 
1819.  By  this  marriage  there  are  six  living  chil- 
dren namely:  I^avinia.  wife  of  A.  D.  C.  Bngbee; 
Clara,  widow  of  William  Aldrich ;  Albert  W. ;  Alice, 
wife  of  W.  A.  Palmer;  Nellie,  wife  of  Albert  E. 
Noel,  and  Robert  J..  Jr.  The  deceased  are  Yilletla, 
wife  of  George  Stuphler,  who  died  June  12,  1888, 
and  Eugene  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  j'cars. 


_^'DI)IS0N  COLLINS,  although  born  in 
^^^^1  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  grew  to  manhood  in  this 
count)-,  living  in  Homer  Township  until 
the  summer  of  1881.  He  then  removed  to 
New  Lenox  Village  and,  abandoning  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  in  which  he  had  previously  been 
engaged,  has  been  living  a  retired  life.  He  owns 
an  excellent  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  the  township  in  which  he  formerly  resided.  His 
natal  d.ay  was  October  25,  1832,  and  he  is  the  sec- 
ond child  of  the  Hon.  Addison  and  Sabriua  (Ball) 
Collins.  His  father  was  born  in  Lenox.  Mass., 
March  29,  179G,  and  his  mother,  December  18, 
1806.  They  first  settled  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  thence 
going  to  Berkshire,  Tioga  County,  whore  they  re- 
mained until  the  fall  of  1833.  They  then  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  the  "Yankee  settlement"  of 
this  county,  where  thoy  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives. 

Addison  Collins,  Sr.,  studied  and  i)racticed  law 
in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  but  after  coming  West  devoted 
his  attention  to  farming.  He  was  elected  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  to  the  State  Legislature  and 
served  one  term.  He  also  acted  as  Supervisor  and 
Justice  of  the  Po.ace,  and  was  the  first  County  Snr- 


J?"^: 


•^^ST^' 


^K^cnn^-n^  2^=c 


KZpi<)^Tyl^^yny 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


659 


vcyor  of  Will  Coiintj'.  He  passed  away  MarcOi  27. 
1864,  his  widow  surviving  until  August  29,  1875. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  Chi- 
cago, January  9, 1857,  to  Miss  Catherine  P.,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Zachariah  W.  and  Sarah  (Harding) 
Lynx.  She  was  born  in  Madison  Count}',  N.  Y., 
June  17,  1839.  To  herself  and  husband  seven 
children  have  been  born.  Orline,  the  firstborn, 
died  when  twelve  years  old;  Albert  is  a  druggist 
in  Pueblo,  Colo.;  Eliza  died  at  the  age  of  six 
months;  Tunis  L.  is  in  the  express  business  in  Chi- 
cago; Mary  is  the  wife  of  John  C.  Broadie,  of  New 
Lenox  Township;  Ella  is  a  student  in  the  Jolict 
High  School;  Cora  completes  the  family  circle. 
Mr.  Collins  is  a  stanch  Republican.  Mrs.  Collins 
is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 


eHARLES  C.  SMITH.  It  is  a  pleasure  to 
incorporate  in  this  volume  a  sketch  of  the 
__  life  and  labors  of  C.  C.  Smith,  of  Channaiion, 
and  to  present  on  the  opposite  page  his  [lorlrait, 
together  with  that  of  his  estimable  wife.  He  is 
well  and  widely  known  as  the  possessor  of  a  large 
landed  estate,  is  considered  one  of  the  best  business 
men  in  the  county,  and  looked  up  to  for  his  finan- 
cial ability  and  the  man}-  pleasing  traits  of  charac- 
ter which  he  possesses.  So  wide  is  his  hospitality 
that  he  may  be  said  to  keep  an  open  house,  wherein 
cordial  greeting  and  good  entertainment  for  mind 
and  bod}'  are  met  with.  In  his  domestic  relations 
Mr.  Smith  is  exceptionally  affectionate  and  liberal, 
and  he  is  well  repaid  by  the  culture  and  noble 
characters  of  his  offs[)ring  for  the  advantages 
which  he  has  bestowed  upon  them. 

The  birthplace  of  Mr.  Smith  was  Jefferson 
County,  East  Tcnn.,and  his  natal  day  ]Mav  2,  1818. 
His  parents,  Barton  and  Faithy  (Moore)  Smith, 
were  the  children  of  Revolutionary  soldiers.  The 
Smiths  were  of  the  old  Tennessee  and  the  Moores 
of  the  old  ^'irginia  stock,  and  both  lines  of  English 
ancestry.  Barton  Smith  was  the  youngest  in  a 
family  of  six  boys  and  three  girls.  All  his  brothers 
were  present  at  the  battle  of  Horse  Shoe  Bend 
with  (U'M.  .lacUson,  and    lio,  liiniself,  liail  started  to 


join  the    forces,  and    was    several    hundred  miles 
from  home  when  taken  back   by  his  friends. 

Mr.  and  IMrs.  Barton  Smith  removed  from  Ten- 
nessee to  Fountain  County,  Ind.,  and  early  in 
June,  1835,  settled  in  Joliet,  111.  Mr.  Smith 
bought  a  lot,  upon  which  a  little  log  house  stood, 
and  here  in  due  course  of  time  he  made  a  good 
home.  He  carried  on  a  farm,  but  continued  to 
reside  in  Joliet  until  his  death,  in  1862.  He  was 
Police  Magistrate  and  Deputy  County  Collector, 
and  in  various  ways  served  the  county.  His  wife 
survived  him  about  thirteen  years.  Their  family 
consisted  of  four  children,  our  subject  being  the 
eldest  and  the  only  one  now  surviving.  Melinda 
became  the  wife  of  William  Walters,  and  l)otli  she 
and  her  husband  are  now  deceased,  leaving  a  fam- 
ily; Liicinda  married  Thomas  Hunter,  and  they 
died  leaving  two  children;  William  ,1.  made  his 
home  at  Geneseo,  and  when  called  hence  left  a 
family  of  six  children. 

Charles  C.  Smith  was  eight  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  removed  to  Indiana,  and  in  Fountain 
County  much  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent.  When  the  family  removed  to  Joliet  the 
young  man  started  out  as  a  peddler,  making  a 
regular  trip  through  Cook,  Iroquois,  Vermilion  and 
Will  Counties  with  a  wagon,  and  visiting  the  differ- 
ent localities  every  six  weeks.  In  those  days  there 
was  but  little  money  in  circulation,  and  barter  and 
exchange  was  the  rule.  Yo\ing  Smith  traded  his 
goods  tor  everything  on  which  he  could  place  a 
value — cattle,  horses,  hides,  tallow,  butter,  eggs, 
coon  skins  and  ginseng  root.  These  he  would  take 
to  Chicago  and  trade  for  more  goods.  This  occu- 
pation he  followed  for  nine  years,  becoming  well 
known  and  having  his  coming  looked  forward  to 
by  householders  as  an  event  of  importance. 

The  next  business  enterprise  of  Mr.  Smith  was 
to  rent  the  tract  of  land  upon  which  he  now  lives, 
and  to  collect  all  the  stock  which  he  owned  along 
the  route  from  I)anvill«  hither.  He  paid  $5  per 
year  for  a  tract  of  land  upon  which  thirty- five 
acres  had  been  broken  and  where  a  comfortable 
house  had  been  built.  Two  years  later,  in  1850, 
he  bought  the  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  which 
he  was  cultivating,  and  to  which  he  has  since  added 
largely.     For  many  years  he  herded    his  cattle  on 


660 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  open  prairie.  He  has  now  twent3'-nine  hun- 
dred and  fift3'  acres  of  land,  all  joining,  hut  some 
Ij'ing  within  the  boundary  of  Wilminoton  Town- 
ship. For  many  j-ears  he  was  connected  with  the 
creamery,  and  he  also  had  a  State  contract  to  fur- 
nish the  State  Prison  with  beef  for  eight  years. 
During  one  3ear  of  this  time  the  value  of  the  meat 
furnished  was  ?35,000. 

On  July  24,  1850,  that  being  the  \ear  in  which 
he  purchased  his  home,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in 
wedlock  with  Miss  Corenza  Burr.  This  estimable 
lady  is  a  daughter  of  Warham  and  Xanej-  (Cum- 
mings)  Burr,  natives  of  New  York  and  North 
Carolina  respectively.  Mr.  Burr  w.is  a  school 
teacher  during  his  earlier  life,  but  eventually  be- 
came the  occupant  of  a  farm  in  .Jackson's  Grove, 
this  county,  where  he  died  September  6,  1861.  his 
wife  following  him  to  the  tomb  seven  moutlis  later. 
Mrs.  Burr  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Saraii 
(Hunt)  Cummings,  with  whom  she  lived  until  her 
marriage,  whicli  took  place  in  tlie  lloosier  State. 
The  Burrs  afterward  removed  to  Cook  County,  in 
183.3.  first  settling  eight  miles  above  AYilmington. 
now  Will  County,  afterward  removing  to  the  vil- 
lage, and  thence  onto  the  farm.  They  were  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  four  of  whom  lived  to 
maturitj'.  These  are:  Mrs.  Smitii,  of  this  sketch; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Lemuel  Short,  of  Grundy  Count}'; 
Ira,  now  a  resident  of  Kansas;  and  Selina  C,  wife 
of  Charles  J.  Longemire,  of  Kansas  Cit}-,  JIo. 
One  member  of  the  family  was  killed  in  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  Tenn.,  during  the  first  day's 
fight,  his  bod}'  being  left  on  the  field.  He  and  Mr. 
Longemire  belonged  to  the  same  regiment — the 
One  Hundredlh  Illinois  Infantrv. 

The  famll}'  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  is  made  up  of 
ten  sons  and  daughters,  all  living  but  one  who  died 
in  infancy — Barton,  the  eldest,  is  a  member  of  the 
law  firm  of  Baker,  Smith  <k  Baker,  of  Toledo, 
Ohio;  lie  married  Miss  May  Searles,  and  thej'  have 
two  children — Clifford  Charles  and  Mildred;  Emma 
J.  is  the  wife  of  Herman  Unlaud,  of  Hutchinson, 
Kan.,  and  the  mother  of  three  children — Corintha 
(;.,  Lloyd  Barton  and  Bloss  Chester;  William  T. 
is  iu  the  real-estate  business  in  ]\Iinneapolis,  Minn.; 
he  is  married  and  has  four  children — Winfred 
William,    Elhel    Mav.    Ruth    and   an    infant;    Uie 


maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Mar}-  H.  Fowler; 
Ella  Mav  is  the  wife  of  Wallace  B.  Douglas,  a 
lawj'er  of  Moorehead,  INHnn..  and  the}'  have  two 
children — Harold  M.  and  Leila  Louise;  Charles  W. 
now  occupies  one  of  his  father's  farms ;  he  married 
Margaret  A.  Jliller,  and  has  one  sou — Charles 
Claibourne:  Lucy  M.,  wife  of  Frank  A.  Miller,  of 
Joliet;  Cora  Ada  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  H.  F.  Hicks,  a 
dentist  of  Joliet;  Eva  Sarah  is  yet  at  home;  Floyd 
Herman  is  now  attending  school.  All  have  colle- 
giate educations  except  the  younger  members  of 
the  family,  who  will  receive  the  same  advantages 
in  due  time. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat,  and  was  elected  on  the 
party  ticket  for  Supervisor  of  the  town.  He  has 
also  held  as  many  minor  offices  as  he  would  take, 
but  his  large  business  has  precluded  his  holding 
them  at  all  times.  He  is  prominent  in  the  lodges 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
!M.asonic  fraternity,  having  been  connected  with 
the  former  order  for  forty-seven  years,  and  the 
latter  for  thirty  years.  He  was  the  first  ■member 
initiated  in  each  of  the  lodges  to  which  he  belongs. 
They  are  Powhan  Lodge,  No.  29,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
Channabon  Lodge,  No.  262,  F.  A  A.  JI.  He  has 
helped  to  institute  a  number  of  other  lodges. 


^S^  ATHAN  BENNETT.     The  recor.l  of  Nath- 

fjl  an  Bennett  is  one  to  which  he  can  point 
J^,  with  just  pride  as  that  of  an  excellent  cit- 
izen, a  faithful  workman,  a  kind  friend  and  an  affec- 
tionate member  of  the  family  circle.  He  is  of 
English  birth  and  jjarentage,  his  early  days  liaving 
been  spent  in  Midland  where  his  eyes  opened  to 
the  light  in  1845.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and 
Margaret  (Ashley)  Bennett,  and  the  former  was  an 
engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Crown,  continuing  an 
honorable  service  until  his  death. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in 
the  manner  usual  to  the  son  of  an  artisan  and  after 
acquiring  his  education,  learned  the  trade  of  pud- 
dling, in  the  government  service.  In  1868  he 
came  to  America  selecting  St.  Louis  as  his  first 
abiding  [)lace.     There  he  was  engaged  in  the  Brem- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


661 


en  Mills  for  some  months,  after  which  he  came  to 
Joliet,  III.,  and  entcrerl  the  employ  of  the  Joliet 
Steel  Works.  In  1873,  he  began  assisting  in  the 
manufacture  of  steel,  at  which  he  has  continued 
until  the  i)resent  time,  a  period  of  twenty-one 
years — a  record  thivt  could  only  be  made  by  sobri- 
ety and  faithfulness.  lu  addition  to  this  Mr.  Ben- 
nett is  engaged  in  connection  with  the  firm  of 
Demart  Bennett  in  an  extensive  trade  in  fine  car- 
riages, their  place  of  business  beirg  No.  210  North 
Ottawa  Street. 

The  dwelling  that  Mr.  Bennett  owns  and  occupies 
on  Mississippi  Avenue  is  presided  over  by  a  lady 
who  became  liis  wife  in  1867.  She  was  known  in 
her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Mary  Ann  Guy,  and  is  a 
woman  of  worth  of  mind  and  heart.  The  happy 
uniiHi  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children, 
named  respectively,  Sarah  Ann,  Albert  Edward, 
Edith,  Mabel,  Jlarion,  and  Robert  Arson.  Mr. 
Bennett  is  devotedly  attached  to  his  home  as  well 
he  limy  bo. 

The  Amalgamated  Society  has  repeatedly  made 
Ml-.  ISennett  its  President  and  he  has  been  the 
'Ireasuier  of  the  Society  of  St.  George  since  its  or- 
ganization, having  been  a  charter  member.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge,  No. 
36.  He  is  numbered  among  the  members  of  the 
Ottawa  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


IMON  HAUSSER.  As  a  contractor  in 
stone  work,  Mr.  Ilausser  is  well  known 
throughout  Will  County,  in  which  he  has 
operated  extensively  in  his  line,  and  has 
proved  himself  a  man  prompt  to  meet  his  obliga- 
tions, and  one  who  can  always  be  trusted.  He  ful- 
filled a  contract  of  stone  work  on  the  Alton  Round- 
house, the  County  Jail.  St.  John's  Catholic  Church, 
the  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  and  Convent,  and  for 
many  of  the  prominent  residences  of  Joliet  and 
vicinity.  His  long  experience  and  close  attention 
to  business,  together  with  his  industry  and  a  sens- 
ible economy,  have  placed  him  financially  in  a  po- 
sition of  independence. 

The  early  home  of  our  subject  was  in   the  king- 


dom of  Bavaria,  wdiere  he  was  born  April  13, 
1819.  He  is  the  son  of  George  and  Eva  (Nied- 
haiiimer)  Hausser,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  stone 
mason,  as  was  also  his  father  before  him.  George 
Hausser  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native  land, 
dying  in  1846.  The  mother  came  to  America  in 
May,  1854,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  son 
Simon,  in  Joliet,  September  15,  1854.  The  paren- 
tal famdy  consisted  of  ten  children,  seven  of  whom 
emigrated  to  America,  and  only  four  of  the  seven 
are  now  living — one  in  New  York,  one  in  New  Jer- 
sey, and  two  in  Joliet. 

Mr.  Hausser  learned  the  trade  of  a  mason  in  his 
naitve  country,  Bavaria,  remaining  there  until  1847. 
Then,  a  man  of  twenty-eight  years,  he  resolved 
upon  emigrating  to  America,  and  embarked  upon 
the  long  voj'age  in  company  with  a  younger 
brother.  They  landed  in  New  York  Citj^,  where 
Simon  sojourned  about  two  3'ears,  working  at  Port 
Jarvis,  N.  Y.,  going  from  there  to  Lyons,  N.  Y., 
and  thence  to  Batavia,  111.  We  next  find  him  in 
Aurora,  this  State,  whence  he  emigrated  to  Joliet 
in  1849,  arriving  August  15. 

In  Joliet  Mr.  Hausser  worked  at  his  trade  for  a 
time,  and  then,  desirous  of  seeing  more  of  the 
country,  went  down  to  New  Orleans.  He  only  so- 
journed, however,  for  a  brief  time  in  the  Crescent 
City,  deciding  that  there  were  few  more  desirable 
locations  than  the  city  of  Joliet,  to  which  he  ac- 
cordingly returned,  and  has  since  made  it  his 
home. 

In  Joliet  also  Mr.  Hausser  found  a  wife  and  help- 
mate, being  married,  November  22,  1853,  to  Miss 
Francisca  Horn.  Mrs.  Hausser  was  born  October 
23,  1832,  in  Neukirchen,  Bavaria,  and  came  to 
Joliet  with  friends  in  1853.  Of  this  union  there 
have  been  born  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are 
living.  Mary,  Mrs.  Ilagen,  is  a  widow  and  resides 
in  Joliet;  Teresa,  Mrs.  Steiner,  and  George  are 
living  in  Jolift;  Anna  remains  with  her  parents; 
Charles  is  an  ordained  priest  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  officiates  as  assistant  priest  of  Colum- 
bia Church,  in  Ottawa,  III. ;  Joseph,  who  has  also 
received  priestly  orders,  is  an  assistant  priest,  sta- 
tioned over  the  parish  of  the  Holy  Trinity  Church, 
Chicago;  Caroline  and  Alphonso  remain  under  the 
parental  roof;  Sinion  and  Henry  are  pursuing  their 


662 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOCRAl'lUCAL  ALBUM. 


studies  in  St.  Francis  College,  at  St.  Francis,  Wis. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hausser  liave  also  an  adopted  son, 
Alexander,  an  orphan,  wljohas  made  his  home  with 
them  for  about  four  ^ears.  It  is  a  matter  of  great 
satisfaction  to  Mr.  Hausser  that  two  of  his  sons 
are  priests  in  tlie  Cafiiolie  Church,  in  the  doctrines 
of  wliich  he  himself  was  trained  from  boyhood, 
and  also  that  two  other  sons  are  likely  to  choose  the 
same  pious  calling  for  their  vocation  in  life.  Mr. 
Hausser  has  been  connected  with  the  church  since 
his  boyhood,  and  belongs  to  the  Thiid  order  of  St. 
Francis.  In  [lolitics  he  is  mainly  independent,  aiming 
to  support  tlie  men  whom  he  considers  best  quali- 
fied for  oHicc.  As  a  business  man  and  a  citizen, 
he  has  made  for  himself  a  good  record, and  enjoj'S 
in  a  marked  degree  the  esteem  of  those  around 
him.  He  is  raostl^y  retired  from  active  business, 
and  occupies  a  comfortable  home,  situated  on  arise 
of  ground  on  Broadway  Street,  overlooking  a 
large  portion  of  the  city. 

/AMES  B.  AUSTIN.  This  gentleman  bears 
the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most 
public-spirited  citizens  of  Homer  Township, 
and  he  is  closely-  identified  with  its  agricult- 
ural interests,  successfully  tilling  one  hundred  and 
fift}'  acres  of  land  on  section  1 1,  and  in  addition  to 
this  makes  a  specialt}-  of  flue  Norman  horses.  For 
the  past  nine  years  he  has  officiated  as  Highway 
Commissioner  and  Si hool  Director.and  ma^'  alwa3S 
be  found  on  the  side  of  the  enterprises  calculated 
for  the  advancement  of  the  community,  socially, 
morally  and  financially.  In  politics  he  is  a  sound 
Republican,  thoroughly  in  accord  with  the  princi- 
ples of  his  party,  which  he  has  always  labored 
earnestly  to  advance.  He  is  more  than  ordinarily 
intelligent  and  well-informed,  keeping  u[)  with  the 
topics  of  the  day,  and  in  his  social  life  has  alw.ays 
distinguished  himself  as  one  of  the  must  hospitable 
men  of  his  neighborhood. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  eldest  in  a 
family  of  six  children,  and  was  born  in  Ontario 
County,  N.  Y.,  -Tuly  1,  1823.  He  lived  with  his 
parents  until  a  boy  of  eight  or    nine   years,  then 


went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Ira  Austin,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  reaching  his  majority.  When  he 
was  sixteen  years  old  he  came  with  his  uncle  to 
this  county,  and  after  becoming  of  age  took  up 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  11, 
where  he  built  up  tlie  comfortable  home  which  he 
now  owns  and  occupies.  He  was  married  in  Du 
Page  Township  November  19,  1851,  to  Miss  Laura 
Saunders.  The  young  ])eople  settled  in  their  own 
home,  where  w-ere  born  to  them  four  children  and 
where  the  mother  died  July  2,  18G5.  Their  Hrst- 
born  child,  a  son,  William,  died  when  about  one 
year  old;  Albert  remains  at  home  with  his  father; 
Estella  became  the  wife  of  William  Orahood  and 
died  in  Homer  Township,  December  1,  1879;  Lj^- 
man  is  a  resident  of  Dakota. 

Mr.  Austin  contracted  a  second  marriage,  in 
Homer  Township,  October  22,  18G7,  with  Miss 
Betsey  McGregor.  This  lad}'  was  born  in  Scotland, 
November  17,  1845,  and  when  five  years  old  came 
with  her  parents  to  America.  The  latter  were 
Henry  and  .leanette  (Malcom)  McGregor,  both  of 
whom  were  also  born  in  the  Lanrl  of  the  Thistle, 
but  are  now  residents  of  Cook  Count}-,  this  State. 
To  Mr.  Austin  and  his  present  wife  there  have  been 
born  nine  children,  viz:  Jennj-,  who  died  when  ten 
years  old;  Buell  P.;  Ira  W.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years;  Charles  IL,  who  died  when  four  years 
olil;  James  H.,  John  Mc(!.,  Homer  C.,  Hattic  J. 
and  George  W.  The  latter  died  when  about  four 
years  old.  Mrs.  Austin  is  a  member  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Austin  entered  the  Ihiion 
ami}',  enlisted  in  conipanj-  F,  One  Hundreth  Illinois 
Infantrj',  and  served  two  and  one-half  years,  until 
February  1,  1865.  His  duties  were  mostly  in  the 
•  Quartermaster's  department,  and  he  consequently 
took  part  in  no  battles.  He  belongs  to  Lockport 
Post,  No.  401,  G.  A.  R.,  .at  Lockport. 

L^-nian  Austin,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was, 
like  himself,  a  native  of  Ontario  Count}',  N.  Y.,and 
married  Miss  Sarah  Ilecoek,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  that  county.  They  lived  there  for  a  time  after 
their  marriage,  then  removed  to  Mednia  County, 
Ohio,  and  from  there  to  Cass  County,  Mich.  After 
a  sojourn  of  some  years  in  the  Wolverine  .State 
they  joined    their   son  in    Homer    Township,  this 


^^  ^  <^.:.....^^t2>^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


665 


county,  and  here  spent  their  last  days,  'i'hey  were 
honest  and  iipriglil  people  and  without  making  any 
great  stir  in  the  world  performed  life's  duties  in  a 
creditable  manner  and  are  kindly  remembered    by 

all  who  luievv  them. 


■i^m- 


-^2^. 


lEORGE  S.  MINCKKL.  Among  the  rising 
young  members  of  the  legal  profession  in 
^^^ijJIj  Joliet,  may  be  properly  mentioned  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  whose  portrait  a|ipears  on  the 
opposite  page,  and  who  is  yet  in  the  early  prime  of 
life.  He  has  before  him  bright  prospects  for  wealth 
and  honor,  and  in  future  years  will  undoubtedly 
stand  high  among  the  attorneys  of  Illinois,  as  he 
now  holds  a  conspicuous  rank  among  those  of 
Joliet. 

The  native  place  of  Mr.  Hinckel  was  the  city  of  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  and  he  was  born  July  G,  18G0.  His  im- 
mediate ancestors  are  Charles  and  Julia  (Schwartz) 
Hinckel,  the  former  a  native  of  (lermany  and  the 
latter  of  New  York  Slate.  The  father  traced  his 
lineage  to  a  German  family  of  distinction,  and  in 
his  youth  received  a  militarj'  education  and  train- 
ing, afterward  serving  in  high  oliicial  capacities  in 
the  German  and  Ameiican  armies.  Early  in  life  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  having  determined  u[)on  mak- 
ing a  home  in  the  United  States,  and  located  in  Al- 
bany, N.  Y..  where  he  remained  until  1874.  That 
yeai  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  settling  in  Will  County, 
soon  became  a  prominent  man  in  politics,  atniiating 
with  the  Rep\iblican  party.  Soon  after  locating  in 
Joliet,  he  was  appointed,  about  1876,  Deputy 
Sheriff  of  Will  County,  and  was  subsequently 
elec'ted  Police  Magistrate. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  only  child  of 
his  parents  and  pursued  his  early  studies  in  the 
private  schools  and  academies  of  ins  native  State. 
In  1874  he  came  to  Chicago,  where  his  studies  were 
ended  and  his  business  career  begun.  In  1883  he 
located  in  Joliet,  and,  while  serving  as  Deputy 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  entered  upon  the  study 
of  the  law,  under  the  instruction  of  the  eminent 
lawyer,  George  S.  House,  Esq.  In  the  meantime 
he    held  the    above  mentioned    otlice    nearly  five 


years.  He  was  adniitted  to  practice  by  the  Sui)reme 
Court  in  December,  1887,  but  did  not  commence 
the  regular  duties  of  his  profession  until  the  1st  of 
November,  1889.  He  is  a  sound  Republican,  po- 
litically, and  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the 
military  order  of  Sons  of  X'eterans,  and  of  the  chief 
social  organization,  the  Union  Club. 

Mr.  Hinckel  contracted  his  present  matrimonial 
ties  .July  15,  1889,  at  the  bride's  home  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  with  Miss  Nellie  J.  Dobiecki.  Mrs.  Hinckel 
was  born  October  2,  1865,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and 
both  she  and  her  husband  are  connected  by  tics  of 
relationship  with  some  of  the  best  known  and  most 
highly  respected  families  of  the  East.  They  live 
in  comfort  in  a  neat  home  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
city,  and  number  their  friends  among  its  cultured 
people. 


'/OHNUANFT.  There  is  scarcely  a  line  of 
business  that  is  not  represented  in  Joliet, 
where  commercial  and  manufacturing  en- 
terprises seem  equally  prominent.  The  busi- 
ness in  which  the  sul)ject  of  this  sketcli  is  engaged 
is  that  of  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  soda 
water,  ginger  ale,  and  similar  beverages,  charging 
fountains,  etc.  His  exi)erience  has  been  somewhat 
varied,  but  his  career  has  proved  that  he  is  one  of 
those  men  who  can  gain  support  where  others 
would  fail,  because  they  could  work  at  but  one  oc- 
cu|)alion.  Mr.  Ranft  came  fiom  far  across  the  sea, 
his  birthplace  having  been  Waldcck,  (iermaii}', 
where  his  eyes  first  oi)ened  to  the  light  January 
16,  1843.  His  parents  were  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Schneider)  Ranft,  and  his  father's  occu[iation  was 
that  of  a  farmer. 

In  his  native  land,  he  of  whom  we  write,  was 
employed  as  a  domestic  servant  until  1866,  when 
he  determined  to  seek  a  different  field  in  the  land 
across  the  sea.  Leaving  behinil  him  the  other 
members  of  the  family,  none  of  whom  have  come 
to  America,  he  took  passage  and  ere  long  landed 
in  New  York.  He  found  employment  as  a  farm 
hand  in  New  Jersey,  receiving  $15  per  month  for 
his  services,  and  remaining  in  the  East  somewhat 
over  a  year.     He  then  came  to  Chicago  and  thence 


666 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  Joliet,  near  which  place  he  engaged  iu  farming 
two  years.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Sehring  Brewing  Company,  serving  them  five  and 
one-half  3ears.  The  next  enterprise  in  which  ho 
engaged  was  to  open  a  saloon  on  Bluff  and  Jeffer- 
son Streets  which  he  carried  on  five/years.  In 
18H.5_he  opened  a  pop  factory  and  since  that  time 
has  busied  himself  with  the  manufacture  of  bever- 
ages as  before  stated. 

On  September  14,  1873,  Mr.  Ranft  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Katliorine  Metzger,  who  judi- 
ciously managed  his  household  affairs  for  several 
years.  She  was  removed  l)y  the  hand  of  deatli 
November  10,  1882,  leaving  one  daughter,  Anna. 
The  present  wife  of  Mr.  Ranft  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Augusta  Reimers,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
lleiir^'  andj  Anna  (Eggers)  Reimers.  She  was 
united  to  our  subject  October  2o.  1883,  and  has 
borne  him  three  daughters — Bertha,  Mar^^  and 
Linda. 

Mr.  Ranft  generally  votes  the  Democr,atic  ticket. 
He  is  of  a'social  nature,  p.articularly  so  among  his 
fellow  countrj- men  and  finds  manj- friends.  Hebe- 
longs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
to  the  Sharjj-shooters,  and  to  the  Joliet  Saenger- 
bnnd. 


m^^^^ 


/^  HRISTOPH  IIIXZ.  Washington  Townshiii 
[■[  has   become  the   home  and  the  field  of  the 

^^^  successful  labors  of  many  German-born  citi- 
zens, whose  thrift  and  upriglitness  are  recognized  by 
those  around  them  and  afford  an  excellent  example 
to  the  rising  generation.  One  of  these  worthy 
German-.Americau  citizens  is  Christoph  Ilinz,  whose 
home  is  on  section  19.  The  farm  comprises  one 
hundred  and  sixt}'  acres  of  well-tilled  land  whicli 
bears  the  improvements  usually-  made  by  a  man  of 
enterprise  and  has  been  reclaimed  by  him  from  its 
wild  and  primitive  condition.  His  first  purchase 
was  ot  eight}'  acres  to  which  he  subsequently 
added  an  adjoining  tract  of  the  same  extent. 

Mr.  Hinz  is  of  excellent  German  ancestry,  his 
immediate  progenitors  being  John  and  Mar}-  (Itiel- 
fcldt)  Hinz,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Mecklen- 
burg.    There  the  mother  died   in  the  forty-fourth 


year  of  her  age,  leaving  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. In  1855  father  and  children  crossed  the  briny- 
deep,  leaving  Hamburg  .September  15,  and  landing 
in  New  York  City' seven  weeks  later,  their  passage 
having  been  made  on  the  sailing  ship  "Rudolph." 
The  family  came  directly  West  and  settled  iu  Cook 
County,  111.,  but  some  years  later  the  father  and 
his  sou  Charles  removed  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  where 
the  father  breathed  his  la.st  in  1882,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years.  He  was  a  worthy  citizen  and 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  born 
May  18,  1820.  and  was  well  reared  iu  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  firmness  of  moral  principle,  but  without 
educational  advantages.  After  the  family  came  to 
America  he  continued  to  reside  iu  Cook  County  for 
eiglit  years,  and  in  1865  removed  from  Duukard's 
Station  to  Washington  Township,  this  count}-.  Hen- 
he  has  been  engaged  in  general  farming,  and  has 
become  known  as  a  good  farmer,  a  reliable  citizen 
and  a  man  of  kindliness  in  domestic  and  social 
relations. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Hinz  took  place  in  the 
laud  of  his  nativity,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Shelt.  To 
them  were  born  two  sons,  Henry  and  John,  before 
they  accompanied  the  other  members  of  the  Hinz 
family  to  the  United  States.  They  had  been  in 
Chicago  but  eleven  days  when  the  wife  died,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-eight  years.  Her  sou  Henry 
married  Dora  Ostcrmeyer  and  is  engaged  in  trade 
at  Beecher,  this  county;  John  married  Mary  Starter 
and  is  farming  in  Washington  Township. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Hinz  took  place  in 
Cook  County,  his  bride  being  Miss  Magdalena 
Bade,  who  was  born  iu  Mecklenburg,  Germany, 
April  12,  1832.  Her  parents  were  Jacob  and  So- 
phia (Hein)  Bade.  Her  fatl-.er  w.as  a  laborer  who 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty  two  years.  The  widowed 
mother  with  her  six  children  crossed  the  .\tlantic 
in  1857  and  made  her  home  iu  Northern  Illinois. 
In  her  last  days  she  came  to  live  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Bade,  dying  at  her  home  iu  1887,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-four  years  and  three  months. 
She  and  her  husband  had  belonged  to  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

The  present  union  of  Mr.  Hinz  has  resulted  in 
the    birth   of  three  children:  Sophia,   Bertha  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


6G7 


Herman.  Sophia  married  William  IMeyer,  and  died 
leaving  five  cliildren;  Bertha  became  the  wife  of 
C'hark'S  Henget,  a  mechanic,  whose  home  is  in  Ai- 
lingtoii  Heights,  Cook  County;  Herman  remains 
with  his  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinz  belong  to  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  tlieir  children  are  also  iden- 
tified with  that  religious  body.  The  elective  fran- 
chise is  exercised  by  Mr.  Hinz  in  behalf  of  tiic 
candidates  of  the  Republican  jiarty.  Mr.  Hinz  is 
a  fine  specimen  of  physical  manhood  of  the  Cier- 
man  type,  and  he  possesses  sterling  qualities  of 
character,  being  particularly  noted  for  his  honesty, 
and  straightforward  manner  and  dealing. 

^p^EORGE  H.  BRANNON,  M.D.,now  located 
III  ,— ,  at  Manhattan,  enjoys  a  large  practice  iu  the 
^^^  town  and  surrounding  countrj'.  Both  he 
and  his  brother  Londus  are  quite  young,  possessed 
of  abundant  energy  and  thoroughly  skilled  in  their 
]irofe6sion,  having  been  graduated  from  well-known 
and  reputable  institutions.  They  are  pleasantly 
located  on  Main  Street. 

Dr.  G.  II.  Braunon  is  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
five  children  born  to  John  and  Sarah  (Marker) 
Brannon,  of  Decatur  County,  Ind.  The  father  was 
born  in  New  Jersey  but  later  lived  in  Ohio,  where 
he  followed  farming  for  some  time.  When  about 
thirty  j-ears  old  he  removed  to  the  Iloosier  State, 
choosing  a  location  near  (ireensburg,  wliere  he  is 
now  living  retired  on  a  fine  farm,  lie  served 
throughout  the  Mexican  War  as  a  private.  Mrs. 
Brannon  was  born  iu  I'.utler  County,  Ohio.  Th(^ 
worthy  couple  are  now  seventy-seven  and  seventy- 
four  years  of  age,  respectively.  Mrs.  Brannon 
belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  TIk;  children 
are  Laura,  Isophene  (now  Mrs.  Fescus)  and  Weller, 
all  on  the  home  farm,  and  the  two  brothers  who 
•live  in  Manhattan. 

The  suliject  of  this  sketch  was  born  near(ireens- 
burg,  Ind.,  November  2,5,  LSOS,  and  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  enjoying  such  educational  advantages  dur- 
ing his  boj'hood  as  could  be  obtained  in  the  district 
schools.  When  sixteen  3-ears  old  he  entered  the 
college  at  Richmond,  pursuing  his  studies  in  that 


excellent  institution  about  four  years  and  leaving 
one  term  prior  to  the  completion  of  the  course  of 
study.  When  seventeen  years  old  he  had  begun 
teaching,  spending  his  vacations  in  pedagogical  la- 
bors until  he  left  the  college,  when  he  devoted  him- 
self entirely  to  the  work  for  two  years.  Dniing 
one  3'ear  of  this  time  he  held  the  Principalship  of 
the  Harris  City  Schools,  which  occupied  a  commo- 
dious building  8Gx87  feet. 

Mr.  Brannon  had  been  studying  medicine  to  some 
extent  for  several  years,  and  iu  1885  he  took  up  the 
work  more  thoroughly  under  Dr.  Clark,  of  Waynes- 
burg.  After  reading  under  that  excellent  pre- 
ceptor two  years,  he  entered  the  Hospital  College 
of  Medicine  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  June,  1889.  He  came  at  once  to 
Manhattan,  where  his  brother  was  already  located, 
and  entered  into  partnership  with  him.  In  the  few 
months  which  have  elapsed  since  he  began  his  la- 
bors, he  has  acquired  an  excellent  reputation  for 
general  iutelligence,  professional  skill  and  well- 
bred  manners.  He  is  not  content  to  rest  upon  his 
oars,  but  is  constantly  adding  to  his  store  of  pro- 
fessional knowledge  by  using  the  medium  of  medi- 
cal journals  and  all  the  professional  literatiu'e  of 
the  day.  He  belongs  to  the  Alumni  Association  of 
his  Alma  Mater,  and  to  Alert  Lodge,  No.  395,  F.  cfe 
A.M.,  in  Indiana.  His  political  adherence  is  given 
to  the  Democratic  partj^. 

Londus  Brannon,  brother  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Decatur  County,  Ind.,  November  25,  1857. 
His  early  life  was  spent  similarly  to  'that  of  his 
brother,  and  in  \outh  he  also  began  (he  stud}-  of 
medicine.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Ohio  Med- 
ical College  at  Cincinnati  in  1882,  and  devoted  the 
first  year  of  his  practice  to  the  citizens  of  Greens- 
burg,  Ind.,  and  vicinity.  In  1883  he  located  in 
JIanhattan,  where,  liefore  his  brother's  .arrival,  he 
h.ad  secured  a  large  practice.  He  had  not  onl_\'  ac- 
complished this,  but  he  had  earned  the  reputation 
of  being  a  skillful  i)ractitioner,  anil  had  become 
very  well  liked  by  the  community.  He  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  the 
village,  and  one  to  whom  added  years  will  bring 
more  extended  knowledge  and  even  greater  success. 

Dr.  Londus  Brannon  was  married  in  October, 
1887,  to  Miss  Eliza  Jones,  the  marriage  ceremony 


668 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBl'M. 


taking  [ilace  at  the  home  of  her  parents  in  Peotone. 
The  bride  was  born  in  Wilton  Township,  this 
county,  and  is  the  daugiiter  of  Robert  and  Elinor 
(Atkinson)  Jones,  natives  of  Yorkshire.  England. 
Mr.  .Tones  was  for  some  years  a  prominent  farmer 
ill  Wilton  Township,  but  is  now  living  retired  at 
Peotone.  Mrs.  Brannon  possesses  the  intelligence 
and  culture  which  makes  her  a  worthy  companion 
of  one  of  her  husband's  ability,  and  adds  to  the 
po|nilarity  of  their  home. 


ESTER  G.  COLEGROYE  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  agricultural  development  of 
Will  County  since  the  earl^'  days  of  its  set- 
tlement, and  is  a  fine  representative  of  the  sturdy, 
intelligent,  enterprising  pioneers  who  came  to  this 
State  half  a  century  or  more  ago,  and  have  since 
improved  valuable  and  highly  productive  farms 
from  the  wild  prairies.  For  many  j^ears  he  lias 
made  his  home  in  Plaiulield  Township,  and  is  chisely 
associated  with  its  material  pro.sperity  and  its  social 
and  religious  welfare. 

He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fairfax,  Franklin 
County,  Vt.,  April  23,  1818.  His  father,  Clark  T. 
Colegrove,  vras,  it  is  thought,  born  in  Connecticut, 
and  his  grandfather  was  Nathan  Colegrove,  who  was 
one  of  the  earl}'  pioneers  of  Franklin  County,  mak- 
ing the  removal  to  that  part  of  Yermont  with  a 
team.  He  bought  a  tract  of  timber  laud,  and  from 
the  primeval  forest  hewed  out  a  farm  on  which  he 
lived  till  death  closed  his  mortal  career.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  bred  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
but  he  never  owned  a  farm  of  his  own,  being  em- 
plo^-ed  by  others.  He  resided  in  Yermont  until 
1846,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  for  some  years 
lived  in  the  town  of  Wheatland.  He  subsequently 
removed  to  Blue  Island  in  Cook  Count}-,  where 
both  he  and  his  wife  died  of  cholera  in  the  same 
week.  The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our 
subject  was  Nellie  Ingersoll,  and  she  was  of  New 
England  birth. 

Lester  Colegrove  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  na- 
tive town,  receiving  the  advantages  of  an  educa- 
tion in  the  local  schools,  and  at  the  ase  of  sixteen 


commenced  to  work  out  by  the  month,  lie  was 
thus  employed  until  1838.  He  was  ambitious  to 
improve  his  condition  and  make  something  more 
of  himself  than  lie  could  in  the  sleep}-  little  New 
England  town  where  he  resided,  so  he  determined 
to  start  westward,  and  in  the  year  mentioned  we 
find  him  on  his  way  to  Illinois  with  but  ¥5  in  his 
liocket,  but  in  his  strong  muscles,  his  determined 
will  and  high  C(juiane,  he  had  belter  capital.  He 
procured  a  ride  to  Berlinton  and  there  took  passage 
on  a  steamer  for  Whitehall,  whence  lie  went  on 
the  Champlain  and  Erie  Canals  to  Buffalo,  working 
to  i)ay  the  expenses  of  the  trip.  At  Buffalo  he 
emliarked  on  a  steamer,  having  agreed  to  work  for 
his  passage  to  Chicago.  From  the  latter  city  he 
started  for  Lockport  on  foot,  and  as  the  canal  was 
then  in  process  of  construction,  he  labored  on  that 
for  one  month  and  was  then  taken  sick.  He  was 
ill  for  two  weeks  and  then  came  to  Plainfield.  and 
in  1839  worked  a  farm  on  shares.  The  country 
round  about  was  still  in  a  wild  and  unsettled  con- 
dition, there  being  no  railroads  or  canals  here, 
and  Chicago,  thirty-six  miles  away,  was  the  nearest 
market.  At  that  time  deer,  wolves  and  other  kinds 
of  game  abounded.  In  1841,  Mr.  Colegrove 
bought  a  tract  of  wild  prairie  land  in  Pekin  Town- 
ship, and  at  once  with  characteristic  energy,  entered 
upon  its  improvement.  He  built  a  small  frame 
house,  riving  the  shingles  by  hand,  and  in  the  years 
that  followed  erected  more  substantial  buildings  and 
placed  the  laud  under  good  tillage.  He  resided  on 
that  farm  until  1875  and  then  rented  it,  having 
purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He 
has  added  to  the  dwelling-house  and  made  it  into 
a  commodious  and  tastefully  fitted-up  abode,  and 
he  has  otherwise  beautified  the  place,  planted  shade 
and  ornamental  trees,  besides  making  other  valua- 
ble improvements.  He  still  owns  the  farm  which 
he  bought  in  1841,  and  has  added  to  his  first  pur- 
chase, until  it  now  comprises  two  hundred  s>nd 
twenty-one  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land. 

In  the  mouth  of  January,  1842,  Mr.  Colegrove 
was  uniteil  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucretia  Inger- 
soll, a  native  of  Vermont.  Her  father.  Chester 
Ingersoll,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  aud  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  AYill  County.  He  bought 
the   land   from   t!ie  Government  in   the  village  of 


iHQfflnraKAiir  m3^>  imoi^^APraiKiZAiL  aslettz. 


fijir  EaJwdaiB:  WaifeE.  tdie  f&aC  .«uwiirilL  diait  \waB-  livrrjir 

:.nar  liiiiiHeiilE.     Mr 

uifuiTrini  wtijHiBr  liia:  ifesiffllii  aKiuummdi  ikii  B.'WSK      ITllff 

'•'■^    'Uijrla^  ,:;;..■..   .^  _  :j..:i,i,;., ,.     _,ij.    i,,,,    ii,':-,. 

»  liaros  biEir  (iliiMiiiBn-  lirwiiiiE,-  ainnely  :    Mt- 
'.■uia.    V  iii    :i:  (S..  W..  IFlisigg.  at  wIiwjil  f^m-  si;. 

±':i'.mJa_    .viiiffi    aii'Jwa^ii  BlOfiuiii,.    (rf    (riii 

".>(mlar_  Ilo/wai:;  BiiliL.   \wiifHr  wf  WliewTiHir  Gnnjun..  O) 

'iliiL'agjj-. 

aiffli' liiiij  iii  -naeif  wiiidiiiits  QiiunKwrs-.  imr    ■.    - 

iptt  liaa  iieea  im.  imwaiitajlilki:  adifi  iirt 
!!^Bara!Gesi.  aaii{L.as  wt*:  iiarvni  aeaar^  lias  L^i^i;-.;.i  jjm.-ir-i^ 
umiTijr  iia  wiill-ta-'it>  aiiizjHis.  aa  lira  nafflu'aJ.  eji- 
i  flawnLeiia-  liiuwe  taiaiblJeaJ  Mini  tSBi  mimaiuip^  liia.  asEii]- 
:'  ■  r  '  ''  mrmtHEtaiirei.  ^fe  asiili  liis  wife  actt  wcii 
I-  tillwr  It-JTufiTHHft  (iif  liaairt  aanC  tdimigirEfiii- 
mwff  iHDWBBitfe  (iCliiaat  aanfl  dnsj"  (Mosiqjj"  ai  womu  |3iacE 
.jj.  ^i.,,   . —      f  diit  jjeaplie  afooiiE  tdimn..     Qifjt-;:   :■• 

diKr  iRagtaHC  II  fainnh    (jf  wijiiaii  Biiigr  Me  aHiEHgtSHrt 


jk^  .^..  mi'EESnL  MASy  Wi:>«0)JIl%isfitoiramfi 
fl      B    jiuiiiaJiiiir-  of  iliji  ii  ;  (A.lias:  fair 

«        ■  naary  jeara  iiitm  I  .w&imutiig 

nliiE  waaaisua  iiiteE^is  aC  WIM  Caunl^^  amli 

ilfiS..     St  is  Oi  i'ijrtliHini;: 

-  —       ,  S^eaEiHierigr  :uiix  ,aicer- 

ipnffi^  amfl  is  iin  tiliE  liaiiiiji:  (js£  nmafciiiTgr  m  «nwOTf»aK  <]|f 

■  ■       ^     ^«aff  ticnrtL  Jfepi--'  '* 

uiUr?..Fai_jjKi    -    .. 

aim  (izlf  Wilfiam  JT..  jroU  laiacyk  (i  Mmax))  WtioifiE.    THks 


.ftmrr'?"  '  -   ra:,..,..., 

iaroiii!g(5f)ine:  cQ;i3iifi:  atanK  lit  i;a«i: 

Hiiiiust.iiiai    uii 

lumriHjj- 


LiL  uafeJA. 


rnnitimr  lifs- liomer  .. 

■  na-.iisw  i:(«uie;. 
,.iii.;  i^   ,;■'  ■■;■■'     ■"  "  r 


II :  naij. 
WB:  waa  minnnial;  die: 
■  iS  imieli 


JtjjmL.  LSQO..  :■   .- —   -      •■      ••■-:x  iotT  ;hi.  orciiard 
iniC  iniiJTitniii.-  ladim;  foiit  lifim 

Td'  WlMiiam.  J..  Wacafe  I)y  Ihk  first  wtfe.  tiliB: 

iTDiiiHr  lit  amr  iuJjjw'tr.  \vaa  liiwjr  x  fiuniLy  (j£  chl 

roaii.  (iff  wtuim.  Siibea*.  UL.  was-  tdut  tfffilti  jjn  (nr- 

itM-  jrWiitdL.  IUarilla.^r...tdiitl&atijiiiEdV  SQoi.Yijmia: 

is-  liwinj|:   in.    (Zameasm..  SCdi^;  tlte  ajeoiuii  uiuic!. 

SiswteuTv  isE  SHanimrin-Slitaiiiran.  Coimiiy..  lEim.;:  Jkii- 

•'  ■  II  i»aii:eaiIi[J5rt<rf>hfflii;:;  -        -     --    "T.iil,;:  ISajr- 

;.   Bfia.  C<j:s;„  rasriifia  in  .Jiriiin:  i» 

Hnffl^gafi  iin  Gite:  cBaLr^sttote  liuamiess  3K  .Miett;:  ^somiii 

■    "    ':ir   X..^.  Mm'i    ■     -    ''ifdiiiLSiiiiigv",. njwa^ 

ivaft  ISa;  i^nnu-  a:.  miHiLba:- of 

.oiiirreas;:  JJaraus^  ai  ,'Biai1iBTlt  ^liiSiasr (iiff  Gtte  SinoitilL 

■"    tfieti  iki  W?griiimrtyin.    QuF...  in. 

-._    .     »  uj  ^Qitsar  aatr  TLUiaua..  liiwri;: 

amfi  Wiili£dauc  IB.  is  ji  6irni>rar  iin  f^itagnifiam  Ciumt^,. 

Mije  -BiQiJiJadr  a£  stLis  miitusE  ivas-  Isiicrar  tiu  Mtes 
Caumt^,.  tiliiEB  .'j'taitli^,  im  WiMi^-  wtium  a*,  dtilif;,.  aiii£ 

'EQlHl.    i  _  '  : 

;pia3i(!iij)  g£  itiaii  ^saxsi.    fin  ISSS  Ite  itiinnuwHil  tittK  Ms- 


IJK  Mftas  aiioiiiiimCiiii 


.  \i£  tjBj  'Jk  |iHHi3fiH»i  inj 


riiis  broodh  <$£  Gtii£  Wnsi^  Smiafo-  is  off  TTiniifi'  issr- 


(iiuar  aiiixjjeuir  was  :&  ast&meSHrmi^iar  bw  tr™fe  aaufi  |}@>- 


was  tdbaii  iS^sidlEtfi  as  a.  muHtiimTng  afffittflr.    Sid)ii&- 


amaL  m 


672 


PORTRAIT  AND   CKX  iRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Uie  e:uiii>:iiiin  through  the  Carolinas.  when  he  was 
commissioued  Captain  of  Company  A,  Sixty- fourth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  twice  brevetted  for  gal- 
lant and  meritorious  service  as  Captain  and  Major. 
At  the  close  of  tlie  war  he  went  with  his  regiment 
to  AVashington,  and  wa«  present  at  the  Grand  Re- 
view. He  then  proceeded  with  his  regiment  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  was  mastered  out,  and  as 
a  mustering  officer  signed  the  discharge  papers  of 
over  ten  thousand  soldiers. 

After  leaving  the  army  Maj.  Woods  was  sum- 
moned to  Springfield  by  Adj.  Gen.  I.  N.  Haynie, 
and  there  he  wrote  the  histories  of  all  the  Illinois  reg- 
iments for  the  Adjutant-General's  report,  these 
making  nine  volumes.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  he 
wrote  the  constitution  and  by-laws,  charter,  etc.. 
for  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  which  was 
originated  by  Dr.  B.  F.  Stephenson,  and  of  which 
Maj.  AVoods  was  the  first  Adjutant-General.  Soon 
afterward  he  organized  the  various  departments 
throughout  the  Northwest.  The  original  charier 
of  Decatur  Post,  No.  1,  has  his  name  upon  it. 

In  1868  Maj.  Woods  repaired  to  Chicago,  111., 
where  he  was  varioush'^  engaged,  and  for  four  and 
one-half  years  officiated  as  chief  clerk  during  the 
construction  of  the  United  States  Custom  House 
and  post-oliice,  in  that  city.  lu  1877  he  was  ap- 
pointed Insurance  Examiner  of  Illinois,  and  dur- 
ing his  iucumbencj'  of  this  office  it  became  Lis 
dut}'  to  proceed  against  and  close  up,  in  the  courts 
of  the  State,  the  Republic  Life,  the  Protection  Life, 
and  Chicago  Life  Insurance  Companies.  This  em- 
ployed his  time  until  1879,  and  then  turning  his 
attention  to  the  newspaper  world,  he  purchased 
the  Joliet  Republican  of  James  Goodspeed.  He 
conducted  this  successfuUj'  until  1883,  then  pur- 
chased the  Joliet  Sun,  which  he  merged  with  the 
Eepuhlican.  In  1888,  reaching  out  still  farther, 
he  purchased  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Press,  and 
consolidated  the  three  papers  under  the  name  of 
liepublic  and  Sun.  He  is  an  able  journalist,  mak- 
ing an  interesting  local  paper,  which  lias  become 
one  of  the  indispensable  institutions  of  Will 
County.  Its  political  complexion  reflects  his  osvu 
convictions  and  sj'mpathies,  v.'hich  have  been  in 
harmony  with  tlie  principles  of  the  Repulican 
party  since  he  became  a    voter.      He   has  an    ad- 


mirabl}'  equipped  office,  including  a  job  depart- 
ment and  book  binder}-,  fitted  out  with  all  the 
machinery  and  other  appliances  necessary  to  do 
Hrsl- class  work.  The  pa))er  has  a  health}'  subscrip- 
tion list,  and  the  job  department  is  generously 
ixvtronized  Ijy  the  people  of  Joliet  and  Will 
County. 

Maj.  Woods  was  marrieil,  October  5,  1867,  in 
Chicago,  111.,  to  Miss  May  Florence  Miner.  Mrs. 
AVoods  was  born  April  8,  1851,  at  Harding.  111.. 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  E.  and  Asenath 
(Darrow)  Miner,  who  were  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  are  now  residents  of  Phwnix.  Arizona. 
Two  children,  a  daughter  and  a  son,  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  Alice  M.  and  Miner  K.,  who 
still  remain  with  their  parents.  The  family  resi- 
dence and  its  surroundings,  forms  one  of  the  at- 
tractive homes  of  Joliet,  and  is  located  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  city^. 

Elsewhere  in  this  volume  the  reader  will  notice 
a  lithographic  portrait  of  Maj.  Woods. 


-— «- 


*-# 


^OlIN  N.  GEUTHEU.  The  old  s.aying  that 
truth  is  stranger  than  fiction,  is  one  with 
which  we  are  all  familiar,and  yet  which  often 
is  unheeded  while  we  go  on  blindl}'  supposing 
that  strange  incidents  onlj-  belong  to  the  works 
of  fiction.  The  life  of  the  enterprising  citizen 
whose  histor}'  it  is  our  purpose  to  sketch,  has  been 
marked  'with  experiences  somewhat  out  of  the 
usual  order.  He  is  the  oldest  of  three  children, 
whose  ancestry  is  noted  in  the  sketch  of  John 
George  Geuther,  found  elsewhere  in  this  Aluum. 
He  was  born  in  Saxe  Coburg  Gotha,  Germany, 
January  4,  1825.  and  reared  in  the  village  of  Weid- 
hauseu. 

The  educational  privileges  of  young  Geuther 
were  somewhat  limited,  as  the  schools  were  princi- 
pall}'  held  during  the  winter  mouths,  but  he  im- 
proved such  opportunities  as  were  afforded  him. 
He  earlv  took  up  farm  labors  on  his  father's  land 
and  he  also  partiall}-  learned  the  trade  of  a  baker 
from  his  Grandfather  Geuther.  When  he  was 
eighteen  years  old  his  father  wished  him  to  come 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOCJRAPIIICAL  ALIUIM. 


G73 


to  America  to  see  what  opportunities  this  coiintr}' 
afforded,  and  he  therefore  left  Bremerhaven  in 
1  844,  landing  in  New  York  City,  after  an  ocean 
vo^-age  of  thirty-five  days.  In  addition  to  his 
other  attainments  he  had  learned  basket-making 
from  his  father,  and  at  that  tiade  be  worked  five 
months  in  the  metropolis. 

The  summer  having  passed,  young  Geuther 
turned  his  footsteps^  southward,  and  reaching 
Charleston,  S.  C,  completed  the  trade  of  a  baker 
and  worked  some  five  years  as  a  journeyman.  He 
then  o|)ciied  a  bakery  in  the  same  city,  having  his 
residence  on  .Sullivan's  Island,  near  Ft.  Moultrie. 
His  sentiments  were  all  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and 
after  the  breaking  out  of  Ihe  Civil  War  he  was 
ordered  liy  Southern  C)fticers  to  quit  the  island.  In 
18G2  he  went  into  the  city,  and  a  few  luonihs  Later 
to  Mt.  Pleasant,  where  he  remained  virtually  in  bid- 
ing, as  he  could  not  get  North.  As  he  was  not  able 
to  continue  his  occupation  he  was  obliged  to  live 
on  what  he  bad  saved,  and  his  capital  gradually 
diminished. 

After  the  war  ]Mr. Geuther  opened  a  bakery  in  Ml. 
Pleasant,  and  through  a  providential  circumstance 
became  acquainted  with  the  whereabouts  of  his 
parents,  between  whom  and  himself  there  bad  been 
no  communication  for  years.  During  this  time  the 
parental  family  had  emigrated  to  America  and  were 
living  in  Will  County,  111.  A  man  who  had  lived  at 
Frankfort,  went  onto  a  plantation  near  ^It.  Pleas- 
ant and  bought  bread  from  our  subject.  A  receipt 
being  given  him,  he  noted  the  name  upon  it  and 
said  that  he  knew  the  father  and  brothers  of  the 
signer,  and  that  they  would  be  glad  to  hear  from 
or  see  him.  A  correspondence  was  at  once  o|)ened, 
;ind.  as  soon  as  possible,  our  subject  closed  up  bis 
business  and  came  North  to  visit  his  family,  whom 
be  bad  not  seen  for  twenty -six  years. 

After  spending  a  few  months  witii  bis  friends 
Mr.  Geuther  returned  to  South  Carolina,  sold  his 
possessions  there  and  moved  to  Mokcna,  111.,  April 
4,  1870.  He  located  on  one  bundled  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  3 1 ,  Green  Garden  Townshii),  which 
had  been  purchased  by  bis  father  before  the  war. 
The  improvements  upon  it  were  poor  but  tho)- 
bave  been  replaced  or  added  to  until  the  estate  is 
notv    in   an   excellent  condition.     Agriculture,  of 


\\Miich  be  obtaine<l  a  sligiit  knowledge  in  his  boy- 
I'.ood,  has  been  well  learned  by  bim  since  be  took 
up  bis  residence  in  the  North,  and  be  is  succeeding 
well  in  his  enterprise. 

Mr.  Geuther  has  built  a  comniodions  and  sub- 
stantial residence,  barn,  corn  crib  and  other  farm 
building.'-,,  has  further  improved  his  place  with 
drain  tile  and  good  fences,  many  rods  of  well-kept 
hedge  serving  to  outline  his  fields.  The  land  is 
watered  by  Forked  Creek  and  every  acre  is  tillable. 
Oats  and  corn  are  tiie  principal  grain  crops,  in  the 
cultivation  of  which  three  teams  are  employed.  He 
keeps  thirteen  cows  and  raises  draft  horses  of  the 
Clydesdale  breed.  Mr.  fieuther  has  also  invested 
in  South  Dakota  land,  having  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Douglas  County,  which  comprises 
two  improved  farms  which  are  o|)eratcd  bj'  his 
children.  Credit  is  due  him  for  his  success,  partic- 
ularly as  he  was  obliged  to  begin  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ladder  after  the  war,  as  the  money  which  he 
bad  was  Confederate  script  and  consequently 
valueless. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Geuther  took  place  in 
Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1857.  His  bride  was  Miss 
Bertha  Kafife,  who  was  born  near  Bremen,  Germany, 
and  who  died  in  Charleston  in  1866.  She  left  three 
children — Bertha,  who  is  married  to  Christ  Beeler, 
and  lives  in  Douglas  County,  S.  Dak.;  William, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of  a  railroad  in  Sioux  City, 
Iowa;  and  Christ,  who  operates  a  farm  in  South 
Dakota. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Geuther  took  place 
at  Mt.  Pleasant,  S.  C,  in  18G9,  and  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  eight  children — George,  Lizzie, 
Lawrence,  Caroline,  Amelia,  Augusta,  Helena  and 
Fditb,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  The  mother  of 
this  interesting  family  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Augusta  Bose,  and  was  born  in  Stibuitch,  Prussia, 
OctoberSl,  1839.  Her  father,  Joban  Bose,  was  born 
in  Voline,  and  was  an  overseer  of  fishermen ;  her 
mother,  formerly  Miss  Anna  Bairns,  was  also  a 
native  of  Prussia.  Mrs.  (ieuther  was  reared  to  the 
age  of  thirteen  3'ears  in  her  native  place  and  con- 
tinued to  live  in  the  German  Empire  five  years 
longer.  She  then  sailed  for  America  in  the 
"Ghost,"  which  made  the  vo}'age  from  Bremen  to 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  in  six  weeks.     This  was  in  1858, 


674 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPAICAL  ALBUM. 


and  the  \'oung  lacl^v  worked  in  Charleston  until  the 
war,  when  she  went  to  Wallhallow.  throe  hundred 
miles  north.  There  she  remained  until  the  close 
of  tlie  war.  when  she  returned  to  Charleston.  Slie 
is  an  excellout  housekeeper,  a  devoted  mother  and 
a  good  neighbor. 

Mr.  Geuther  is  a  verj-  intelligent  man  and  his 
long  residence  in  this  country  has  given  biin  an 
excellent  knowledge  of  the  English  language.  His 
personal  characteristics  are  such  that  he  is  well 
liked  b3-  members  of  the  communit}',  and  his  busi- 
ness energy'  has  given  him  prominence.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Lutheran  Church  in  which  he  holds  the 
otlice  of  Trustee,  and  he  is  serving  etliciently  as 
School  Director  of  his  district.  Li  politics,  he  is  a 
Democrat.  Helms  served  on  both  grand  and  petit 
juries. 


^  OHN  SCHROEDER  &  SOIs.  Among  the 
flourishing  business  houses  of  JNLanhattan 
that  which  is  conducted  under  the  above 
style  is  bj'  no  means  least.  On  the  contrar}', 
the  Messrs.  Schroeder  are  among  the  largest  dealers 
in  the  town,  carrying  a  large  stock  of  groceries  and 
general  merchandise,  which  includes  dry-goods, 
clothing,  boots  and  shoes.  The  firm  also  deals  in 
flour  and  salt,  and  handles  a  large  amount  of  pro- 
duce. Their  stock  is  well  selected,  thoroughly 
adapted  to  the  needs  and  wishes  of  those  who  pat- 
ronize the  establishment,  and  the  sales  being  con- 
ducted according  to  the  strictest  honor  and  b}-  men 
whose  courtesy  is  unfailing  and  whose  willingness 
to  oblige  is  apparent  to  all,  the  reputation  of  the 
firm  is  constantly  growing. 

The  senior  member  of  this  firm  is  a  son  of  Prof. 
John  Schroeder,  who  was  born  in  Kerr-Hessian  and 
was  graduated  from  a  German  seminar\-  after  a 
six-j'ears'  course  of  stud}'.  He  taught  in  different 
towns  in  Hesse  and  died  at  the  age  of  forty-six 
years.  His  wife  was  Philipine  Schucht.  a  Hessian 
lady  of  worth,  daughter  of  ]\Lirtin  Schucht.  a 
wealth}-  farmer  and  miller,  and  an  influential  citi- 
zen who  held  various  public  ofBces  in  Kerr-Hosse. 
Prof.  Schroeder  and  his  wife  reared  three  children 
to  manhood  and  womanliood.     Thev  arc  Charles,  a 


farmer  of  AViltcn  Township,  this  county;  John  and 
Maria  C.,now  Mrs.  C.  Justcs,  of  Rosewood,  Chicago. 
Going  back  another  generation  in  the  ancestral  line 
we  find  Prof.  Anton  Schroeder,  also  an  able  teacher, 
who  was  born  in  Haiida  Kerr-Hesse. 

John  Schroeder  was  boi'u  in  Germany  and  reared 
under  favorable  home  influences.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  nine  years  old,  but  he  remained  with 
his  mother  until  he  had  entered  his  teens,  when  he 
began  the  labors  of  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store 
in  Hesse-Cassel.  After  sojourning  there  three 
3'ears  he  went  to  Gottingen,  where  he  clerked  until 
he  was  twent}'  years  old.  During  this  period  he 
took  private  lessons  in  French,  book-keeping  and 
music.  When  twenty  years  old  he  entered  the 
German  army,  serving  two  years  and  two  months 
in  the  First  German  Rifle  Battalion,  Third  Com- 
panj-.  The  life  of  a  soldier  was  most  distasteful  to 
him  and  as  soon  as  his  term  was  completed  he  made 
preparations  to  join  his  brother  and  sister  in  Amer- 
ica, the}-  being  at  that  time  at  Blue  Island,  Cook 
County,  111. 

October  L'),  1856,  the  good  ship,  "Union."  Capt. 
Claussen,  spread  her  sails  and  left  the  harbor  of 
Bremen  for  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  Among 
the  passengers  was  Mr.  Schroeder,  who  landed  in 
New  York,  January  3,  1857,  whence  he  came  at 
once  to  Chicago  by  rail.  His  brother  was  engaged 
in  wagon-making  at  Blue  Island  and  he  took- up 
the  same  trade,  working  with  him,  and  also  in  Chi- 
cago and  Michigan  City,  Ind.  In  the  fall  of  1860 
he  came  to  Will  County  and  located  at  Wilton 
Center,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
carriages  and  wagons.  He  built  a  residence  and 
shop,  and  worked  up  an  excellent  business,  at  which 
he  continued  to  labor  until  1882.  He  then  aban- 
doned wagon-making  to  operate  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  adjoining  the  village,  of  which  he  had  been 
the  purchaser. 

In  the  spring  of  1887,  Mr.  Schroeder  lemoved  to 
Manhattan,  forming  the  present  partnership  with 
his  sou  and  buying  the  general  merchandise  stock 
of  Knapp  <fe  McGovney.  Ho  continued  to  handle 
agricultural  implements,  in  which  he  had  begun  to 
deal  at  Wilton  Center,  until  January,  1890.  when 
that  branch  of  the  trade  was  abandoned.  The 
means  which    Mr.  Schroeder    has    invested   in   his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALEUM. 


675 


business  is  not  his  ouly  possession,  but  lie  owns 
town  lots  and  a  residence,  which  is  valuable  and 
attractive.  His  business  energy  and  tact  are  not 
excelled  in  the  city  and  all  who  i<now  him  agree  in 
the  verdict  which  pronounces  his  success  but  a 
merited  reward. 

The  marriage  of  Sir.  Schroeder  was  celebrated 
in  Thornton,  111.,  February  7,  1859,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Annie  .Tustcs.  Slie  was  born  in 
Mundeu,  Prussia,  and  her  father,  Joseph  Justes,  was 
also  a  native  of  that  place.  He  emigrated  witli 
his  familj'  about  1858,  making  his  home  in  Blue 
Island,  Cook  County,  where  he  continued  to  work 
at  his  trade  of  a  shoemaker  until  his  death.  Mrs. 
Schroeder  possesses  a  fine  character,  is  a  notable 
housewife,  and  has  been  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
her  husband  and  the  children,  whom  she  has  reared 
to  habits  of  usefulness. 

The  family  of  John  Schroeder  includes  eight 
sons  and  daughters,  of  whom  Mary,  Dora  and  Katie 
still  linger  bj'  the  home  fireside.  Clemeuce,  the 
first-born,  is  senior  member  of  the  firm,  and  his  life 
will  be  more  fully  detailed  below;  the  second  child 
is  Emma,  now  Mrs.  Rose,  of  AVilton  Township;  the 
third  is  Louis,  who  is  married  and  farming  liis 
father's  acres;  the  fourtli  is  Annie,  now  Mrs.  Mackey 
wiio  lives  in  Manhattan;  tlie  fifth  is  Mrs.  Sophia 
(ierdes,  of  Wallingford. 

His  fellow-citizens  have  not  allowed  Mr.  Schroe- 
der to  exert  his  abilities  entirely  in  personal  affairs 
but  have  called  upon  him  to  act  as  Collector  and 
School  Director.  In  botli  of  tliese  offices  he  served 
while  residing  at  Wilton,  and  he  also  helped  to  or- 
ganize the  society  and  build  the  house  of  worship 
for  the  Lutherans  in  that  place.  He  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  churcli  there  and  is  justlj'  consid- 
ered one  of  the  pillars  therein,  having  ever  been  an 
active  worker.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. 

Clemenee  Schroeder,  junior  partner  in  tlie  firm 
of  J.  Schroeder  &  Son,  was  born  at  Wilton  Center, 
August  1,  1860.  He  is  a  young  man  of  rare  busi- 
ness qualification?  and  a  degree  of  enterprise  which 
indicates  that  if  his  life  is  spared  he  will  become 
one  of  the  most  influential  business  men  of  North- 
ern Illinois.  His  traits  of  character  and  disposition 
are  such  as  to  win  and  keep  frien<ls,  and  everyone 


has  a  good  word  for  him.  He  was  reared  in  hie 
native  place  and  there  afforded  excellent  school 
advantages,  also  having  the  privilege  of  six  months' 
attendance   at  a  German  school  in  Glassville,  Ind. 

Returning  to  his  home  after  this  course  of  study, 
young  Schroeder,  who  had  not  long  before  entered 
his  teens,  began  to  assist  his  father  by  painting 
carriages  and  wagons.  The  air  of  the  paint  room, 
which  had  to  be  tightly  closed  during  much  of  the 
work  which  he  performed,  proved  injurious  to  his 
health,  and  he  left  the  shop  and  went  upon  the 
farm.  There  he  engaged  in  agricultural  labors, 
finding  his  health  much  benefited  b}'  his  out-of- 
door  life,  which  he  continued  until  188-1.  He  then 
came  to  Manhattan,  where  for  a  year  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clei-k  by  Elliott  &  Bryant.  He  next 
accepted  a  similar  position  with  Knapp  &  McGov- 
ney,  in  whose  emplo}^  he  remained  until  the  first  of 
March,  1887.  His  employers  were  then  bought 
out  by  himself  and  father  and  the  new  firm  insti- 
tuted, which  is  prosperous  and  popular. 

The  virtues  and  acquirements  of  Miss  Sophia 
Krapp.  a  native  of  Mokena,  wou  the  affection  of 
Mr.  Schroeder  and,  his  wooing  having  proved  suc- 
cessful, she  became  his  wife  April  20,  1887.  The 
young  couple  have  one  child,  a  bright  little  boy 
named  Alvin.  Mrs.  Schroeder  is  a  daughter  of 
Martin  Krapp,  a  German  sto(?S^  dealer,  who  has 
been  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in  stock-deal- 
ing and  the  meat  business  in  Mokena. 

Clemenee  .Schroeder  is  one  of  those  through 
whose  efforts  the  town  of  Manliattan  was  incorpo- 
ated.  He  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  he  held  the 
position  of  assistant  Postmaster  a  little  over  year. 
He  follows  his  father's  example  and  teaching  in 
being  a  stanch  Republican,  and  he  also  belongs  to 
the  German  Lutheran  Church  at  Wilton. 


-^ 


AT.  J.  ROWELL,  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Rowell  Bros.,  is,  with  his  partner,  tran- 
liSSsi  sacting  a  thriving  business  as  a  dealer  in 
gravel,  cobble  stones  and  sand,  operating  two  pits 
of  thirty   feet  depth,  convenient  to  the    railroad 


0 


n7(> 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


iriulvs.  and  having  all  the  necessary  facilities  in 
connection  therewitli.  He  also  deals  considerably 
in  real  estate.  He  is  numbered  among  the  rising 
j'oung  business  men  of  Joliet,  popular  in  society 
and  having  before  him  a  fair  outlook  for  the 
future. 

A  native  of  the  town  of  Clarkson,  N.  Y.,  ]SIr. 
Rowell  was  born  June  26,  1858,  and  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  this  county  when  a  child  of  two 
years.  Thej-  lived  on  a  farm  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  old  and  then  removed  to  the  present  residence 
of  the  family  on  Richards  Street.  Young  Rowell, 
during  his  boyhood  attended  the  aeadeni}'  in  Joliet 
and  subsequently  was  a  student  in  the  University 
of  ^Minnesota  one  year.  Later  he  was  in  Chicago 
University  four  j-ears,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  high  honors  in  1878. 

Returning  now  to  Joliet,  Mr.  Rowell  became  in- 
terested in  newspaper  work,  and  for  one  year  was 
city  editor  of  the  lirqmbh'c  and  Sun.  Upon  sever- 
ing his  connection  with  this  pajier  he  repaired  to 
Washington,  D.  C,  to  assume  the  duties  of  a  gov- 
ernment office.  He  resigned  this  in  1885,  and 
returning  again  to  Joliet,  became  interested  in  real 
estate  and  insurance  to  which  he  confined  his  atten- 
tion until  1889.  That  year  he  extended  his  busi- 
ness as  ahead}-  stated. 

The  parents  of  "teur  subject  were  Hopkins  and 
Mary  E.  (Blood)  Rowell,  likewise  natives  of  Jlun- 
roe  County,  N.  Y.  and  the  father  born  in  Clarkson 
in  1801).  There  was  born  to  them  a  fainil}'  of  five 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living;  the  father  is  now 
deceased  and  the  mother  still  living  in  Joliet. 


■Vf/AMES  MoNAMEE,  managing  editor  of  the 
Press  and  Secretarj^  of  the  Joliet  Press 
Puljlishing  Company,  although  onl}'  a  resi- 
dent of  the  cit}-  for  three  j-ears  past,  has 
become  favorabl}*  known  to  the  greater  portion  of 
its  people  and  is  looked  upon  as  a  thorough  busi- 
ness man,  fully  competent  for  the  position  which 
he  has  assumed.  He  was  born  in  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  October  13,  1848,  and  there  and  in  Eng- 
land spent  the  first  thirty-two  years  of  his  life.   At 


an  early  age  he  became  interested  in  newspaper 
work,  and  going  over  to  England,  was  for  fifteen 
years  engaged  as  a  journalist,  meeting  with  more 
than  ordinary  success. 

Finally,  in  August,  1881,  Mr.  McNamee  deter- 
mined upon  emigrating  to  America,  and  after 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  located  in  New  York  Citj', 
where  he  was  in  the  emplo}'  of  different  news- 
papers until  going  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.  He  so- 
journed there  until  coming  to  the  West.  Upon 
reaching  this  count}-,  he  located  at  once  in  Joliet, 
and  was  emploj'ed  as  editor  of  the  Press  prior  to 
the  reorganization  of  the  company,  and  when  this 
was  effected,  having  by  his  good  haljits  and  steady 
attention  to  business  secured  the  confidence  of 
those  with  whom  he  was  associated,  he  was  chos«en 
for  his  present  position.  He  has  proven  a  proper 
man  for  the  place  and  has  exerted  no  small  influ- 
ence in  bringing  the  Press  to  its  present  effieienc}' 
and  prominence.  He  was  reared  in  the  Catholic 
faith  of  his  forefathers  and  belongs  to  St.  Marj''s 
Church.  His  parents  were  John  and  Mary  Mc- 
Namee, natives  likewise  of  County  Tyrone,  Ire- 
land, and  who  are  now  deceased. 

While  a  resident  of  the  cit}-  of  Middlesborough. 
England,  Mr.  McNamee  was  wedded,  Jul}'  27. 
1876,  to  Miss  Flora  O'Neill.  Of  this  union  there 
have  been  born  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, and  named  respectively:  John,  Peter,  James, 
Philip,  Mary  and  Joseph.  The  little  family  occu- 
pies a  neat  home  in  the  Seventh  Ward  and  enjoys 
the  friendship  and  acquaintance  of  its  cultivated 
people. 

The  Joliet  Press  Publishing  Company  was  incor- 
porated October  6,  1889,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
^20,000,  of  which  15,000  was  paid  up.  There  lias 
since  been  added  810,000  to  the  paid-up  stock. 
The  officers  are:  Dr.  William  Dougall,  Pre^ident 
and  Treasurer:  James  McNamee,  Secretary  and 
Managing  Editor.  The  Board  of  Directors  con- 
sists of  five  members,  viz:  Dr.  William  Dougall, 
James  McNamee,  D.  M.  Stiles,  Capt.  James  Miller 
and  M.  J.  Kane.  The  office  is  thoroughly  equipped 
for  both  newsjjaper  and  job  printing,  having,  since 
the  consolidation,  increased  its  facilities  by  the  put- 
ting in  of  new  njachinery  and  presses  of  the  most 
approved  make.     The  outlook  is  flattering,  and  as 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


677 


the  establishment  is  in  the  hands  of  some  of  the 
most  capable  business  men  of  the  city,  there  is 
little  question  that  the  enterprise  will  be  an  entire 
success. 


■^OilN  FRIDLEY.  In  passing  through  Flor- 
ence Township,  a  visitor  is  struck  bj'  the 
prosperous  appearance  of  many  of  the  rural 
homes,  and  the  eyes  are  especially  attracted 
to  some  of  the  residences  that  dot  the  landscape. 
Among  those  thus  conspicuous  is  that  of  Mr.  Frid- 
lev,  a  commodious  building  of  pleasing  design, 
which  is  accompanied  by  fine  barns  and  other 
structures  needful  to  a  flourishing  agriculturist. 
The  fertile  acres  that  surround  the  dwelling  show 
that  the  owner  is  a  master  hand,  for,  although  the 
land  is  now  rented,  nothing  is  allowed  to  gain  a 
look  of  neglect  or  in  any  wise  indicate  a  loss  of  its 
former  progressive  attitude, 

Mr.  Fridley  is  a  native  of  the  far-famed  land  of 
Switzerland,  where  his  eyes  opened  to  tlie  light 
March  26,  1838.  ITe  is  the  only  child  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  Fridlej',  the  former  of  whom  spent  his 
life  in  that  clime  and  the  latter  still  lives  there. 
When  nineteen  years  old,  3'oung  Fridlej-  came  to 
America,  settling  in  Florence  Township,  this  county, 
on  a  tract,  where  he  remained  from  1857  until 
1876,  when  he  became  the  occupant  of  the  estate 
he  now  owns.  This  comprises  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  sections  10  and  11.  All  the  build- 
ings on  the  place  have  been  made  b^'  him,  and  to 
his  energj'  is  due  every  improvement  that  makes  of 
the  estate  so  valuable  a  piece  of  jiroperty. 

Inheriting  a  devotion  to  country'  that  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  German  stock,  whence  he  d(!rives 
his  origin,  Mr.  Fridle}'  devoted  some  of  the  best 
years  of  his  life  to  tlic  protection  of  the  flag  of  the 
Union.  In  1862  he  joined  the  army  as  a  private 
in  Companj-  G,  One  Hundrcth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  be  served  until  the  close  of  the  rebellion.  His 
campaigning  was  done  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee 
and  Georgia,  and  during  it  he  fought  in  several  of 
the  most  noted  contests  of  the  war,  among  them 
being  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge, 


Kenesaw  ^Mountain,  Resaca,  and  the  various  battles 
of  the  Atlanta  campaign.  At  Kenesaw  he  was 
wounded  and  disabled  for  a  time.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  at  Nashville,  and  going  to 
Chicago,  there  received  his  discharge  July  1,  1865. 
He  is  numbered  in  the  ranks  of  the  Kepuliliean 
jjarty,  but  takes  no  part  in  politics  other  than  to 
cast  his  vote  when  occasion  requires. 

An  important  step  in  the  life  of  our  subject 
took  place  on  Christmas  Day,  1866,  on  which  date 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Dal- 
lenbach,  of  his  own  township.  Tliis  estimable  lady 
was  the  widow  of  Christian  Dallenbach,  by  whom 
she  had  two  children — John  W.  and  Frank.  She 
was  born  in  AVurtemburg,  Germany,  and  still  lives, 
enjoying  with  her  companion  the  fruits  of  indus- 
try and  the  esteem  of  many  friends.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Church.  To  her  and  her 
present  husband  a  son  was  born,  E.  Franklin,  from 
whom  they  were  compelled  to  part  when  he  w.is 
eleven  years  old. 


)>/ILLIAM  HELDT.  This  gentleman  owns 
and  occupies  a  valuable  estate  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  on  section  .35,  Wash- 
ington Township,  and  is  numbered  among  the  en- 
terprising and  progressive  agriculturists  of  the 
count}'.  He  has  improved  most  of  the  land  which 
comprises  his  estate,  and  put  up  all  the  liuildings 
upon  it,  which  include  every  necessary  and  conven- 
ient arrangement  for  the  carrying  on  of  tlie  work 
of  the  farm.  He  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Ger- 
man3',  March  4,  1825,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  country,  acquiring  a  good  education  and  tlie 
practical  knowledge  which  has  been  of  use  in  his 
mature  3ears.  He  is  the  son  of  natives  of  Meck- 
lenburg who  came  with  other  members  of  their 
family  to  America  and  died  here.  A  fidler  his- 
tory of  the  famil}'  will  be  found  iu  the  biography 
of  E.  Heldt. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  married 
in  his  native  land  to  Miss  Hannah  Stedt,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  same  province  as  himself 
and    whose  parental   historj-    is    included     in     the 


678 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGEAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


sketch  of  Willi:iiu  Stedt,  elsewhere  in  this  Album. 
Soon  lifter  bis  marriage  Mr.  HeWt  and  his  wife 
started  for  America,  taking  i)assage  at  Hamburg 
and  landing  in  the  metropolis,  whence  ihcy  went 
at  once  to  Chicago,  later  making  a  settlement  in 
York  Township,  DuPage  County.  There  Jlr. 
lleldt  began  to  work  as  a  laborer  on  the  railroad, 
subsequent!}'  becomir.g  the  operator  of  rented  laud. 
In  the  latter  manner  he  was  engaged  until  1864, 
when  he  came  to  AVill  Count}-  and  purchased  his 
first  land.  In  his  efforts  to  obtain  a  good  home 
he  was  abl}'  seconded  b}'  his  good  wife  and  they 
toiled  hard  together  until  her  death,  which  occurred 
June  30,  1888.  She  had  reached  the  age  of  Qfly- 
two  and  one-half  years. 

The  family  of  Mr.  Heldt  consists  of  eleven  sons 
and  daughters.  Minnie  died  at  the  age  of  twent}- 
years,  Emma  at  the  age  of  three,  and  Fred  at  the 
age  of  two.  Henry  married  Steinie  Granges,  and 
occupies  a  farm  iu  AVashington  Township;  Will- 
iam who  lives  on  a  farm  near  Joliet.  married  Yinie 
Keichemeister;  Mar}-  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Fieab,  a 
farmer  in  AYasliington  Tow-nship;  Charles  remains 
with  his  father  .and  helps  to  work  the  farm;  Her- 
man, John,  Emma  and  Ame.al  .are  also  at  home. 

Mr.  Heldt  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Republican  party.  lie  is  connected 
with  the  Lutheran  Church,  with  which  his  wife 
was  also  identified.  He  is  held  in  good  repute  as 
an  honorable  and  industrious  man,  a  reliable  cit- 
izen, and  a  kindly  parent. 


^/OSEPH  HARPER.  The  farming  and  agri- 
cultural interests  of  New  Lenox  Township 
recognize  a  worthy  representative  in  Mr. 
Harper,  who  owns  and  occupies  a  well-de- 
veloped f.arm  on  section  12,  where  he  lias  first-cl.ass 
buildings  and  all  the  other  appurten.ances  of  the 
well-regulated  country  estate.  The  hand  of  thrift 
and  industry  is  apparent  at  all  points,  and  presents 
a  pleasant  picture  of  the  results  of  energy  and  per- 
severance. 

The    H.arper  family    is   of   English   origin,  and 
Thomas    Harper,   the    father   of  our   subject,    was 


born  in  Westmoreland  County,  England,  where 
he  was  reared  to  man's  estate  and  was  married. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Wil- 
son, was  born  in  Lancashire,  and  the  parents  came 
to  America  in  1852.  They  settled  in  Lockport. 
Will  County,  111.,  but  only  sojourned  there  two 
months,  removing  then  1o  Frankfort  Township, 
where  they  lived  five  or  six  years.  Their  nexi  re- 
moval w.as  to  Xew  Lenox  Township,  this  county, 
where  the  father  selected  land  on  section  12,  and 
built  up  a  permanent  home.  There  he  and  his  es- 
timable wife  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives, 
both  dying  in  1870. 

To  the  parents  of  our  subject  there  was  born  a 
family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Joseph  iras  the 
sixth.  His  native  place  was  Westmoreland  County, 
England,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  August  3,  1836. 
He  emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents  and  re- 
mained a  member  of  the  household  until  about  the 
time  of  reaching  his  majority.  His  home  since 
coming  to  this  country  has  betn  mostly  in  Frank- 
fort and  New  Lenox  Townships,  and  he  has  uni- 
formly followed  farming  pursuits.  His  properly 
embraces  one  hundred  and  ninety-four  and  one- 
h.alf  acres  of  choice  land,  ami  the  improvements 
which  we  now  see  upon  it  have  arisen  through 
the  labors  and  good  management  of  the  proprietor. 

Mr.  Harper  was  married  April  15,  1862,  at  the 
bride's  home  in  Frankfort  Township,  to  Miss  Isa- 
bella, daughter  of  Tilford  and  Lucy  Ann  (Owen) 
Duncan.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Harper  were  natives 
of  Kentucky,  whence  they  emigrated  to  Illinois 
about  1833,  and  located  among  the  pioneers  of 
Frankfort  Township.  There  the  father  spent  tiie 
remainder  of  his  days  engaged  in  farming  pursuits, 
and  died  in  November,  1860.  The  mother  is  still 
living.  Their  family  consisted  of  eleven  children, 
si.x  of  whom  are  living.  Mrs.  Harper,  who  was 
next  to  the  eldest,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Frank- 
fort May  21,  1844,  acquired  her  education  iu  the 
common  schools  and  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  her  marriage. 

Mr.  and  Mi's.  Harper  are  the  parents  of  three 
children.  The  eldest,  a  daughter,  Delia  J.,  is  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Robinson,  of  Joliet.  George 
W.  and  Warren  T.  still  remain  at  home  with 
tlioir  parents.      Mr.  Harper,  politically,  is  a  sound 


PORTRAIT  A^;D  biographical  ALBUM. 


681 


^ 


Republican,  while  he  and  his  good  wife  are  promi- 
nently connected  wjth  the  Baptist  Church,  attend- 
ing services  at  Mokena.  They  are  people  lughlj' 
respected  in  their  ;ominunity,  and  have  one  of  the 
pleasantest  homes  in  the  township.  Tiieir  residence, 
both  in  exterior  finish  and  inner  decorations,  is  a 
beautiful  one,  and  is  represented  bj'  a  view  on 
another  page. 


\i?OIlN  SWEEDLER.  Whatever  may  be  truth- 
fully said  of  the  evils  of  emigration,  and 
whatever  effort  the  citizens  of  America  maj' 
/  make  to  prevent  the  landing  upon  our  shores 
of  the  masses  who  have  been  flooding  our  ports  of 
entry,  it  is  nevertheless  bej'ond  dispute  tiiat  to  for- 
eign countries  we  are  indebted  for  many  of  our 
best  citizens.  These  are  the  men  who  have  come, 
not  from  the  haunts  of  vice  or  pauper  homes,  but 
who  have  been  reared  in  honorable  and  frugal 
habits,  and  who,  while  seeking  a  broader  field  for 
their  energies,  do  so  with  the  intention  of  assisting 
in  the  best  development  of  the  country  to  which 
they  come. 

In  the  Empire  of  Germany,  John  Sweedler  was 
boin  November  26,  1819.  He  received  the  excel- 
lent education  which  the  Fatherland  bestows  upon 
all.  After  remaining  in  his  native  land  until  the 
spring  of  1857,  with  his  wife  and  young  son  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  to  make  a  home  in  America. 
The}'  landed  in  New  York,  whence  tlic}^  went  direct 
to  Blue  Island,  Cook  County,  and  there  they  so- 
journed several  years.  Then  selecting  a  location 
in  this  count}-,  Mr.  Sweedler  bought  eighty  acres 
of  land  on  section  23,  Jackson  Township,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  has  added  to  his  original 
purchase,  his  estate  now  amounting  to  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres,  on  which  he  has  erected  excellent 
buildings  and  made  other  improvements.  His  la- 
bors are  characterized  bj'  zeal,  prudence  and  thrift, 
an<l  it  needs  but  a  glance  at  his  home  to  assure  the 
visitor  that  the  famil}-  enjoy  their  worldh"  posses- 
sions. 

The  wife  who   accompanied   Mr.  Sweedler   from 


the  Fatherland  was  born  there  Ocfcober  13,  1821, 
and  bore  tlie  maiden  name  of  Mary  Hammond. 
She  shared  her  husband's  cares  and  successes  until 
the  fall  of  1870,  when  after  about  twenty  years  of 
wedded  life,  she  closed  her  eyes  to  earthly  things, 
the  date  of  her  decease  being  September  21.  She 
had  borne  her  husband  two  children:  Edward, 
whose  natal  day  was  March  23,  1855,  and  Augus- 
tus, who  was  born  November  25,  1858.  The  oldest 
son  is  now  living  in  Manhattan  Township,  having 
on  February  15,  1883,  marri(d  Miss  Amelia  Kling- 
ler;  thej'  have  two  children,  John  Edward,  born 
May  9,  1883;  and  Lloyd  Elias,  November  21,  1884. 

A  second  matrimonial  alliance  was  contracted  by 
Mr.  Sweedler.  March  31,  1872.  His  companion 
was  Fredericka  Deutschmann,  a  native  of  Germany, 
who  was  born  May  18.  1839.  She  was  about  eight- 
een years  old  when  she  came  to  America,  and  in 
this  township  her  marriage  to  our  subject  took 
place.  This  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
four  children.  Alvin  was  born  August  7,  1873, 
and  died  April  15,  1877;  Clarence  E.  was  born 
April  29,  1876;  George,  March  1,  1878;  Willis 
R.,  Ma}'  11,  1881.  Mrs.  Sweedler  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  German  Baptist  Church  and  en- 
deavors to  rule  her  household  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  fit  her  offspring  for  useful  and  honorable  careers. 
The  brotherly  kindness,  which  is  so  prominently 
kept  before  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the  reli- 
gious body  to  which  she  belongs,  wins  for  her  the 
good  will  of  all  her  neighbors.  Mr.  Sweedler  is  a 
stanch  Republican.  Although  not  identified  with 
any  religious  body,  his  life  has  been  an  upright  one 
and  he  receives  from  his  fellow-citizens  a  due  meas- 
ure of  respect  and  approbation. 

On  another  page  the  reader  will  observe  a  view 
of  Mr.  Sweedler's  pleasant  and  commodious  resi- 
dence, with  the  rural  surroundings. 

^^EORGE  S.  HOUSE.  This  gentleman  is  one 
'l(  (— ,  of  the  leading  members  of  the  bar  of 
^^Jl  Northern  Illinois,  and  undoubtedly  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  profession  in  Joliet.  He  is 
l)ersistent,  studious,  and    devoted   to   his    calling, 


682 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


displaying  in  the  conduct  of  cases  given  to  his 
charge,  a  knowledge  of  legal  precedents,  principles 
of  law  and  equity,  and  a  knowledge  of  human 
nature  such  as  few  men  possess.  Not  only  is  he 
recognized  as  a  legal  light  of  the  first  magnitude, 
but  his  social  qualities  and  general  intelligence 
make  for  him  a  place  in  the  best  circles  of  society. 

The  House  famil3-  formerly  belonged  in  the  Em- 
jiire  State,  Oneida  County  being  the  birthplace  of 
Rodney  House,  the  father  of  our  subject.  In  the 
same  county  Juditli  Slillman  was  born  and  became 
his  wife.  Mr.  House  was  a  wagon-maker.  In 
1833  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Cook  County 
in  that  portion  afterward  called  Grundy  Count}' ; 
two  years  later  he  became  a  resident  of  that  section 
now  known  as  Will  County.  To  him  and  his 
estimable  wife  two  children  were  born — Rodney, 
Jr.,  and  George  S. 

On  March  1,  183.5,  in  what  was  then  Grundy 
County,  Ceorge  S.  House  opened  liis  e3'es  to  the 
light  of  day.  He  attended  the  district  schools,  and 
after  securing  a  fundamental  education,  entered 
the  academy  at  Rome,  N.  Y.,  where  he  prosecuted 
his  studies  three  years.  He  then  became  a  student 
in  Hamilton  College,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he  was 
grailuated  in  the  class  of  1856.  Having  chosen  the 
law  as  his  life  work,  he  began  its  stud}-  and  after  a 
complete  course  at  Columbia  Law  School,  N.  Y., 
was  graduated  therefrom  in  18,i9.  Returning  to 
Illinois  he  located  in  .loliet  and  began  a  practice 
which  has  redounded  to  his  credit,  and  has  been 
the  means  of  securing  just  decisions  in  many  cases. 
With  the  exception  of  two  years  spent  in  Chicago 
and  four  years  in  army  life,  Joliet  has  been  the 
home  of  Mr.  House  since  he  first  opened  his  oflice 
here. 

Under  Gen.  Donaldson,  of  the  (Quartermaster's 
Department,  Mr.  House  acted  during  the  war, 
being  Auditor  and  Cashier  in  the  general  disburs 
ing  office  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  .and  Louisville,  Kj'. 
He  h.as  been  corporation  lawyer  for  the  Chicago, 
Wilmington  &  Vermillion  Coal  Company,  and  for 
the  Chicago  <t  Alton  Railroad  Company.  His  po- 
litical affiliation  is  with  the  Republican  party. 

The  home  of  Mr.  House  is  presided  over  b}'  a 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  in  the  circle  of  society  in  which  she 


moves,  and  by  many  in  humbler  walks  of  life  who 
know  her  kindness  of  heart  and  generous  regard  for 
tliosf.  in  need.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Virginia  A.  Osgood,  and  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject  June  27,  1860.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Uri 
Osgood  of  this  cit}'.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  House  six 
children  have  been  born,  named  respectively; 
George  Clinton,  Harry  0.,  Virginia  Chamber- 
lain, Gould,  Robert  and  Hazel.  The  eldest  son  is 
now  at  work  for  the  Chicago  &  Wilmington  Coal 
Companj'.  The  youngest  son,  Robert,  is  highly 
commended  for  the  courage  and  coolness  which  he 
dis|)la}'ed  in  saving  the  life  of  a  school  companion 
who  was  on  tlie  point  of  drowning.  Virginia  C. 
was  married,  April  10,  18',)0,  in  Joliet,  to  Frank  E. 
Chamberlain.  The  younger  members  of  the  fam- 
ily do  honor  to  the  parental  care  which  has  been 
bestowed  upon  them,  being  well  informed,  courteous 
and  of  good  habits. 


ILLIAM  IRELAND  is  foreman  of  the 
\/V//  P'ltl-ern  department  of  the  Fox  plant  which 
is  under  the  control  of  the  Illinois  Steel 
Works  Coniiiany,  by  whom  he  has  been  em|)lo3'ed 
for  the  i)ast  nine  years.  For  a  score  of  years  he 
has  Iieen  engaged  in  the  same  business,  in  which  he 
is  a  master  workman,  a  fact  that  is  thoroughly  -ap- 
preciated hj'  his  employers.  He  was  born  in  Kirk- 
wall on  the  Orknc}'  Islands,  north  of  Scotland,  July 
26,  1842,  and  was  engaged  in  Glasgow  and  London 
in  ijattcrn-making.  Having  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  the  United  States,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
in  April,  1872,  and  obtaining  a  [losition  in  the 
Cleveland  Rolling  Mills  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  resided 
in  that  city  for  nearl\'  a  decade.  He  then  removed 
to  Joliet,  HI,,  which  has  since  been  his  home. 

Mr.  Ireland  married  Miss  Emily  Roylance,  of 
Chelford,  Cheshire,  England,  who  has  |irovod  her- 
self a  devoted  companion  to  her  husband,  and 
mother  to  the  children  who  have  been  born  to  them. 
The  pleasant  dwelling  at  No.  820  Irving  Street, 
which  was  built  by  Mr.  Ireland,  bears  an  appear- 
ance of  order  and  refinement  which  none  but  a 
thorough  housekeeper  could  inii)art,  and  thorough 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


683 


Lospitalit3-  is  dispensed  under  its  roof.  The  family 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ireland  comprises  five  living  chil- 
dren, named  respectivel}^  Edna,  Emily,  .John,  Mar- 
garet and  James. 

In  the  Peoples'  Loan  &  Homestead  Association, 
of  which  he  has  been  a  member  since  he  came  to 
Joliet,  Mr.  Ireland  holds  the  oflice  of  Director.  He 
belongs  to  the  social  orders  of  Masonry,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  St.  An- 
drew's Societj',  and  has  held  nearl}'  all  the  chairs  in 
the  different  orders.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Athe- 
naeum and  is  a  singing  teacher  there.  He  votes 
with  the  Republican  party  and  during  the  last 
Presidential  election  belonged  to  the  Protective 
Tariff  Glee  Club.  His  religious  belief  coincides 
with  that  expressed  by  the  creed  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  with  which  he  is  identified.  He  is  thor- 
oughly respected  113'  his  fellow-men  as  an  unpre- 
tending and  useful  member  of  society,  a  reliable 
workman  and  a  Christian  gentleman. 

^ ^^ ^ 


fS^^^IlOMAS  BENNETT  is  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  in  Joliet,  having  an  establishment 
well  furnished  with  good  steeds  and  equi- 
jiages  of  various  descriptions,and  so  conducted  as  to 
deserve  and  receive  a  fair  share  of  public  palron- 
ain".  He  has  quite  an  extended  experience  in  this 
occupation  in  which  he  embarked  in  1872.  In 
earlier  years  he  spent  much  time  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  having  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen  years 
taken  his  place  in  the  great  army  of  gold  seekers 
wlio,  upon  the  discovery  of  the  precious  metal  in 
California,  rushed  thither.  As  a  forty-niner  he  saw 
manj'  phases  of  life  which  he  would  not  have  wit- 
nessed had  he  remained  in  the  East,  and  passed 
through  many  scenes  the  relation  of  which  would 
afford  abundant  food  for  thought. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Henry  B.  and 
Sarah  (Frank)  Bennett,  of  the  Empire  Stale,  who 
came  to  Illinois  in  1845.  Their  first  home  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  Aurora,  but  in  1881,  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  Joliet.  The  occupation  of  the  fa- 
ther was  that  of  a  tiller  of  the  soil.  He  passed 
away  in  1886,  ripe  in  years;  his  wife  had  i)rcceded 


him  to  the  silent  land,  breathing  her  last  in  1884. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  he  of  whom 
we  write  and  Sarah,  now^Mrs.  Morse, 'of^California. 

Thomas  Bennett  was  born  June  26,  1830,  in 
Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  and  his  early  years 
being  passed  upon  the  farm,  he  received  such  train- 
ing as  was  customar}'  to  farmer's  sons  and  the  edu- 
cation for  which  the  common  schools  ^afforded 
facilities.  He  was  in  his  teens  when  he  first  became 
acquainted  with  the  Prairie  State  to  which  he  ac- 
companied his  parents,  but  which  he  left  in  a  few 
3'ears  to  seek  the  Eldorado  to  which  the  thoughts  of 
so  man}'  were  turning.  He  spent  fourteen  years  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  engaged  in  mining  and  the  stock 
business,  after  which  he  returned  to  this  State  and 
became  a  farmer.  Not  many  years  had  "elapsed, 
however,  before  he  abandoned  agricultural  life  to 
embark  in  the  business  which  he  is  still  successfully 
carrying  on. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Bennett 
transpired  in  December,  1868,  it  being  no  less  than 
his  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  P.,  daughter  of  Laban 
Clark.  One  son  has  come  to;.bless  the  union.  He 
received  the  name  of'Allcn  and  'upon  him  have 
been  bestowed  all  the  advantages  which  parental 
love  and  theTmeans  possessed  by  the  father  could 
compass.  He  is  still  living  under  the  parental  roof. 
JMr.  Bennett  is  a  believer  in  and  a  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  stands  well 
among  his  fellow-men  and  his  estimable  wife  is  also 
highly  regarded  throughout  the  community. 

ellARLES  LARAWAY.  The  parents  of  the 
above-named  gentleman  were  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Pocock)  Larawa}'.  The  former 
was  born  in  Albany  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  latter 
in  London,  England.  Their  first  home  after  mar- 
riage was  in  (hieida  Count}',  N.  Y., whence,  in  1852, 
the  mother  came  to  Illinois,  the  father  following 
in  1853,  and  their  home  from  that  time  being  with 
their  son,  our  subject.  The  father  died  .January-  22, 
1856,  and  the  mother  in  March,  1859.  They  had 
ten  children,  of  whom  Charles  w.as  the  fifth.  He 
was  born  June  29,  1825,  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 


G84 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


remaining  there  until  1852,  wheii-he  came  to  Will 
County.  Here  he  bought  eighty  aci'es  on  section  35, 
.loliet  Township.where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
He  has  erected  excellent  buildings  and  added  to  his 
original  estate  until  it  comprises  two  hundred  and 
nine  acres.  He  has  always  followed  farming,  and  is 
successful  in  its  pursuit. 

In  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Larawaj-  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  E.  Cheetles. 
She  was  born  in  the  county  in  which  she  was  mar- 
ried, and  died  at  her  home  in  this  State,  October 
8,  1874.  She  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  To  herself  and  husband  nine  children 
were  born,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Albert 
is  a  farmer  in  Iowa;  Charles  is  in  business  in  Joliet; 
George  W.  lives  at  home;  Russell  is  a  clerk  in  Joliet; 
Marion,  John  and  Arthur  W.  are  still  with  tlieir 
father.  In  Monroe  County',  N.  Y.,  June  17,  1875, 
Mr.  Larawaj-  was  again  married,  his  bride  being 
Miss  Julia  A.  Sweetman,who  was  born  in  Deerfield, 
Oneida  County,  November  17,  1830.  Botii  arc 
members  of  the  Methodist  Ejiiscopal  Church.  Mr. 
Laraway  has  been  School  Director  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Democratic  party. 


s.-^^ 

&=^-'' 


'SJEORGE  Y.  SMITH  h.as  pursued  tiie  occup.-i 
tion  of  farmer  and  stock-raiser  very  sucee.ss- 
fully,  and  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  his 
pleasant  homo  on  section  1,  Plainfield  Township. 
He  was  born  in  Miles,  Centre  County,  Pa.,  August 
8,  1813.  His  fatlier,  John  Smith,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  State,  born  in  Berks  Count}',  a  son  of 
Peter  Smith,  wlio  was  a  native  of  Germany.  From 
the  best  of  information  at  hand  it  is  gathered 
that  the  latter  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in 
Colonial  limes.  He  married  in  Penns^ylvania,  tak- 
ing as  his  wife  Anna  Mary  llarier,  a  native  of  that 
.State.  He  was  a  mechanic,  and  followed  the  tr.ade 
of  a  slioemaker  and  cooper,  and  spent  the  remain 
ing  years  of  his  life  after  coming  to  this  country  in 
Centre  County. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  and  married 
in  his  native  State.  He  was  bred  to  the  life  of  a 
farmer,  and   carried   on   that  occupation  in  Centre 


Count}'  until  1 824,  when  he  removed  to  that  part 
of  Stark  County  now  included  in  Summit  County, 
Ohio,  his  wife  and  four  children  accompanying 
him,  the  removal  being  made  with  a  team,  and 
taking  their  householil  goods  along  with  them.  Mr. 
Smith  located  on  a  tract  of  timber  land  belonging 
to  his  father-in  law,  and  became  identified  with  the 
pioneers  of  the  State.  The  log  house  into  which 
he  and  his  family  moved  had  but  one  door  and  one 
window,  and  there  was  no  chimney.  At  that  time 
deer  and  bears  were  plenty  and  were  occasionally 
seen  quite  near  the  settlements.  There  were  no 
railroads  for  years,  and  the  nearest  market  was  at 
a  lake  port.  Mr.  Smitli  cleared  quite  a  tract  of  land 
and  resided  there  until  1848,  and  then  removed  to 
Grecnsburg'.where  his  death  occurred  the  following 
year.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Mary 
Yerrick,  and  she  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in 
Pennsjdvania.  Her  father,  Anton  Yerrick,  is 
thought  to  have  been  born  in  that  State,  and  was 
of  German  antecedents.  He  was  a  farmer  in  Cen- 
tre Count}'  and  there  died  at  a  ripe  old  age.  The 
motlier  of  our  subject  died  in  1850,  She  had  nine 
other  children  besides  himself,  namely:  Peter, 
Polly,  Susan,  Elizabeth,  Sallie,  John.  "William,  Si- 
mon and  Lydia. 

Tiie  son  of  whom  we  write  w.as  in  his  eleventh 
year  when  his  parents  removed  to  Oliio,  and  lie 
remembers  well  the  incidents  of  pioneer  life  there. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  pioneer  school 
taught  in  a  log  cabin  on  tlio  subscription  plan.  He 
lived  with  his  parents  until  his  twentieth  year,  and 
then  commenced  to  lean,  the  trade  of  a  wagon- 
maker  at  I'niontown,  serving  nearly  two  years, 
and  then  went  to  (4rcensburg  and  established  him- 
self in  the  business,  continuing  there  until  1851. 
In  tliat  year  he  came  to  Will  County  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  six  children,  making  the  entire 
journey  with  a  team.  They  settled  on  land  on  sec- 
tion 1,  Plainlield  Township,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased here  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  There  was 
a  house  on  the  place  at  that  time,  and  he  lived  in 
that  two  years  and  then  removed  to  his  present 
commodious  residence. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married,  in  October,  183(1,  to 
Magdalina  Ream,  a  native  of  Summit  County,  Ohio, 
and  a  daughter  of  George   and   Catherine    Ream. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


685 


They  have  had  eight  children:  Sarah,  wife  of 
Isaac  Henry ;  John, William,  Conrad,  George,  Adam 
and  Amos.  Mary  married  George  Ferner  and  is 
now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  joined  the 
Evangelical  Association  many  years  ago,  being 
among  its  most  active  members  and  are  classed 
among  our  most  desirable  citizens. 


ALCOLM    N.    M.    STEWART  was    born 
July  24,  1834,  in  Amsterdam,  Montgomery 
County,    N.    Y.,  to    Peter  and    Elizabeth 
(Buckraaster)  Stewart,  natives  of  Scotland 
and  New  York    respectively.     He    emigrated     to 
America    when    3'oung,  and  was  married    in    the 
county  in  which  his  son  was  born.     Peter  Stewart 
followed    the    trade  of    a  stonemason,  and    built 
the  lirst  locks  on  the  Erie  Canal  and  several  of   the 
first  buildings  of  the   Brooklyn  Navy  Yards.     He 
came    to    Wilmington    in   1835,  and   in  the  fall  of 
that  yeav  returned  to  New  York  to  bring  his  family 
here.     Tiiey  went  bj'  lake  to   Detroit.    Mich.,  and 
by  team  to  Chicago,  this  State,  and  landed  in  Wil- 
mington   about    September    1,     1836.       Here    he 
bought  land,   paying  -$2,000  for  one    hundred  and 
sixtj'  acres,  which   is  still  owned   by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  and  two   brothers.     Here   he  also  lived 
until  his  death,   in    1868,   having  passed  bis  four- 
score years,  the  mother  dying  some  years  previously. 
While  working   at  his   trade   he  superintended  all 
the  stone  work  in  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
and  was  a  man   of    prominence  and  good  circum- 
stances.    Politically,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  later 
an   Abolitionist,   and  was  President  of  the  Under- 
ground Railroad,  and   quite  an    inlluential  and  ac- 
tive politician,  aftern-ard    becoming  a    Republican. 
He  was  quite  instrumental  in   getting   the  right  of 
w.ay  for  the  Chicago  &  Alton    Railroad,  and  jour- 
neyed to  Washington  on  its  account.     Religiously, 
the    father  of    our   subject  was  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  built  the  church  at  Wil- 
mington   of    his   own   means,  principally.     Before 
his  death  he  had  taken  all  the  degrees  of  Masonry. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  had  ten  children  born 
to   them,    namely:  John    AV.,    Edward  W.,  Mary, 


George  T.,  Malcolm  N.  M.,  Catherine,  James  N., 
Minerva,  and  a  pair  of  twins  who  died  in  infancy. 
Our  subject  was  reared  in  Wilmington,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools.  In 
1861  he  joined  the  army  as  a  private  with  the  Chi- 
cago Dragoons,  but  in  September,  1861,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  this  company  neither  belonged  to  the 
vState  of  Illinois  nor  the  United  States,  they  were 
ordered  back  to  Chicago,  where  Mr.  Stewart  then 
joined  the  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry,  Com- 
pany A.  Soon  afterward  he  was  promoted  to  First 
Lieutenant  of  his  company,  and,  while  in  tiie 
Atlanta  campaign,  was  commissioned  Captain  of 
the  company  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  some 
time.  He  was  then  promoted  to  be  Major  of  the 
United  States  Volunteers,  in  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  first  in  the  Twenty-first  and 
last  in  the  Fourth  Armj'  Corps. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  participated  in  the 
following  hard-fought  battles  of  the  Civil  War: 
Perry ville  (Ky.),  Stone  River,  Tullahoma,  Chieka- 
mauga,  sieges  of  Chattanooga,  Mission  Ridge,  siege 
of  Knoxville,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Rcsaca,  Calhoun, 
Kenesaw  Mountain, Atlanta,  Franklin  and  Nashville. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  returned  home,  where  he  has  remained 
ever  since,  commencing  the  occupation  of  farming. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  First  National 
Bank  of  A\''ilmiiigton,  having  been  a  stockholder 
since  its  organization,  and  now  holds  the  position 
of  Teller  of  the  Bank.  He  still  has  considerable 
farming  interests  in  Will  County,  and  gives  much 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  blooded  horses.  He 
started  in  life  with  a  small  capital,  and  has  made  all 
he  has  by  his  own  efforts. 

An  interesting  event  took  place  in  the  life  of 
our  subject  May  30,  1871,  when  he  became  the 
husband  of  Miss  Anna  Mclntyre,  of  Wilmington, 
a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Archibald  J.  and  Jane 
(Whitten)  Mclntyre,  natives  of  New  York  and 
Canada,  and  of  Scotch  extraction.  They  became  the 
parents  of  two  children — Jean  and  Margaret,  both 
living,  their  ages  being  sixteen  and  twelve  years 
respectively. 

Malcolm  Stewart  has  always  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  political  affairs,  but  is  not  an  aspirant  for  office. 
His  views  coincide  with  those  of  the   Republican 


686 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lihilt'oiiu.  He  is  not  a  mcinlier  of  any  religious 
(lenoininiition,  bill  supports  tlie  Piesbytcriiin 
Cliuicli.  Socially,  lie  Is  a  meniher  of  tUe  Grand 
Army  of  ilie  Ucpul)lic,  being  enrolled  in  liovven 
Post,  No.  17,  at  Wilmington,  which  is  one  of  the 
oldest  posts  in  the  State.  He  has  served  as  C'om- 
raander  of  the  same,  and  has  filled  all  the  chairs. 


^ 


\f/AMES  (i.  KLWOOI).  This  gentleman  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  building, 
real  estate,  and  many  other  public  enter- 
ic/' prises  of  Joliet.  He  is  an  able  financier, 
has  a  meritorious  record  as  a  soldier,  and  has  served 
with  honor  in  public  capacities.  He  is  the  eldest 
son  and  onl^'  surviving  child  of  the  late  Nelson  D. 
Elwood,  and  was  born  in  Locki)ort,  May  6,  1839. 
Joliet  became  his  home  in  1843,  and  here  he  ob- 
tained his  fundamental  education.  He  spent  three 
years  at  the  military  school  in  New  Haven,  Conn., 
and  the  j'cars  1857-58-59  in  Geneva,  Switzerland, 
and  Berlin,  Prussia,  closing  his  schooling  at  the 
Frederick  William  University,  in  the  last  named 
city. 

In  Jul}',  18G'2,  Mr,  Elwood  formed  a  company 
and  entered  the  Union  service  as  Captain  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry.  During 
the  battle  of  Stone  River,  January'  2,  18G3,  he  was 
appointed  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  the  brig- 
ade, and  in  that  capacity  he  continued  to  serve 
until  the  close  of  army  life.  His  gallantr}'  was  un- 
mistakable and  the  zeal  with  which  he  opposed  the 
efforts  of  treacherous  hands  to  tear  some  of  the 
stars  from  our  nation's  banner  was  such  as  to  add 
to  the  enthusiasm  of  his  comrades  and  those  whoni 
be  led  to  battle. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war  Mr.  Elwood  spent 
two  years  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, and  three  in  Chicago, 
and  in  1870  returned  to  Joliet  with  his  fanulj'.  He 
served  two  3-ears  as  a  member  of  the  C  ity  Council, 
his  term  beginning  in  1872,  and  in  1877,  he  was 
elected  Mayor,  holding  the  chief  place  in  the  mu- 
nicipal government  two  years.  lie  was  the  first 
Mayor  under  the  present  city  charter.  He  has 
been   active  in  Masonic  affairs,  and  in  1884  served 


as  Grand  Commander  of  Knights  Templar  of  Illi- 
nois, having  filled  various  positions  from  Junior 
W^arden  of  Joliet  Commander}',  No.  4,  to  that  of 
Grand  Commander.  He  is  now  Piesident  of  the 
Joliet  Masonic  Association,  which  is  erecting  a  ¥C0,- 
000  edifice  for  the  use  of  the  order. 

JMr.  Elwood  has  been  connected  with  the  Joliet 
Gas  Comiiany  since  18GI,  was  Secretary  for  twenty 
years  and  is  at  present  Managing  Director.  In  con- 
nection with  ex-Maj'Or  Paige  he  built  the  Telephone 
Exchange  here,  and  for  four  years  he  managed  the 
water  works  now  owned  by  the  city.  He  is  Secre- 
tary and  Superintendent  of  Oakwood  Cemetery. 
He  and  iiis  famdy  move  in  the  first  circles  of  Joliet, 
their, intelligence  aixl  culture  being  duly  ap|)reci- 
ated  by  their  acquaintances. 


_^J  MOS  HARRISON.  Amid  all  the  fine  es- 
W'uM  latfsof  CJreen  Garden  Township,  that 
ll>  which  com|>rises  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  on  sections  20,  30  and  31,  is  notice- 
able for  its  careful  cultivation,  orderly  appearance 
and  excellent  improvements.  The  land  is  watered 
by  Forked  Creek  and  is  all  tillable,  well  adapted 
for  the  raising  of  grain  and  also  as  a  grazing 
ground  for  stock.  It  is  seven  miles  from  Manhat- 
tan, and  its  inmates  can  therefore  enjoy  much  of 
what  is  most  attractive  in  town  life.  The  dwelling 
is  an  attr.active  and  comfortable  structure,  and  all 
the  outbuildings  are  in  keeping  with  the  appearance 
of  the  residence.  Pleasure  and  profit  are  found  in 
the  care  of  a  fine  orchard,  and  it  and  (»ne  and  a  half 
miles  of  well-kept  hedge  add  to  the'  beauty  of  the 
estate. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  a  son  of 
John  Harrison,  a  Lincolnshire  farmer,  and  Eliza- 
beth (Smith)  Harrison,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
shire.  The  former  lived  to  the  extreme  age  of 
ninety-two  years,  hut  the  mother  died  when  fifty 
years  old.  The}'  were  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  upright  in  character  .and  industrious  in 
habits.  Of  the  ten  children  who  were  born  to  them 
but  two  are  now  living.  Henry,  the  elder  of  these, 
is  in  the  wood  business  in  England.     The  maternal 


PORTRAIT  A^^D  BIOGRAPMICAL  ALBUM. 


G87 


giandfatber  of  our  subject  was  Jolin  Suiilli,  a 
shepherd  who,  while  tending  his  sheep  one  morn- 
ing droi)ped  dead. 

Amos  Harrison  was  born  in  A|)plel->3'.  Lincolu- 
sliire,  England,  April  25,  1833,  and  was  reared  in 
the  village,  enjoying  the  advantages  of  good  com- 
mon schools  during  his  early  years.  When  but  ten 
years  old  he  began  to  earn  his  own  living  li^-  hoe- 
ing and  other  einployments  suited  to  his  boyish 
skill,  drifting  into  heavier  labors  and  finally  hiring 
out  upon  a  farm.  He  intended  to  learn  the  mason's 
trade,  but  upon  going  to  the  place  where  he  ex- 
pected to  begin  his  ivork,  he  found  the  building 
already  quite  high  and  determined  not  to  tr3'  his 
hand  there.  Among  other  work  which  he  did  was 
that  of  cutting  timber  in  the  woods. 

Having  concluded  that  the  United  States  afforded 
a  broader  field  for  his  energies  and  that  here  the 
prospect  of  advancing  his  material  prosperity 
would  be  much  better  tiian  in  his  native  land, 
George  Harrison  turned  his  face  westward  in  1858. 
On  the  28lh  of  May  he  left  Liverpool  on  the  sailer 
"Empire  State,"  which  encounteied  severe  storms 
in  her  passage.  For  six  days  and  nights  the  bil- 
lows heaved  wildly  and  the  ship  seemed  doomed  to 
destruction,  but  it  finally  outrode  the  w-aves  and 
anchored  in  New  York  Harbor  eight  weeks  after 
leaving  the  English  port.  This  was  at  the  time  of 
the  first  attempt  to  lay  the  Atlantic  cable,  and  the 
same  gale  which  threatened  the  "Empire  State"  was 
disastrous  to  the  "Merrimac." 

Making  his  way  up  the  Hudson  River,  and  by 
rail  to  Buffalo,  he  crossed  to  Chatham,  Canada, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  some  of  his  friends 
from  July  until  fall,  without  wages.  Crops  were 
very  poor  and  prospects  somewhat  discouraging. 
In  the  fall,  however,  he  began  working  for  wages, 
remaining  in  the  Dominion  until  November,  1860, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Will  County,  III. 
He  spent  the  winter  in  Lockport,  and  in  the  spring, 
in  partnership  with  George  Andrews,  bought  forty 
acres  of  railroad  land  in  Green  Garden  Townshi)). 
Mr.  Andrews  operated  the  farm  and  our  subject  be- 
gan working  out  for  others, boarding  with  his  [lartner 
seven  years.  The  two  bought  an  additional  forty 
acres  three  years  after,  and  another  eight}' in  1866. 
After  their  second  purchase  Mr.  Harrison  worked 


a  part  of  the  land  and  in  1868  he   built  a  substan- 
tial dwelling  upon  it. 

The  winter  after  Mr.  Harrison  came  into  the 
township  he  and  Mr.  Murdie  bought  a  corn-sheller, 
v/hlch  they  run  for  four  years.  During  1869  the 
partnership  between  Messrs.  Harrison  A'  Andrews 
was  dissolved  and  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  which  they  owned  were  divided  between 
them.  The  same  year  our  subject  sold  forty  acres 
of  his  share  for  |i4()  per  acre  and  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  his  present  estate.  Upon  it  there 
were  no  improvements,  and  all  that  it  now  bears 
are  [the  result  of  his  industry  and  earnest  efforts. 
He  moved  his  resirlence  onto  his  original  purchase 
here,  which  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  has 
been  ver}'  successful  in  the  cultivation  of  grain,  to 
which  he  devotes  one  hundred  acres  of  his  land, 
and  from  which  he  reaped  a  large  crop  last  season. 
Eighty  acres  are  used  as  pasture  and  haying  ground, 
whereon  Holstein  cattle,  Poland-China  swine,  and 
a  good  grade  of  draft  horses  find  food  and  intelli- 
gent care. 

Mr.  Harrison  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
Justice  of  the  Pe,ace,  having  been  elected  to  the 
office  in  1885,  and  re-elected  in  1889.  For  four- 
teen years  he  has  been  School  Director  and  he  is 
still  serving  acceptably  in  that  position.  He  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  has  advanced  the  interest 
of  his  party  as  a  delegate  to  count}'  conventions. 
He  possesses  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and 
displays  as  deep  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  those 
about  him  and  the  further  development  of  the 
country  as  he  does  in  his  personal  affairs.  Since 
1868  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  no  more  active  member  of 
the  congregation  can  be  found  than  he.  He  is 
Class-Leader  and  Steward  of  tlie  church  and  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Sunday-school,  as  he  has  been 
for  years. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Harrison  was  a  lad}'  of  intelli- 
gence, and  the  nature  which  made  her  sympathize 
in  all  his  aspirations  and  assist  in  her  own  sphere 
in  all  his  labors.  She  was  known  in  her  maiden- 
hood as  Miss  Catherine  Marshall,  and  was  born  in 
IJncolnshire,  England,  in  1832.  She  came  to 
America  in  1868,  and  in  Green  Garden  Township 
was  united  in  marriage  with  our  subject,  June  30. 


688 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAl'HICAL  ALBUM. 


She  was  torn  from  her  liappy  home  b^'  an  untimely 
death,  January  14,  1886.  leaving  two  children — 
Henry  M.  and  Annie  Lina,  both  of  whom  are  stil' 
witli  their  fatlier  on  the  home  farm.  Mrs.  Harri- 
son was  a  daughter  of  Tliomas  Marshall,  a  gardener 
in  the  mother  country. 


«s^  AVID    UYHL'RX,  tliuugh  not  among  the 
lir%   earliest  settlers  of   Will  County,  occupies 
I  >/    an  honorable  position  among  its  pioneers, 
and  as  an  active,  intelligent,  thrifty,  practi- 
cal farmer  has  promoted  its   agricultural  interests, 
and  is  classed  with  its  most  successful  and   well-to 
do  farmers  and  stock-raisers.     He  is  the  proprietor 
of  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
(finel}^  located  in  Plainfield  Township)  whose  rich 
harvests  have  brought  him  wealth  so  that  he  is  en- 
abled to  spend  the  declining  3-ears  of  a  busy,  use- 
ful life    at  his  ease  in  a  home  that  is  replete  with 
comfort. 

Our  subject  is  a  Scotchman  liy  birth,  born  in 
Stewarton,  Ajreshire,  September  26,  1821.  His 
father,  John  Ryburn,  was  born  in  the  same  shire, 
and  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native  land.  His 
fatlief  of  the  eame  uame  as  himself,  was  a  life-long 
resident  of  Ayreshire,  and  for  man}'  j-ears  engaged 
in  business  as  a  manufacturer  of  Scotch  caps.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  reared  iu  his  native  Scot- 
land, and  for  some  years  was  successfully  engaged 
as  a  carrier,  having  several  teams  and  doing  ex- 
pressage  between  Stewartou  and  Glasgow  and  Kil- 
marnock. He  was  still  engaged  in  the  business 
when  his  active  life  was  suddenlj'  closed  by  death 
in  1827.  He  died  on  the  road  under  circumstances 
that  led  to  the  belief  that  he  had  been  robbed  and 
murdered.  TLe  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Agnes 
Stewart,  and  she  was  a  native  of  Stewarton.  Her 
father,  John  Stewart,  was  a  farmer,  and  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Scotland.  She  came  to  America  and 
passed  her  last  years  with  her  children,  d}'ingat  the 
home  of  our  subject  in  1887,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninetj--one  3'ears.  The  following  is  recorded  of 
the  four  children  born  to  her:  Thomas  came  to 
Hlinoisin  1811,  and  p.assed  the  remainder  of  his  life 


ill  La  S.alle  County;  our  subject  was  the  next  in  or- 
der of  birth ;  Elizabeth  married  James  Collins,  and 
resides  in  Joliel;  Charles  went  to  California,  and 
from  there  to  Austialia.  where  he  was  when  last 
heard  from. 

David  Ryburn  of  tliis  brief  biography  passed  his 
boyhood  and  the  opening  years  of  his  manhood 
among  his  native  hills,  and  as  soon  as  large  enough 
commenced  work  on  a  farm.  He  was  ambitious, 
however,  to  do  more  for  himself  th.au  he  could  in 
the  place  of  his  birth,  and  lured  by  the  bright 
prospects  held  forth  in  this  country  foi  an  active, 
enterprising,  capable  young  man  to  make  his  way 
to  a  competence  at  least,  he  determined  to  see  what 
life  had  for  him  in  America,  and  in  1846  he  set 
sail  from  Glasgow  on  the  ship  .\gnes,  and  landed 
at  New  York  forty-two  days  later.  He  then  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Hudson  River  to  Albany,  from  there 
liy  rail  to  Bufif:ilo,  thence  by  steamer  to  Chicago, 
where  he  hired  a  team  to  take  him  to  Aurora,  then 
a  small  village.  After  a  few  weeks  sojourn  there 
he  came  to  Will  Countj^  and  bought  a  tract  of  wild 
prairie  land  in  Plainfield  Township,  on  section  6, 
paying  §5  an  acre  for  it.  After  completing  the 
purch.ise  he  went  to  Lisbon,  in  Grundj'  County, 
and  while  there  assisted  in  the  harvest.  At  that 
time  the  most  of  the  grain  was  gathered  with  a 
cradle,  a  cradler  getting  four  dollars  a  djij-.  The 
following  year  Mr.  Ryburn  entered  activel}'  upon 
the  improvement  of  his  land.  Then  farming  was 
carried  on  under  difficulties,  as  fine  farming  ma- 
chinery was  not  in  general  use,  and  there  being  no 
railwiiys  it  was  difficult  to  get  the  produce  marketed, 
as  Chicago  was  the  nearest  market  till  the  canal 
was  constructed,  Our  subject  resided  on  that  place 
until  1856,  and  then  sold  it  at  a  good  advance,  and 
bought  his  present  farm.  This  he  has  under  ad- 
mirable tilKage,  has  it  ampl}'  supplied  with  the  best 
modern  machinery,  and  has  a  substantial  set  of 
buildings,  ever3thing  about  the  place  indicating 
superior  management  on  the  part  of  the  owner,  and 
showing  that  he  has  met  with  more  than  ordinary 
success  in  his  attempts  to  found  a  home  on  a  foreign 
soil. 

In  the  accumulation  of  this  handsome  property 
Mr.  Ryburn  has  been  ably  assisted  by  a  devoted 
and  helpful  wife,  to  whom  he  was  united   in    mar- 


/^- 


<^ 


C^C^ 


^ 


ruRTHAir  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


GUI 


riage  in  1851.  Her  maiden  name  was  Mai'fjaret 
Ci)cliran,  and  slie  is  also  a  native  of  Scotland.  Five 
I'liildren  have  blessed  their  marriage  to  them,  as 
follows:  John  S.,  a  successful  phj'sician;  Alexander 
C.  and  riiomas,  practical  and  intelligent  young' 
farmers  at  home;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Willis  Brain- 
ard.iif  Fairbuig,  Neb.;  jNIargaret  died  at  the  age  of 
fifteen. 

Mr.  Kyburn  is  well  and  favorably  known  in  Will 
County  with  whose  interest  his  own  have  been  as- 
sociated for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  bis  char- 
acter for  pi'obity,  str.aightforwardness  in  all  his 
transactions,  and  for  unswerving  i-ectitude  is  gen- 
erally recognized,  and  has  gained  liim  a  name  that 
is  honored  by  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him 
either  in  a  business  or  in  a  social  way.  His  inher- 
ent .'>cottish  traits  of  foresiglit,  sagacity  and  excel- 
lent business  habits  have  been  potent  factors,  not 
only  in  gathering  together  a  competence,  but  have 
made  him  useful  as  a  citizen  in  his  adoi)ted  country. 
He  and  his  wife  were  reared  in  the  Scotch  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  have  ever  since  cousistentl}' 
clung  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  Mr.  Ryburn  is 
identified  with  the  A.  V.  &  A.  M.  as  a  member  of 
Plaiiifield  Lodge,  No.  iiSG. 


W^-ILLIAM  GOUGAR.  The  Gougar  family 
is  widely  and  favorably  known  through- 
out New  Lenox  Township  as  having  borne 
no  unim|iortant  part  in  the  development  of  its  ag- 
ricultural resources.  The  subject  of  this  notice  i.s 
one  of  the  worthiest  representatives  of  the  family 
and  was  born  in  Pickaway  Count}',  Ohio,  August 
2-4,  1818.  His  father,  William  Gougar,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Berks  County,  Pa.,  and  was  married  in  early 
manhood  to  Miss  Catherine  Abel,  who  is  likewise  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  State. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  left  Pennsylvania 
in  1818,  and  settled  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  eight  years.  They  then  emi- 
grated to  Vermillion  County,  Ind.,  and  sojourned 
there  until  June,  1831.  That  jear  witnessed 
their  arrival   in   this  county,  which   was  then   in- 


eluded  in  Cook  County,  and  they  settled  on  section 
18,  in  what  is  now  New  Lenox  Township.  The  fa- 
ther followed  farming  all  his  life,  and  departed 
hence  March  .31,  18G1.  The  mother  had  passed 
away  January  G,  1854,  also  dying  at  the  old  home- 
stead. 

To  AVilliam  Gougar  and  his  wife  Catherine 
there  was  born  a  family  of  eleven  children,' nine 
Sons  and  tw^o  daughters.  A\illiam,  Jr.,  was  the 
fifth  child  and  was  twelve  years  old  when  his  pa- 
rents came  to  Illinois.  Ho  learned  the  art  of 
farming  in  all  its  details,  obtained  a  i)ractical  edu- 
cation in  the  common  school  and  remained  a  mem- 
ber of  the  parental  household  until  a  man  of 
thirty-two  j'ears.  About  this  time  the  California 
gold  excitement  was  attracting  large  numbers  to 
the  Pacific  Coast  and  Mr.  (iougar  decided  to  join 
the  caravan,  left  home  April  ],  1850,  and  set  out 
overland  to  the  Golden  State.  He  arrived  at  his 
destination  early  in  July  and  engaged  in  raining, 
also  the  raising  of  vegetables  for  three  years  and 
three  months. 

At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  becoming  satis- 
fied with  his  ^Vestern  experience,  Mr.  Gougar  re- 
turned home  via  the  Isthmus  and  remained  with 
his  father  until  his  marriage.  This  important  event 
occurred  December  28,  1859,  the  bride  being  Miss 
Clarissa,  daughter  of  J5aldvvin  and  Hester  M. 
(Bickle)  Hawkins.  Mr.  Hawkins  was  born  in  New 
York  State,  forty  miles  from  Rochester,  while  his 
wife  vvas  a  n.ative  of  Pennsylvania.  After  marriage 
they  settled  in  Danville,  111.,  where  they  lived  two 
years,  then  removed  to  a  farm  five  miles  west  of 
Kankakee,  where  the  mother  died  in  1852.  Mr. 
Hawkins  survived  his  wife  for  a  period  of  twelve 
years,  his  ileath  occurring  at  the  same  [ilace  in 
April,  18G4. 

To  the  parents  of  iMrs.  Gougar  there  was  born 
a  family  of  six  children,  four  of  whom  lived  to 
mature  years.  Mrs.  Gougar  was  the  fourth  child 
and  was  born  in  Kankakee  County,  February  19, 
1839.  She  lived  there  until  her  marriage,  acquir- 
ing a  common-school  education  and  becoming  fa- 
miliar with  all  useful  household  duties.  After 
her  marriage  with  our  subject  they  settled  on  a 
farm  on  section  20,  New  Lenox  Township,  whei-e 
they   have  since   lived.     Mr.   Gougar   is    a    land- 


Gi)2 


PORTRAIT  AND  lilO(iRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


owner  to  the  extent  of  flveUunched  and  sixty  acres, 
comprising  one  of  tbe'finest  bodies  of  land  in  New- 
Lenox  Township.  He  has  effected  fine  improve- 
ments, including  a  set  of  convenient  modern  build- 
ings, while  he  keeps  himself  posted  in  regard  to  all 
matters  connected  with  agriculture  and  avails  him- 
self of  the  most  improved  machinery  in  the  culti- 
vation of  the  soil. 

Our  subject  and  bis  estimable  wife  are  the  pa- 
rents of  four  children — Joel  AV.,  who  is  farming  in 
New  Lenox  Township;  Hester  M.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy ;  Helen  and  Frank  at  home.  The  Democratic 
party  finds  a  warm  supporter  in  Mr.  Gougar.  He 
has  held  the  various  minor  offices  of  his  township 
and  with  iiis  wife  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  together  with  their  daugh- 
ter Helen  and  son  Frank.  Mr.  Gougar  in  Decem- 
ber, 1888,  revisited  California  and  the  scenes  of 
his  early  operations  in  the  mining  district,  return- 
ing the  1st  of  April,  1889. 

We  invite  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  a  litlio- 
graphic  portrait  of  Mr.  Gougar.  which  appears  on 
another  page  of  the  Alislm. 


5HBH|a^iEmBE 


"S^s,  ATRICK  BRISCOE  has  for  many  years  been 
Jj)  closely   connected    with   the   farming  and 

^  ^''  stock  raising  interests  of  Will  and  Grundy 
Counties.  He  came  to  Illinois  nearly  forty 
years  ago,  and  has  not  only  been  a  witness  of  the 
marvelous  development  of  this  part  of  the  country 
since  that  time,but  he  has  had  a  hand  in  promoting  it. 
He  has  by  hard  labor,  directed  by  wise  judgment 
and  practical  skill,  improved  a  farm  that  is  in  all 
particulars,  the  choicest  in  the  neighborhood. 

Nicholas  Briscoe,  the  father  of  our  subject  came 
to  America'  from  the  land  of  liis  birth  in  1850, 
and  settled  in  Grundy  County.  III.,  and  in  1855 
he  moved  with  his  family  to  Minnesota,  and  took 
up  a  claim  sixty  miles  above  Minneapolis,  which 
w.as  at  that  time  a  small  village,  and  iu  1857  re- 
turned with  his  family  to  (irundy  County.  His 
death  occurred  in  that  county,  Augusts,  1882, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  His 
wife  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  the  year  fol- 


lowing, and  both  are  now  sleeping  their  last  sleep 
in  Grundy-  Count}-.  There  were  twelve  children 
born  to  them,  of  whom  three  daughters  and  two 
sons  are  now  living.  One  brother  died  in  Atchi- 
son, Kan.,  where  his  family  of  five  children  live. 
The3-oungest  sister  of  our  subject  was  married  soon 
after  the  family  moved  to  Minnesota,  to  William 
Harrison,  and  now  lives  in  Little  Falls.  Ellen 
married  Thomas  Daly,and  lives  in  Missouri;  Marinh 
married  James  Meade,  of  Grundy  County;  Peter 
is  a  farmer  of  Au  Sable  Township,  where  he  has 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  is  at  present  Super- 
visor. 

Patrick  Briscoe  was  born  iu  1835,  -ind  after  at- 
taining manhood  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Grundy  County,  which  he  sold 
afterwards  and  bought  another  in  the  same  locality. 
In  1879  he  came  to  Channahon  Township,  and 
here  he  purchased  a  fine  farm,  just  outside  the  vil- 
lage, beautifully  located  on  the  DuPage  River  near 
its  mouth.  It  is  well  fitted  up  with  good  buildings, 
the  land  is  under  excellent  tillage  ami  it  has  a  fine 
orchard  of  apple  and  other  fruit  trees,  and  the 
place  is  also  adorned  with  beautiful  shade  trees, 
and  there  are  some  fine  springs  on  the  place.  One 
hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  it  lie  in  a  bodj-  and 
he  has  one  hundred  and  sixt}-  acres  iu  Grund}- 
County,  and  he  operates  it  all  with  the  assistance 
of  his  boys.  He  has  always  paid  especial  attention 
to  stock  raising  and  does  a  profitable  business  iu 
that  line. 

Mr.  Briscoe  and  Miss  Julia  Dempsev  were  united 
in  marriage  in  1868,  and  in  the  pleasant  home  that 
they  have  built  up,  nine  children  have  been  born 
to  them,  of  whom,  six  boys  and  two  girls  are  now^ 
living,  namely,  Nicholas  P..  aged,  twenty-one,  John 
nineteen,  Mary  A.,  seventeen,  Michael  J.,  fifteen, 
Ellen  eleven,  William  J.,  seven.  Richard  A.,  four, 
and  Edward  T.,  the  bab}-.  Julia  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years.  Mr.  Briscoe  is  a  sincere  believer 
in  the  advantages  of  a  solid  education  and  is  giving 
his  children  good  opportunites  for  schooling.  Mrs. 
Briscoe  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1850,  a 
daughter  of  Michael  Dempsey,  and  came  with  her 
parents  to  Kendall  Count}-,  this  State  when  she  was 
eight  j'ears  of  age. 

Ml-.  Bi'iscoe  is  possessed  of  far-seeing  sagacity  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


C93 


energy  so  combined  to  those  useful  qualities  of 
prudence,  thrift  and  steadiness,  that  he  could  not 
fail  to  do  wliat  lie  has  done  to  make  life  a  success. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his 
adopted  county  and  in  1888  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace  of  the  town  of  Channahon,  and  is  still 
serving,  discharging  the  duties  of  his  office  with 
ability  and  credit.  In  politics  he  sides  with  the 
Democratic  partj',  though  he  often  exercises  the 
privilege  of  voting  as  he  chooses  without  regard 
to  party  alfiliations.  Religiously,  he  and  his  fam- 
ily are  devoted  members  of  the  Catholic  Church 
of  i\Iinooka. 


LFRED  WARNER.  Of  honorable  ances- 
try, Squire  Warner  has  throughout  his  long 
life  conducted  himself  so  as  to  bring  no 
discredit  upon  the  name  he  bears,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, add  to  its  lustre.  He  occupies  a  high  position 
in  A\resle3'  Township,  witii  whose  agriculturists  he 
has  long  been  numbered.  His  farm  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  improved  land  on 
section  21,  a  frame  residence  and  all  necessary 
farm  buildings,  and  a  due  supply-  of  orchard  and 
shade  trees,  making  it  attractive,  and  adding  to  its 
value. 

William  Warner,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  after  the  war  be- 
came possessed  of  much  property.'  He  had  a  large 
amoiuit  of  Continental  mone}',  which  became  ut- 
terly worthless.  He,  tiierefore,  being  unable  to  pa\- 
his  debts,  was  informed  upon  by  Tories  and  im- 
prisoned for  debt.  His  eldest  son,  Asahel,  was  born 
in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  and  being  but  a  lad 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  was  not  able  to  do 
soldier's  duties,  but  accompanied  the  army,  cm- 
plo}  ing  himself  in  running  bullets  for  those  who 
could  take  part  in  the  scenes  of  strife.  During  the 
War  of  1812  he  was  able  to  exert  his  strength 
against  the  enemies  of  his  country,  and  rose  to  the 
rank  of  Major. 

After  his  father  was  imprisoned,  it  fell  to  Asa- 
hel Warner  to  support  the  family,  and  he  earned 
money   by   hiring  out   by  the   month.    He  married 


Sarah  Ketchum,  a  native  of  the  same  county  as 
himself,  and  going  into  Livingston  County,  the 
young  couple  built  up  a  home  there.  They  became 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  the  only  survivor.  The  father 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  of  New 
York,  representing  Livingston  County.  His  record 
in  war  and  peace  is  one  to  which  his  son  can  refer 
with  just  pride.  He  died  in  the  Empire  State  in 
1846,  and  the  mother  in  1833. 

In  Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  May  19,  181  I,  the 
eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light  of  day.  He 
was  reared  upon  a  farm  but  given  most  excellent 
educational  advantages,  lirst  obtaining  an  academic 
education  at  Chitteuango  Pol3-technic  Academy, 
under  Prof.  Yates,  and  later  attending  college  at 
Lima.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty  years  of 
age,  when  his  father  divided  the  property  among 
his  children  and  our  subject  took  possession  of  his 
patrimony-,  and  therewith  began  his  personal  ca- 
reer. 

Young  Warner  remained  in  the  Empire  State 
five  or  six  years,  then  made  a  trip  to  Ohio,  where 
he  married,  returning  with  his  bride  to  his  native 
State.  After  a  sojourn  of  about  three  years  they 
became  residents  of  Medina  Count}',  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  Qve  3'ears,  Mr.  Warner  being  em- 
ployed in  mercantile  pursuits  during  that  period. 
In  1848  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  having  purciiased 
land  warrants  in  Chicago,  he  located  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  in  Kankakee  Couutj\  The 
next  year  he  brought  his  familj'  hither  and  settled 
on  a  farm  now  owned  by  the  sons  of  Asahel 
Warner. 

After  remaining  there  two  years,  our  subject  re- 
moved to  his  present  farm,  which  was  at  that  time 
raw  land.  The  residence  first  occupied  b}-  the 
famil}-  was  destroyed  b^-  fire  in  1856.  Mr.  Warner 
had  gone  on  a  tri[)  ami  his  wife  was  alone  at  the 
time.  She  bought  a  store  building  at  Rockville. 
five  miles  east,  had  runners  put  under  it  and  it 
was  hauled  to  the  Warner  farm  the  same  daj'. 
In  1853  Mr.  Warner  went  to  Australia,  via  New 
York  and  Cape  of  C4ood  Hope,  remaining  there 
twenty  three  years.  He  returned  via  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  and  San  Francisco,  again  took  posses- 
sion of  the  farm,  and   has  since  remained  with  his 


694 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


family.  During  his  absence  Mrs.  Warner  barl 
ciiarge  of  the  farm  and  resided  ihere  until  1864. 
Siie  then  moved  to  Wilmington,  sojourned  there 
two  3'ears,  and  tlicn  went  to  Rockford,  which  she 
m.'ide  her  home  until  the  return  of  her  husband. 
Their  affairs  were  in  competent  hands,  Mrs.  War- 
ner having  business  capacit}"  and  judgment. 

Mrs.  Warner  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rachel 
L.  Curtis.  She  was  born  May  24,  1819,  in  Marcel- 
lus,  N.  Y.,  was  finely  educated  and  prior  to  her 
marriage  was  a  school  teacher.  Prof.  John  Mc- 
Gregor, of  Scotland.  President  of  the  Sharon  Acad- 
eraj-.  at  Medina,  Ohio,  was  tiie  instructor  under 
whom  she  completed  her  studies.  President  Gar- 
field was  at  one  time  under  the  instruction  of  the 
same  noted  educator.  Mrs.  Warner  possesses  liter- 
ary talent  of  a  high  order,  and  the  articles  from 
her  pen  frequentlj-  find  place  in  the  newspapers  and 
magazines.  She  became  the  wife  of  our  subject 
Februar}-  14,  1839.  They  are  the  parents  of  four 
children — Norman  C.  Clara  Elizabeth,  Richard 
Allen  and  Harve3'  Alfred.  The  two  latter  were 
twins,  and  are  deceased. 

The  son,  Norman  C,  was  born  November  26, 
1839.  He  finished  his  studies  at  Aurora,  111.  In 
September,  1861,  he  was  enrolled  in  Company  E, 
Thirlj'-uinth  Illinois  Infantrj' — Yates  Phalanx — 
and  served  until  1865.  At  the  battle  of  Deep 
Bottom,  Va.,  August  16,  1864,  he  was  sevceh- 
wounded  in  the  right  lower  limb  bj'  a  minie  ball. 
Amputation  at  the  knee  took  place  on  the  field  and 
he  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands  and  was  carried  to 
the  hospital  and  returned  to  the  Union  lines  again. 
He  was  then  sent  to  Hampton  Hospital,  Fortress 
Monroe,  where  his  mother  joined  him.  remaining 
two  months  and  giving  him  her  loving  care.  In 
1866  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  War  Depart- 
ment at  Washington.  si)ent  the  evenings  iu  study, 
and  entered  Columbia  Law  School,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  due  time.  After  being  admitted 
to  the  bar,  he  settled  in  Roekford,  111.,  where  he 
still  resides,  occupying  a  prominent  place  among 
the  legal  fraternit3'  and  well  known  for  his  services 
as  City  Attorney.  The  daughter,  Clara  Elizabeth,  is 
the  wife  of  Everett  E.  Hudson,  banker  and  insur- 
ance agent  in  Yankton,  Dak. 

The   parents  of  Mrs.  AVarner  were  Col.  Norman 


and  Elizabeth  (Lampson)  Curtis,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut and  X'ermont  respectively.  The  father 
was  a  farmer,  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  a 
Colonel  in  the  Ohio  State  Militia.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  spent  the  first  few  ^yearsof  their  wedded  life 
in  the  Emjtire  State,  and  then  removed  to  Medina 
Count}',  Ohio,  where  the  wife  died  in  1854.  Col. 
Curtis  came  to  lUlinois  in  1855,  and  died  here  in 
1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninetj--two  years.  His 
family'  consisted  of  seven  children.  Mrs.  Warner 
being  the   second;  three  of  them  are  now  living. 

The  labors  of  Squire  Warner,  aided  b\'  the  good 
management  of  his  wife,  have  resulted  in  securing 
to  them  a  goodl\-  share  of  substance,  which  they 
eraploj'  in  procuring  reasonable  enjoyments  and 
aiding  in  good  works.  In  Medina  County,  Ohio, 
Mr  AVarner  was  Assessor,  and  in  his  Illinois  home 
be  has  long  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He 
has  always  been  interested  in  politics,  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket  and  has  been  a  delegate  to 
county  conventions.  A  reliable  citizen,  an  intel- 
ligent and  well-bred  man,  he  is  duly  esteemed, 
while  the  womanly  nature,  fine  talents  and  thor- 
ough breeding  of  his  wife  give  her  a  position 
fully  equal  to  his  own  in  the  opinion  and  regard 
of  those  about  them. 

Harvey  Warner,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  came 
to  Will  County  in  1849,  settling  on  the  farm  now 
owned  bj'  the  Linton  family.  Another  brother, 
Asahel  H.,  came  here  in  1651.  Both  are  now 
deceased. 


OIIN  T.  DIXON,  who  now  holds  the  official 
position  of  Supervisor  of  Florence  Town- 
ship, has  been  identified  with  the  agricultu- 
tural  interests  of  this  county  since  1869.  He 
was  born  iu  Wilmington  Township,  June  23,  1858, 
and  spent  the  first  six  j'ears  of  his  life  there.  He 
then  accomjianied  his  parents  to  Grundy  Count}-, 
in  that  part  of  the  Prairie  State  sojourning  a  few 
years.  Farming  was  chosen  b}'  him  for  a  life 
work,  and  well  ha.s  he  demonstrated  his  fitness  for 
this  line  of  emplovment.  In  Emmet  County,  Iowa, 
he  owns  one  hundred  and  fiftj'-six  acres  of  fine  land 
that  he  rents  to  a  tenant,  while  liimself  occupying 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


695 


and  operating  rented  land  in  this  county.  The 
one  luindred  and  twenty  acres  on  which  lie  carries 
on  his  enterprise  is  cavefull}-  managed  and  well 
repays  the  efforts  of  the  operator.  It  is  located 
ou  section  15. 

The  immediate  progenitors  of  Mr.  Dixon  were 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Singleton)  Dixon,  natives  of 
England,  who  came  to  America  and  to  this  State 
early  in  the  '50s.  Their  family  comprised  nine 
sons  and  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
second  In  order  of  birth.  He  has  served  as  Clerk 
of  Florence  Township  three  years,  and  the  estima- 
tion in  which  he  is  held  by  his  fellow-citizens  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  in  the  siiring  of  1890  they 
elected  him  to  the  ollice  of  Supervisor.  He  is  a 
Republican  of  the  deei)est  d3-e.  Ilis  character  is 
an  honorable  one,  and  his  reputation  admirable. 

On  P\>bruary  15,  1888,  Mr.  Dixon  led  to  the 
h3nieneal  altar  Miss  (Jrace  Morey,  an  estimable  and 
educated  young  lady  who  makes  of  their  abiding 
place  a  home  indeed.  She  w.is  born  in  Florence 
Township,  and  is  a  (laughter  of  Smith  R.  and 
Louise  (Smith)  Morey,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Illinois  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon  have 
one  son,  a  charming  infant,  named  Ralph  M. 


ylLLIAM  BEUTIEN.  If  genius  is  a  capac- 
ity' for  hard  work,  as  it  has  been  defined 
bj'  a  noted  literateur,  then  this  gentleman 
deserves  to  be  called  a  genius.  He  has  been  a  hard 
worker  all  his  life,  and  this  combined  with  close 
econom}',  has  given  him  possession  of  a  fine  farm, 
in  which  he  may  well  take  pride.  It  comprises 
two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sections  11  and  13, 
all  in  a  bodj'.  and  all  under  improvement  and 
wiselv  managed.  There  are  two  residences  upon 
the  estate,  tliat  now  occui)ied  by  Mr.  Beutien  and 
ilis  family  having  been  Iniilt  in  1868  at  a  cost  of 
$1,600.  It  is  cozy  and  attractive,  stands  in  fitting 
surroundings  and  is  the  center  of  a  happy  home 
life.  The  modern  barn  was  put  up  in  1879,  at  a 
cost  of  ?!817. 

Our    subject   is  the  youngest  of  eight  children 
born  to  Fred  and    Caroline  (Race)   Beutien.     The 


father  wa^  a  soldier  in  the  Prussian  Army,  and 
both  were  natives  of  that  kingdom.  Mr.  Beutien 
died  in  1853,  and  in  1860  the  mother  came  to  Amer- 
ica, dying  at  a  goodly  age,  in  1884.  Four  of  her 
children  are  now  living. 

William  Beutien  was  born  in  Prussia,  F"ebruary 
22,  1836.  During  his  boyhood  and  j-outh  he  ob- 
tained a  common  school  education,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  years  took  his  father's  place  at  the 
head  of  the  household.  In  1857  he  emigrated  to 
America,  landing  at  the  metropolis,  whence  he 
came  direct  to  Chicago,  III.,  there  securing  a  situa- 
tion as  a  farm  hand  in  the  county.  F"or  two  years 
he  remained  at  one  place,  then  spent  two  months 
on  another  farm,  next  becoming  a  laborer  on  a 
railroad  in  Southern  Illinois.  Nine  months  later 
he  resumed  farm  work  on  an  estate  in  DuPage 
Count}%  where  he  remained  three  ycavs  and  eight 
months. 

We  next  find  Mr.  Beutien  in  Will  County  pur- 
chasing a  farm  with  the  savings  which  close  econ- 
omy had  secured,  and  while  working  his  estate, 
putting  in  more  or  less  time  on  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad.  At  the  two  employments  he  occupied 
himself  three  3-ears,  then  selling  the  farm,  which  he 
had  changed  materially  from  the  condition  in 
which  he  took  possession  of  it,  he  bought  that  on 
which  he  still  lives.  He  carries  on  mixed  fanning, 
and  raises  standard  bred  stock,' hiring  hel[)  as  he 
needs  on  the  estate. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Beutien  was  known  in  her  mai- 
denhood as  Miss  Augusta  Richter,  and  became 
Mrs.  Beutien  August  19,  1863.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Fredricka  (Deugge)  Richter,  of 
Prussia,  her  father  having  been  a  carpenter.  He 
died  in  his  native  land  in  1862.  Mrs.  Beutien  was 
born  in  that  kingdom  March  25,  1812,  and  received 
a  common-school  education.  To  her  and  her 
husband  twelve  children  have  been  born,  eight 
being  now  alive.  These  are:  Amelia,  wife  of 
Henry  Monk,  of  Peotone  Township;  they  have 
four  children;  Augusta,  wife  of  John  Knapp,  and 
mother  of  one  child,  their  home  also  being  in 
this  township;  Mina,  Bertha,  Victor,  Alvin.a,  Edda, 
and  Julius,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beutien  belong  to  the  Evangeli- 
cal   Lutheran    Church,  in   which    he     has    been   a 


696 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Trustee.  For  eighteen  j-ears  he  has  bSen  School 
Director  in  District  No.  1,  and  no  member  of  the 
community  tiilces  greater  interest  iu  the  cause  of 
education  than  lie.  He  saw  to  it  that  his  offspring 
secured  all  that  the  public  schools  could  give  them. 
He  is  now  Pathmaster,  and  was  Road  "Commis- 
sioner three  years.  For  eighteen  years  he  has  been 
a  Director  of  the  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
of  Green  Garden.  He  votes  the  Republican  ticket, 
and  is  quite  interested  in  the  political  questions  of 
the  day.  We  may  mention  that  wiion  Mr.  Beutieu 
arrived  in  America  be  was  $7  in  debt,  ind  that, 
the  sum  which  seems  so  small  to  him  now,  was 
at  that  time  quite  a  weight  upon  his  mind. 


^r 


(P^  AMUEL  RUSH  HAVEN,  M.  D.     The  de 

^^^    mise  of  this  distinguished  member  of  the 

(ll/j))   medical   profession,  scientist  and  traveler, 

took  place  at  the  home  of  his  brotlier,  the 

IIon.Dwight  Haven,  in  New  Lenox,  and  was  learned 

with  regret  by  the  many  personal  friends  he  had 

made,  as  well  as  by  hosts  to  whom   his   reputation 

had  made  him  familiar.     He  was  born  in  Sheridan, 

Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  Januarj-  29,  1827,  and 

came  to  what  is  now  the  renowned  cit^-  of  Chicago, 

in  the  fall  of  1834,'  with  his  parents  in  an  emigrant 

wagon,  little  dreaming  that  in  j-ears  to  come   he 

would    become  a  prominent  resident    of    the  city 

which  W.1S  to  be  built  up  there. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  settled  on  a  farm  in 
New  Lenox,  "Will  County,  and  there  young  Haven 
acquired  his  elemcutarj-  education.  His  taste  lead- 
ing him  to  desire  to  become  a  physician,  he  entered 
liush  Medical  College,  in  Chicago,  working  for  his 
board  while  pursuing  his  studies  there  and  matricu- 
hiling  in  1847.  Iu  1850,  still  owing  debts  con- 
tracted while  attending  school,  he  caught  the  gold 
fever  and  went  to  California,  wheie  he  dug  the 
precious  metal,  and  also  practiced  !)is  profession. 
Both  occupations  proved  profitable  to  him.  and  he 
was  enabled  to  pay  the  iudelitedness,  before  alluded 
to,  and  establish  himself  well  upon  his  return  to  the 
States. 

After  sojourning  on  the  Pacific  Slope  until  18.")3, 


Dr.  Haven  returned  to  Chicago,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Dr.  J.  W.  Freer.  When  the  war 
broke  out  he  volunteered  on  the  first  expedition, 
under  Brig.  Gen.  Swift,  to  Cairo,  April  21,  1861, 
subsequently'  becoming  a  Brigade  Surgeon, with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  gained  distinction  in 
the  field,  first  under  Gen.  Grant  and  later  under 
Gen.  Ileintzleman,  being  promoted  to  the  position 
of  Division  Surgeon  with  the  rank  of  Major,  and 
fiuallj-  becoming  Corps  Surgeon,  with  the  rank  of 
Colonel,  under  Gen.  Hancock.  He  was  through 
all  the  battles  of  the  Peuinsular  campaign  under 
Gen.  McClellan  and  the  other  commanders  of  the 
Eastern  Arm}-.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was 
offered  a  Colonelcy  in  the  regular  ami}'  bj'  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  but  refused. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Haven  retired  from  active 
practice  and  became  a  very  successful  real-estate 
dealer,  displaying  business  acumen  of  a  high  order, 
and  retrieving  his  fortunes,  when  the  gre.at  fire  in 
Chicago  had  left  him  almost  penniless,  b}'  a  quick 
appreciation  of  the  needs  of  the  lime  and  a  daunt- 
less pushing  forward.  The  abundant  means  that 
he  possessed  enabled  him  to  gratify  his  taste  for 
travel  and  research,  and  he  acquired  a  rejiulation 
as  a  scientist  and  student.  full\-  equal  to  that  he  h.id 
obtained  iu  the  pursuit  of  his  professional  labors. 
His  journeyiiigs  had  included  almost  everj-  part  of 
the  known  world,  and  his  investigations  were  par- 
ticularly earnest  in  the  line  of  medical  science. 

Dr.  Haven  was  a  great  lover  of  books,  his  read- 
ing giving  him  such  a  profound  knowledge  of 
general  literature  that  he  was  regarded  by  his  ac- 
quaintances as  a  veritable  encyclopedia  of  interest- 
ing information.  His  conversational  powers  were 
far  above  the  average,  making  him  an  entertaining 
companion.  He  was  one  of  the  band  of  early  Ab- 
olitionists and  Free-Soilers  who  helped  to  shape 
the  politics  of  Northern  Illinois.  Although  brought 
upiu  the  strict  faith  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
his  religious  views  became  largely  modified  and 
broadened  in  later  j-ears. 

For  some  time  past  Dr.  Haven  had  been  spend- 
ing his  winters  in  Florida,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  had  a  handsome  winter  home  in  process  of 
construction  at  Clearwater  Harbor,  on  the  coast  of 
that  State.     His  wife,  who  survives  him,  was  Miss 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


697 


Jane  Stowell,  daugliter  of  E.  C.  Stowell,  deceased, 
formerly  a  well-known  real-estate  dealer  of  Chicago. 
The  marriage  rites  of  Dr.  Haven  and  Miss  Stowell 
were  celebrated  in  1854. 


HOMAS  TRAINER  is  a  rich  farmer  of  Cus- 
ter Township,  where  he  has  been  reared 
from  youth  up,  and  liis  standing  in  the 
community  where  he  is  so  well  known  is  the  high- 
est. His  father,  William  Trainer,  was  a'native  of 
Wightonshire,  Scotland,  and  born  in  1798.  His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Margaret;  Moore, 
was  born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  in  1808,  and  was 
there  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  the  father 
of  our  subject  then  being  thirty-five  years  old. 
They'remained  on  the  Isle  until  1853,  and  then 
started  for  America,  but  while  on  tlie  passage  the 
family  were  sadlj-  bereaved  by  the  death  of  the 
devoted  mother  who  was  buried  at  sea.  The 
father  andremainiug  members  ofi^the  family,  land- 
ing at  New  York,  came  direct  to  Illinois,  and  he 
bought  a  farm  on  section  14,  Wilmington  Town- 
slii|i,  of  Lyman  Francis.  His  daughter  Margaret, 
who  was  only  fourteen  3'ears  of  age,  kept  house 
for  him;  she  is  now  deceased.  The  family  lived 
on  that  place  for  eight  }'ears,  when  the  father  sold 
the  property  and  the  ensuing  two  years  lived  in 
Grand  Prairie,  near  Dwight.  At  the^^expiration 
of  that  time  he  came  to"_this"  township,  and  pur- 
chased the  homestead  on  section  13.  which  is  now 
occupied  by  our  subject.  Tliis  remained  his  home 
till  death  closed  his  mortal  pilgrimage,  in  1882. 
He  was  the  father  of  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  living. 

Tiiomas  Trainer  was  the  fifth  child  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  was  born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  in  the  month 
of  -luly,  1841.  lie  was  twelve  years  of  age  when 
he  left  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  came  with  his 
fatlier  to  America.  He  gleaned  a  good  education 
in  the  common  schools,  and  on  his  father's  farm  a 
substantial  knowledge  of  agriculture  in  all  its 
branches,  and  has  always  been  occupied  in  farming 
pursuits  and  since  coming  here  with  his  fatlier  has 
been  a  resident  of    the  homestead   that   the    latter 


then  purchased.  He  and  his  wife  have  a  comfort- 
able home  on  the  Kankakee  River,  and  he  is  oper- 
ating one  hundred  and  eighty -one  and  three-fourth 
acres  of  land,  .«ill  living  in  a  body  and  all  well  im- 
proved. He  carries  on  mixed  farming,  raising  a 
diversity  of  crops,  and  having  his  pastures  well 
stocked  with  standard  grades  of  cattle. 

March  5,  1874,  Mr.  Trainer  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
McDonald  were  united  in  marriage.  Her  parents 
were  John  and  Marj-  McDonald.  Her  father  lived 
to  be  seventy-seven  years  of  age  and  her  mother  is 
now  fifty-nine  years  old. 

Mr.  Trainer  is  a  whole  souled,  genial  man  and 
has  many  warm  friends  in  the  place  where  so  much 
of  his  life  has  been  p.assed.  He  is  generous  in 
supporting  all  schemes  that  will  in  any  way  im- 
prove the  township,  and  has  always  been  a  liberal 
supporter  of  churches  though  not  a  member  of 
any.  He  has  been  a  Director  of  schools  in  this 
district.  No.  4,  and  has  also  served  as  a  Pathmas- 
ter,  and,  altogether,  is  one  of  our  most  useful  and 
trusted  citizens.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  has  worked  hard  in  the  in- 
terests of  his  party. 


'^OHN  STEPHEN.  The  habits  of  thrift  and 
industry,  to  which  the  subject  of  this  notice 
was  trained  from  boyhood,  have  followed 
him  through  his  latter  years,  as  is  indicated 
by  his  surroundings.  We  find  him  supplied  with 
all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life, 
and  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Joliet 
Township,  comprising  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  land  on  section  18,  upon  which  have  been  ef- 
fected good  improvements. 

The  early  home  of  Mr.  Stephen  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  in  the  Province  of  Alsace, 
then  of  France,  but  now  belonging  to  Germany, 
and  where  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light, 
July  18,  1839.  His  father,  John  Stephen,  and  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Adelia  Haude, 
were  likewise  natives  of  that  province,  where  they 
were  reared  and  married.  They  lived  there  until 
1846,  then  deciding  upon  emigrating  to  America, 


698 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  repairing  to  Ilavie,  boarded  a  sailing  vessel 
which  in  due  time  landed  them  safely  on  Ameri- 
can shores.  They  proceeded  directl}'  to  Cuyahoga 
County,  Ohio,  but  lived  in  that  State  only  six 
months,  coming  thence  to  Illinois  and  settling  in 
Joliet  Township,  this  county.  The  father  engaged 
in  farming,  and  they  sojourned  there  a  number  of 
years,  then  removed  to  the  city  of  Joliet,  whei-e 
the  last  seven  j-ears  of  their  life  were  spent. 
The  five  children  born  to  them  consisted  of  four 
sons  and  one  daughter.  Of  these  John  was  the 
third  ciiild. 

Mr.  Stephen  was  a  boy  of  seven  years  when  his 
parents  emigrated  to  America,  and  he  still  has  a 
dim  recollection  of  his  old  home  in  France,  and  of 
the  scenes  and  incidents  attending  the  voyage  to 
America.  He  lived  with  his  parents  thereafter 
until  twenty-three  years  old,  when  he  was  married 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Tro}',  living  there  two 
3^ears.  Thence  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead, 
which  is  now  his  property.  He  was  married  in 
Joliet,  October  13,  ISCJ,  to  Miss  Rachel,  daughter 
of  Ignatz  and  Mary  (Walter)  Schall.  The  parents 
of  Mrs.  Stephen  were  also  natives  of  Alsace,  and 
emigrated  to  America  about  1817,  settling  near 
Rome,  N.  Y.  Later  thc3-  came  to  this  county  and 
lived  in  the  town  of  Troy  for  several  years.  Later 
they  too,  like  the  parents  of  Jlr.  Stephen,  removed 
to  Joliet  where  the  mother  died,  and  Mr.  Schall  is 
still  living  there.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Stephen  was  the  youngest. 
She  is  a  native  of  the  same  province  as  her  hus- 
band, and  was  born  June  28,  181.5.  She  was  tluis 
loss  tlian  two  years  old  u)ion  coming  to  America 
with  her  parents,  and  recollect-s  nothing  of  the 
land  of  her  birth.  She,  as  well  as  her  husband,  is 
thoroughly  Americanized  and  in  full  sympathy 
with  American  institutions. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  are  the  proud  parents  of 
nine  living  children.  They  are  all  at  home  with 
their  parents  and  bear  the  names  respectively  of, 
Clara  O.,  Mary  R.,  John  E.,  Frances  M..  Joseph- 
ine A.,  A<lelinc  A..  Amelia  E.,  Lenora  S.  and  Ray- 
mond A.  Mr.  Stephen  upon  becoming  a  voting 
citizen  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic 
party.  lie  has  served  a?  a  Sciiool  Director  in  his 
district  four  years,  and  as  Highway   Commissioner 


six  years.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  prominently 
connected  with  the  Catholic  Church.  In  addi- 
tion to  general  farming  he  makes  a  specialty  of 
stock-raising,  and  realizes  therefrom  handsome 
returns. 


.••^^^•'•- 


,-;a^^^ 


M 


ICHAEL  DOYLE.  It  affords  great  pleas- 
ure to  the  biographical  writer  to  record 
^  IS  the  success  of  a  man  who,  beginning  life 
*  with  no  means,  has  accumulated  a  compe- 

tency, and  while  doing  so  has  reared  his  family  in 
useful  habits  and  good  principles  and  acted  the 
part  of  a  worthy  citizen.  One  of  this  class  is 
Michael  Do^le,  whose  pleasant  home  is  located  on 
section  35,  Jackson  Township,  and  who  is  num- 
bered among  the  general  farmers  of  this  well  de- 
veloped county.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald 
Isle,  born  in  Mohill,  County  Lcitrim,  November 
1,  1832,  and  was  about  eighteen  years  old  when  he 
came  to  America.  Landing  in  New  York  he  went 
to  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  or  near  wliich  city  he 
lived  five  years.  During  this  time  he  was  era- 
plo3-ed  at  different  occupations  in  which  he  could 
gain  a  sui)port.  or  which  promised  to  better  his 
condition. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  period  mentioned,  Mr. 
Doyle  came  to  Illinois  and  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Chicago  A:  Alton  Railroad  Company,  his  loca- 
tion being  at  AVilraington,  this  county,  for  a  time, 
after  which  he  was  engaged  seven  years  in  sawing 
wood  for  the  same  companj'.  During  this  time  he 
iia<l  hoarded  his  resources,  and  was  tlien  able  to 
purchase  eighty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  has 
since  resided.  He  has  made  various  improve- 
ments, and  li.as  added  to  his  landed  estatp,  from 
time  to  time  until  his  possessions  now  amount  to 
seven  hundred  acres,  the  most  of  which  is  in 
Jackson  Township.  A  complete  line  of  farm 
buildings  maj'  be  seen  upon  the  estate,  their  ex- 
cellence attracting  the  attention  of  every  passer- 
by, as  they  are  much  better  than  the  average 
among  farmers. 

In  New  Haven,   Conn.,   Mr.  Doyle   was   united 


ti 


th 


s-ss^f^r 


^ymipwnffti,,  {^itf  *'K 


!S^- 


^ 


i^ 


t^  ^-^t^6VW^ 


V 


>^. 


il... 


r , 


(3^'Ma  z^^^eo^^^  ^:::^i^A'2^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArHICAL  ALBUM. 


7o3 


in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Marin,  a  native 
of  County  Monaghan,  Ireland.  She  bore  a  part 
in  his  cares,  economies  and  successes  until  1874, 
when  she  was  removed  from  earth,  breathing  iier 
last  at  her  home  in  tiiis  township.  She  was  the 
mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  fourth,  John, 
died  in  April,  1888,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven 
years.  James  and  Frank  are  now  living  in  Flor- 
ence Township;  Michael,  in  Jackson  Townshij:; 
Peter  lives  in  this  township;  and  Thomas  still  re- 
mains at  home. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Doyle  took  place  in 
Wilmington,  July  6, 1875,  iiis  bride  being  Miss  Ellen 
Kavanaugh.  This  estimable  woman  was  born  in 
this  county.  Februar}'  19,  1853.  She  has  borne  her 
husband  four  children — Joseph,  Mary,  Nellie  and 
Onnie,  who  are  being  carefully  trained  in  habits 
of  courtesy  and  usefulness  bj'  their  good  mother, 
and  having  their  minds  developed  as  their  years 
will  permit. 

Mr.  Doyle  has  been  Highwaj'  Commissioner  and 
School  Director  for  several  years.  His  political 
affiliation  is  with  the  Democracy.  He  and  his 
wife  and  family  are  enrolled  in  the  Catholic 
Church.  Mr.  Doyle  is  not  lacking  in  the  natural 
intelligence  and  accurate  perceptions  which  are 
proverbial  with  the  Irish  race,  and  his  abilities 
have  been  developed  and  his  mind  stored  with 
information,  so  that  he  is  now  more  than  ordinarily 
intellie:eiit. 


'  '•    '    ^_ 


El^ 


/p^EORGE  SPERRY.  The  traveler  in  going 
III  |— -,  past  the  Sperry  homestead  invariably  turns 
'\^i^j  for  a  second  glance,  as  there  is  an  air  of 
comfort  and  plenty  about  it  that  is  exceedingly 
pleasant  to  the  eye.  He  at  once  singles  it  out  as 
the  result  of  more  than  ordinary  enterprise  and  in- 
dustry— a  home  whose  proprietor  possesses  all  the 
attributes  of  a  good  citizen,  one  who  has  first 
looked  after  the  comfort  of  his  family,  and  who 
nest,  as  a  member  of  the  community,  presents  an 
example  to  those  around  him  which  is  well  worlh.y 
of  imitation.  Mr.  Sperry  is  well-to-do,  financially, 
owning  besides  his  farm,  vaUuiMo  city  |)rop<'rty   in 


Joliet.  He  is  widely'  and  favorablj'  known  through- 
out the  township,  and  is  nuniliered  among  its 
leading  men. 

The  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  our  sub- 
ject is  the  son  of  James  and  Fanny  (Pixloy) 
Sperry,  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  Henrietta. 
Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  April  27, 1837.  His  early 
life  was  spent  at  his  father's  farm,  and  his  first 
studies  were  prosecuted  in  the  common  schools. 
Later  he  attended  Monroe  Academy  in  East  Hen- 
rietta. He  remained  a  memljer  of  his  father's 
household  until  reaching  his  majorit}',  and  soon 
afterward  was  married  and  settled  in  Lewiston, 
N.  Y.,  where  for  many  years  he  was  employed  as  a 
collector.  The  young  wife  lived  only  about  one 
year  after  her  marriage,  and  after  her  death  Mr. 
Sperry   went   to   Rochester,   and   in  company  with 

E.  D.  Hallock  was  engaged  for  .about  two  years  in 
the  sale  of  agricultural  implements. 

In  1856  Mr.  Sperry  came  to  this  county,  and 
during  the  first  winter  was  engaged  as  a  school 
teacher  in  Homer  Township.  After  his  second 
marriage  he  settled  on  the  farm^  which  he  now 
owns  and  occupies;  and  in  connection  with  its  cul- 
tivation has  also  followed  the  profession  of  a 
teacher.  After  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  in 
July,  18G2,  he  enlisted  as  a  Union  soldier  in  Com- 
pany C,  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry,  aiid  for 
nearlj'  two  years  served  as  a  private.  He  was 
then  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  of  Company 

F,  Twenty-second  New  York  Cavalry,  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  four  months,  being  then  pro- 
moted to  a  Captaincj'.  He  remained  with  the 
same  regiment,  and  on  the  21st  of  July  was  bre- 
vetted  as  Major.  In  ch.irging  a  battery  near 
Fisher's  Hill  he  was  run  over  by  his  own  squadron, 
and  received  injuries  which  incapacitated  him  for 
duty  for  one  month.  On  account  of  this  he  now 
enjoys  a  pension  from  the  Government.  He  was 
present  in  some  of  the  great  battles  of  the  war, 
namely:  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge, 
Rocky  Face,  Resaca,  Winchester,  Cedar  Run  and 
Waynesboro.  The  close  of  the  war  found  him 
Acting  Brigade  (Quartermaster,  responsible  for  a 
million  dollars  and  with  certificates  of  non-indebt- 
edness from  every  department  of  the  service. 

Mr.   Sperry  w.as  first  married  in   Lewiston,  N.Y., 


704 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  Miss  Mary  D.,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Bates 
Cook,  who  was  forraerli'  State  Comptroller  of  New 
York  under  Gov.  DeWitt  Clinton.  Mrs.  Mary  I). 
Sperry  died  witiiout  children  in  18.54.  The  second 
wife  of  our  subject,  to  whom  he  was  married  in 
the  spring  of  1857,  was  formerly  Mrs.  Eiiiily  C. 
(Hopping)  Peck.  Tiiis  lady  was  born  in  1834,  in 
New  York,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Heury  and  Lucy 
(Paddock)  Hoppiug,  who  are  now  deceased.  Henry 
Hopping  died  in  1854  in  California,  whither  he 
had  gone  with  a  brother,  the  Hon.  Curtis  Hopping, 
who  subsequently  became  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  Sacramento,  and  there  died  recently,  a 
wealthy  man.  Another  brother,  Enos,  was  edu- 
cated at  West  Point  and  became  a  Briga<lier-Gen- 
eral.  He  was  with  Gen.  .Scott  in  his  Mexican 
campaign,  where  he  died.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  his  former  home  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
and  buried  with  honor  by  his  grateful  countr^'- 
men. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  6rst  married  to 
Oliver  F.  Peek,  who  died  in  Homer  Township, 
leaving  one  child,  a  daughter,  Henrietta.  The 
latter  married  F.  E.  Row  ley.  and  died  in  Manhattan 
Township  in  188-2.  Mrs.  Sperry  is  proud  of  wear- 
inof  the  white  ribbon  as  a  member  of  the  Woman's 
Christian  Temperance  Union.  She  would  feel  hon- 
ored to  be  well  known  as  a  defender  of  prohibi- 
tion and  equal  suffr.age.  Mr.  .Sperr3-  is  a  strong 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  having  taken 
an  active  part  in  political  affairs,  and  in  his  tem- 
perance views  he  is  a  radical  Prohibitionist. 

James  Sperry  and  his  estimable  wife,  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  were  natives  of  (jreat  Barrington, 
Mass.,  and  settled  in  Henrietta,  Monroe  County, 
N.  Y.,  after  their  marriage,  living  in  that  place 
man)'  years.  Thence  they  removed  to  the  city  of 
Rochester,  where  they  spent  their  last  days.  Mr. 
Sperry  was  a  man  of  decided  views,  and  during 
slavery  times  w.as  a  prominent  Abolitionist.  The 
parental  familj'  consisted  of  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  five  of  whom  are  living,  as  follows: 
Henry  H.  Sperr}-,  former  Superintendent  of  the 
Document  Room,  House  of  Representatives,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  Custom  House  officer  in  New 
York  Cit)-  from  1868  to  1874,  is  now  living  retired 
from  business    in    Rochester,    N.  Y.;    Dr.    M.    M. 


Sperry  also  lives  in  Rochester  and  is  a  prominent 
man  in  his  profession;  Edward  lives  at  Battle 
Creek,  Mich.;  our  subject,  and  .Sarah  A.,  who 
lives  in  Baltimore,  Md..  complete  the  family  list. 
A  portrait  of  the  gentleman  whose  life  is  thus 
briettj'  recorded,  and  also  that  of  his  wife  are  pre- 
sented on  anotlier  page  of  this  volume. 


^- 


-*^-- 


^  EMPRONIUS  S.  CHAMBERLAIN,  under- 
taker and  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  S. 
S.  Cliaml)erlaiu  &  Sons,  of  Joliet  and 
Lockport,  was  born  iu  Henrietta,  Monroe 
Count)-,  N.  Y..  August  19,  1817.  He  is  Ibc  son  of 
Luther  C.  Chamberlain  who  kept  the  old  fash- 
ioned tavern  in  that  rur.al  village  known  as  the 
Henrietta  llouec.  It  was  located  in  the  midst  of 
some  of  the  finest  farming  lands  of  the  famous 
Genesee  Valley,  as  was  also  the  old  time  Monroe 
Academy,  which  the  boy  entered  at  an  early  age 
and  in  which  he  received  his  rudimentary  instruc- 
tion. At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  be  was  taken  by 
his  father  from  that  thriving  neighborhood  to  the 
State  of  Illinois,  the  start  being  made  in  .lanuar)-, 
1833,  and  this  being  before  the  days  of  railroading 
the  boy  rode  the  entire  distance  on  an  Indian  pony. 
Reaching  Chicago,  then  only  an  Indian  station 
and  trading  post,  they  tarried  a  few  days  and  then 
continued  their  journej-  southward  thirty  miles,  to 
one  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Lockport,  where  the)'  lo- 
cated in  Lockport  and  Homer  Townships.  The  father 
ni.ide  a  claim  on  Government  land  and  improved  a 
farm  on  which  he  lived  four  years,  thence  removing 
to  Peoria  County  in  1837.  The  young  man  en- 
tered Jubilee  College.  Peoria,  from  which  in  due 
course  of  time  he  was  graduated  with  academic  ac- 
quirements. He  returned  to  Lockport  in  1844  and 
began  as  anarchitcit  and  Iniilder,  taking  contracts 
for  the  erection  of  warehouses  and  other  edifices. 
To  him  was  committed  the  erection  of  the  large 
warehouse  of  Messrs.  Norton  &  Co.,  of  Lockport, 
whose  business  has  grown  to  enormous  proportions, 
their  flouring  mills  being  well  known  as  among 
the  most  extensive  in  the  country. 

Four  years  after   his   arrival,    Mr.    C  liamberlain 


PORTRATT  AND  BIOORAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


705 


put  up  a  store  fur  himself  and  embarked  in  his 
present  business.  During  the  fatal  cholera  season 
of  18r)4,  wiiieli  lasted  for  about  thirty  days,  he 
worked  men  night  and  da\'  making  cofflns,  which 
was  <lono  wholly  by  hand  at  that  time.  The  call 
was  absolute,  and  only  liy  putting  in  every  hour  of 
the  twenty-four  could  the  demand  l>e  supplied. 
In  that  i)erilous  period,  Mr.  Chamberlain  went 
[)ersonally  to  nearl\-  every  house  where  death  oc- 
curred, sometimes  as  many  as  eight  a  day  in  a  vil- 
lage of  twenty-five  hundred  inhabitants.  The 
Collins  were  made  of  walnut  or  whitewood,  with 
walnut  flat  tops,  and  lined  and  trimmed  inside  with 
book-muslin  headings. 

In  1873,  Mr.  Chamberlain  started  an  establish- 
nt  in  .Toilet,  first  occupying  a  frame  building 
of  his  own  erection  on  Chicago  Street,  but  subse- 
(piently  moving  into  the  fine  store,  No.  119, (War- 
ner Illock)  opposite  ids  former  site.  These  prem- 
ises are  expresslj-  flttetl  for  the  business  and  have 
a  (lei)lh  of  ninety  feet,  with  a  front  of  plate  glass. 
The  commodious  ofliee  is  entered  directly  from 
the  street,  being  separated  from  the  store  room  by 
n  partition  of  walnut  and  ash  panels  with  a  gl.ass 
t.iip.  The  office,  without  any  attcyipt  at  display, 
has  an  air  of  refinement  and  good  taste.  In  the 
inner  room  is  an  elegant  cabinet  of  ten  samples 
of  work,  either  of  which  can  be  brought  to  view  in 
a  moment  by  lowering  a  hinged  panel.  Beyond 
this  room  is  one  opening  on  the  allej',  which  is  de- 
voted to  receiving,  trimming  etc.  The  establish- 
ment is  connected  bj'  telephone  with  the  other 
establishment  at  Lockport,  a  distance  of  five  miles, 
with  the  dwelling  at  No.  617  Clinton  Street,  and 
with  the  Joliet  Telephone  Exchange. 

Mr.Chamberlain  is  a  man  of  advanced  ideas  and 
has  exhibited  throughout  his  long  business  career 
a  remarkable  degree  of  energy  and  tact.  Although 
his  location  is  near  Chicago,  he  alw,ays  carries  a 
large  stock  of  goods;  he  is  a  judicious  buyer  and 
as  his  trade  is  mostly  among  the  more  prosperous 
people  of  Joliet  and  vicinity,  his  stock  is  largely 
composed  of  the  finer  grades  of  cloth  and  metallic 
trimmings.  It  is  donbtfid  if  there  is  a  funeral  di- 
rector in  the  country  who  lakes  more  pride  in  his 
stable  or  more  i)aius  to  keep  his  valuable  horses  in 
fooil  trim.     Ill'  owns  two  spans  wliich  rank  uniimg 


the  best  in  i^orthern  Illinois.  One  is  a  pair  of 
dark  bays  with  heavy  manes  and  tails;  the  other, 
a  pair  of  Morgan  Blackhawks,  recently  brought  by 
him   from  Lexington,  Ky. 

Being  a  lover  of  the  equine  race,  Mr.  Chand)cr- 
lain  becomes  peculiarly  attached  to  the  steeds  that 
have  done  him  service.  As  an  illustration  of  this, 
he  h.as  in  pasture  a  team  that  had  worked  for  a 
little  over  ten  years  and  are  yet  in  good  condition. 
He  refuses  to  sell  them,  saying.  •'They  will  be 
cared  for  by  me  through  the  rest  of  their  lives." 
Kour  of  the  hearses  used  by  our  subject  were 
built  for  him  l)y  Messrs.  Crane,  Breed  &  Co.  of 
Cincinnati,  two  ptirchased  by  Merts  ife  Ridle  of 
Ravenna,  Ohio;  one  white  hearse  built  by  Cun- 
ningham, of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Chamberlain 
never  takes  part  in  politics  luit  h.as  frequently  had 
public  oMice  tendered  him.  He  invariably  declines, 
having  always  felt  that  his  most  important  duty 
was  to  attend  strictl3'  to  his  legitimate  business. 

To  do  justice  to  our  subject  we  ought  to  de- 
vote some  time  to  his  high  personal  chariicler,  but 
must  content  ourselves  with  a  remark  from  the 
Joliet  Sun: — "No  man  is  better  known  or  regarded 
with  higher  esteem  in  this  vicinity  than  S.  S. 
Chamberlain,  a  gentleman  of  sterling  integrity. 
We  have  known  him  for  forty  years  and  know 
whereof  we  speak." 

With  Miss  Elizabeth  S.  Gray,  of  Homer,  this 
county,  Mr.  Chandjcrlain  was  united  in  marriage 
January  19,  1842.  The  bride  was  a  daughter  of 
Alfred  and  a  sister  of  Capt.  George  M.  Gray,  of 
the  Pullman  Pal.ace  Car  Line.  She  was  born  in 
the  Empire  State  but  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
day.  For  nearly  half  a  century  she  shared  in 
her  husband's  joys  and  sorrows,  ever  devoted  to 
his  comfort  and  the  welfare  of  the  childi-en  whom 
she  h.ad  borne.  She  entered  into  rest  Apiil  9, 
1889,  mourned  by  many  friends  whose  sympathy 
is  with  the  family  in  their  sore  bereavement.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  The 
union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  sons  only. 
George  N.  is  one  of  the  firm  and  resides  in  Joliet; 
Charles  G.  is  in  charge  of  the  Lockport  branch 
of  the  business. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Columbia 
Countv,  N.  v..  in    1789,  and    took   part  in  the  A\'ar 


706 


rORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  1812.  After  its  conclusion  lie  ntniTicd  Miss 
Thankful  'I'lilinage  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  scUled 
in  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.  Kor  a  time  lie  engaged  in 
farn)ing,  subsequently  cnihaiking  as  a  hotel  keeijer, 
a  business  that  lie  followed  fifteen  years.  He  was 
a  prominent  man  in  his  location,  especially  in  edu- 
cational affiurs,  being  a  Trustee  and  Director  in 
the  Monroe  Academy  and  helping  to  build  up  the 
early  schools  of  Western  New  York.  He  was 
Postmaster  of  Henrietta  for  many  years.  Upon 
coining  to  Illinois  as  mentioned  above,  he  I)ought 
extensively,  and  built  the  first  frame  house  in  his 
section  of  country,  neither  in  .loliet,  nor  Lock- 
port,  any  other  than  log  houses  being  then 
standing.  After  leaving  Lockport  lie  spent  seven 
years  in  I'coria,  t.lience  going  to  Milton,  Wiij^ne 
County,  Lid.,  wlicre  he  engaged  in  the  grain 
and  wareliousc  business.  Tliere  he  remained  un- 
til ins  death  in  1878;  the  mother  had  breathed 
her  last  in  1852.  Luther  C.  Cliamlierlain  was  a 
member  of  the  K|)iscopal  Churcli.  lie  was  the 
father  of  tliree  ciiildren — Lewis  L.,  of  this 
county;  S.  S.;  and  Lllen  M.,  wife  of  Norton  Davis 
of  Monroe  County,  N.  Y'.,  who  died  February  9, 
1890. 


/p^jJEORGE  DIXON,  a  representative  farmer 
il  (^w?  ■'^"''  stock-raiser  of  DuPage  Townsliip,  is 
'^^jl  pleasantly  located  on  section  32.  His  fine 
estate  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  a 
part  of  which  is  well-developed  land  ui)on  which  a 
full  line  of  substantial  buildings  have  been  erected 
and  such  other  imiM'overaents  made  as  are  usually 
the  work  of  a  man  of  enterprise  and  good  judgment. 
Mr.  Dixon  is  a  self-made  man  who  labored  long 
and  arduously  to  gain  a  good  home  and  is  now  en- 
joying a  merited  reward  for  his  efl'orts. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  Christmas  Day, 
1832,  and  his  birthplace  Lincolnshire,  England. 
His  parents  were  Robert  and  Susan  Dixon  who 
lived  upon  a  farm  and  reared  their  son  amid  its 
toils  and  limited  advantages.  His  edncatiim  was 
but  meagre,  as  the  opportunities  he  had  were  not 
equal  to  those  of  Ann  rican  yontii  of  the  same  class 
even  at  that   date,  Init   observation  and   native  in- 


telligence have  largely  overcome  the  deficiency  and 
he  is  to-day  a  well-informed  man. 

In  1851  young  Dixon  emigrated  to  America, 
leaving  Liveri)ool  on  the  sailer  '•I'nderwriter." 
which  reached  Nevy  York  after  an  ocean  voyage  of 
seven  weeks  and  three  days.  The  young  man  came 
direct  to  the  Prairie  Stale,  found  employment  as  a 
farm  laborer  in  Cook  County  and  worked  by  the 
month  fourteen  years.  He  then  bought  a  tract  of 
land  in  Newaygo  County,  Mich.,  and  was  identified 
with  the  farming  interests  of  that  section  several 
years.  He  finally  |iiirchasefl  the  land  he  now  occu- 
l)ies,  renting  it  out  three  years  and  then  removing 
hither. 

On  September  11,  18G9,  the  marriage  rites  were 
celel)rated  between  Mr.  Dixon  and  Miss  Mary  J. 
Burgess,  who  was  born  in  England,  October  12, 
1840.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Heaton  and  .!an(^ 
(Clark)  Burgess,  who  emigrated  to  America  in 
1867,  and  made  their  home  in  Will  County,  111., 
for  a  number  of  years.  They  removed  to  C'ook 
County,  where  the  father  died  in  188-1  and  the 
mother  still  lives.  The}'  had  nine  children,  of 
whom  the  living  arc,  Mrs.  Dixon  ;  John  and  Samuel 
who  reside  in  this  county;  William,  (ileorge  II. , 
Charles  R.  and  Thomas  E.,  who  live  in  C'ook 
County;  and  Betsej',  wife  of  Harry  Pollard,  of 
Pike  County. 

Mr.  Dixon  is  a  Democrat,  but  usuallj'  votes  for 
the  man  rather  than  the  strict  party  jirinciple.  He 
is  a  reliable  citizen,  an  enterprising  farmer,  a  kind 
neighbor,  and  receives  his  just  share  in  the  respect 
of  those  who  know  him,  while  the  wife  of  his  bosom 
has  her  friends  among  them  to  whom  her  virtues 
have  endeared  her. 


■— ^ 


-^^- 


HARLKS  B.  HAYWARD.  No  more  genial, 
companionable  or  intelligent  gentleman  is  to 
^J  be  found  in  the  citj'  of  Joliet  than  the  above- 
named,  who  is  at  the  head  of  the  C.  B.  Hay  ward 
Printing  Company.  He  thoroughly  understands 
the  printer's  trade,  in  which  he  has  had  practical 
experience,  and  for  quite  a  number  of  years  was  an 
editor,  gaining  high  rank  in  journalistic  circles  for 


PORTRAIT  AND   I'.IOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


707 


his  energy,  versatilit}'  and  unchanging  devotion  to 
principle.  During  the  late  war  lie  passed  through 
trying  scenes  but  no  amount  of  persecution  or 
danger  could  turn  him  from  his  devotion  to  what 
he  thought  right.  Those  who  wielded  the  pen  in 
defense  of  the  I  nion  exerted  an  intUienee  which 
cannot  he  measured,  and  to  them  honor  belongs  as 
well  as  to  those  who  served  their  country  on  the 
tented  field. 

In  the  Hoosier  State  in  the  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  lived  Thomas  Hayward  and  two 
brothers,  who  managed  a  tannery  at  Fairfield. 
Thomas  married  Miss  May  A.  Hill,  among  the 
members  of  their  family  being  a  son,  C.  B.,  who 
oiiened  iiis  eyes  to  the  light  July  1,  1843.  He  had 
one  brother  and  two  sisters,  all- living.  About  185o 
the  parents  removed  to  Columbus,  Ind.,  whence 
four  years  later  Ihej-  moved  to  Indianapolis  and 
lived  there  until  1859,  and  then  removed  to  Carth- 
age, Mo.  During  the  war  Mr.  Hayward  removed 
to  Ft.  Scott,  Kan.,  at  its  close  becoming  a  resident 
of  Springfield,  Mo.,  vviiere  he  died  in  1869. 

At  the  age  of  ten  3'ears,  he  of  whom  we  write 
went  to  Indianapolis  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  printer, 
remaining  there  about  five  years,  and  then  accom- 
panying his  parents  to  Carthage,  Mo.,  where  he 
opened  a  news  and  job  ofHce.  His  Union  senti- 
ments aroused  the  Southerners,  who  compelled  him 
to  take  refuge,  along  with  others,  in  Kansas.  He 
then  w°nt  to  Ft.  Scott  and  established  the  Ft.  Scott 
Monitor,  securing  a  military  escort  to  bring  his 
faniil}'  hither  from  his  former  home.  While  at  Ft. 
Scott  he  was  appointed  United  States  Deputy  Rev- 
enue Collector.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
moved to  Springiield,  Mo.,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  printing  business. 

The  next  place  of  abode  of  Mr.  Hayward  was 
Marseilles,  III.,  to  which  place  he  came  in  1870,  tak- 
ing up  the  occupation  of  traveling  agent  for  the 
paper  mill  at  that  point.  The  following  year  he 
came  to  Joliet  and  took  charge  of  the  job  printing 
dt'|)artinent  of  ttie  I{p[iuhUcaii.  In  1872  he  started 
tlie  Joliet  Sun,  which  he  published  ten  years,  selling 
it  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  to  the  RppuhUcan. 
In  188o,  he  went  to  Santa  Fe,  N.  M.,  where  he  was 
connected  with  the  New  Mexican  Printing  Com- 
pany.    Being  a|)pointed  Postmaster  by  President 


Arthur  in  1881,  at  Santa  Fe,  lie  held  that  position 
until  1886,  when  he  returned  to  Joliet.  On  New 
Years  Day  following  he  organized  the  company 
which  he  still  manages,  although  on  April  1,  1890, 
the  firm  name  was  changed  to  the  C.  B.  Hayward 
Company. 

April  7,  1872,  Mr.  Hayward  married  Miss  May 
E.Munroe,ut  the  liome  of  the  liride's  father,  George 
Munroe,  Joliet,  April  7,  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hay- 
ward are  the  happy  parents  of  four  living  children: 
Josie,  Thomas,  Charles  M.,  and  Ruth,  and  mourn 
the  death  of  a  son,  George,  who  was  taken  from 
them  Septemlicr  14,  1881.  Mr.  Hayward  is  recog- 
nized as  among  the  leading  Republicans  of  this 
county  and  this  part  of  Illinois. 

'\tF^'  HINEAS  K.  ROWLEY,  late  a  resident  of 
Homer  Townsliij),  departed  this  life  at  his 
homestead  on  section  19,  February  22, 
1889.  He  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
the  son  of  Jirah  Rowley,  whose  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Brace,  and  both  were 
natives  of  New  York  State.  When  about  eighteen 
years  old  young  Rowley  came  to  this  county, 
within  whose  limits  he  made  his  home  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  which  terminated  when  he  was 
in  the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age,  bis  birth 
taking  place  November  5,  1816.  His  native  place 
was  Victor,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Rowley  was  married  at  Sugar  Grove,  Kane 
County,  III.,  November  1,  1843,  to  Miss  Jane  A., 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Abigail  (Tew)  Sanford. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Rowley  were  natives  of  Massa- 
chusetts, whence  they  emigrated  to  Marshalltown, 
Iowa,  and  died,  the  mother  in  1876,  and  Mr.  San- 
ford in  1875.  Mrs.  Rowley  was  born  in  Savoy, 
Uerkshire  County,  Mass.,  August  23,  1824.  After 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  INIrs.  Rowley  settled  at  the 
present  homestead,  which  Mrs.  Rowley  has  man- 
aged with  rare  good  judgment  since  her  husband's 
death.  The  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  fertile  land  embellished  with  good 
improvements.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowley  identified 
themselves  with   the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churph 


708 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


iiiiiny  3'ears  ngo,  in  the  faith  of  which  Mr.  Rowley 
died,  and  with  which  the  widow  .still  remains  con- 
nected. 

There  was  born  of  their  union  a  family'  of  seven 
children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Adelbert  C,  married 
Miss  Sarah  B.  Phillips,  and  is  a  resident  of  Kane 
Count}';  Mar}'  E.  is  the  wife  of  John  Mitchell,  and 
the}'  live  in  Chicago;  George  died  when  fourteen 
months  old;  Fred  K.  was  first  married  to  Henrietta 
Peck,  who  died,  and  he  then  wedded  her  cousin 
Josephine.  He  lives  in  Livingston  County ;  Alice 
S.  is  the  wife  of  Jerome  Paddock,  of  Homer  T'own- 
ship;  Jane  S.  died  January  8,  1874,  when  an  inter- 
esting young",  lady  of  nineteen  years;  Frank  A. 
nnrried  Miss  Helen  E.  Savage,  and  occupies  him- 
self at  farming  in  Homer  Township.  Mrs.  Row- 
ley has  a  pleasant  home  and  an  intelligent  family, 
and  is  a  lady  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  commu- 
nity. 


^/OHN  F.  DAGGETT,  M.  D.  The  reputation 
of  this  gentleman  as  a  well-read  and  success 
ful  physician  and  surgeon,  is  not  confined  to 
Joliet,  where  he  now  makes  his  home,  but 
reaches  far  beyond  this  city.  For  nearly  half  a 
century  he  held  the  first  place  in  the  ranks  of  the 
profession  in  and  about  Lockport.  He  is  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  general  practitioners 
in  this  section  of  the  State,  while  as  a  surgeon  he 
has  high  repute,  his  skill  and  good  judgment  justly 
placing  him  among  the  leaders  in  operative  and 
highl}'  successful  surgery.  Beginning  his  medical 
career  with  a  fine  theoretical  knowledge,  he  has  been 
studious,  discriminating,  and  desirous  of  adding  to 
his  store  of  learning  all  that  modern  investigation 
has  to  enrich  the  fields  of  therapeutical  science. 

Dr.  Daggett  was  born  in  Charlotte,  Yt.,  February 
19,  1815,  and  began  his  life's  labors  as  a  teacher  at 
the  earl}'  age  of  sixteen  years.  After  continuing 
pedagogical  work  three  years  he  entered  the  Med- 
ical School  at  Woodstock,  Vt.,  and  subsequently  one 
atPittsfield.  JIass..  being  graduated  from  the  former 
in  1837.  One  year  later  he  came  West,  and  .Sep- 
tember 10,  1838,  opened  an  olHce  in  Lockport,  111., 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  ISSG.  when  he 


took  up  his  abode  in  Joliet.  During  this  period  of 
practically  half  a  century  (1838  to  1886),  he  was 
continuousl}'  and  laboriously  engaged  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession.  In  the  early  days  when 
the  now  thickly  settled  region  had  only  a  scattered 
population,  and  the  now  populous  city  of  Joliet 
had  but  a  few  liundred  people,  his  professional  ride 
extended  in  a  circle  to  Xaperville,  Summit.  Blue 
Island  and  Monee,  and  be  was  often  called  in  con- 
sultation with  physicians  of  these  towns  and  of 
Joliet,  Wilmington,  Plainfield  and  Lemont. 

Dr.  Daggett  has  for  many  years  been  a  member 
of  township,  count}'  ami  State  medical  societies. 
He  has  always  been  prominent  in  the  development 
and  management  of  the  local  affairs  of  Lockiiort. 
has  been  Supervisor  of  the  town,  in  the  County 
Board,  Treasurer  of  the  School  Board,  and  member 
and  President  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees. 
He  was  always  conservative  but  liberal  in  the  vari- 
ous official  positions  which  he  occupied,  performing 
his  manifold  duties  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  i)eo- 
ple  he  represented.  The  citizens  of  the  Senatorial 
District  in  which  Dr.  Daggett  lives  (which  at  that 
tiate,  1871,  consisted  of  the  counties  of  Will.  Kanka- 
kee, Kendall  and  Grundy,  by  far  the  most  populous 
senatorial  district  in  the  State)  recognized  his  cul- 
ture of  mind,  excellent  judgment  and  deep  interest 
in  all  that  is  elevating  and  progressive,  and  felt 
that  their  interests  would  be  advanced  by  him  in 
the  legislative  halls  of  the  State.  They  therefore 
sent  him  to  the  .Senate,  and  the  result  proved  that 
they  were  not  wrong  in  their  estimate  of  his  worth. 
He  was  a  zealous,  ellicient  member,  whose  record 
in  the  ca|>ital  added  to  the  laurels  he  had  already 
won  as  a  member  of  a  learned  professiou.  By  pru- 
dence he  has  amassed  a  goodly  sum  and  now  owns 
valuable   real   estate  in  both  Lockport  snd  Joliet. 

In  184'2  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  celebrated  be- 
tween Dr.  Daggett  and  Miss  Angeline  Talcott,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  and  a  member  of  a  prominent  pio- 
neer family  that  came  to  Illinois  in  1834.  She  was  a 
sister  of  Edward  B.  Talcott,  the  well-known  civil 
engineer  who  supervised  the  construction  of  the 
Illinois  d-  Michigan  Canal,  and  who  later  was  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Chicago  A-  Galena  Railroad; 
also  sister  of  Manccl  Talcott,  of  reputable  memory 
in   Chicago  .as  a  prominent  business  man  and  lib- 


PORTRAIT  AND  Bl()(  i  RAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


709 


eral  iiliilantlnopist — all  now  deail.  After  a  short 
but  hap|)y  married  life  Mrs.  Daggett  closed  lier 
e\es  ill  death  in  1844.  A  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance was  made  by  the  doctor  in  184{;,  the  lady 
whom  he  chose  for  his  comiianion  being  Miss  C'le- 
ora  Parsons,  of  tiie  Empire  State.  This  estimable 
woman  had  borne  !iim  five  children,  of  whom  Init 
two  are  now  living,  Mrs.  Hugo  Boehme,  of  Joliet, 
and  Mrs.  CoL^R.  G.  Mayo,  of  Woodbridge,  Orange 
Countj',  Fla.,  and  in  her  care  and  management  of 
the  household  economy  had  shown  her  devotion  to 
home  duties,  while  not  neglecting  those  she  owed 
to  neighbors  and  the  world,  when  from  a  [inhnon- 
ary  disease  she  gradually  declined  for  two  jears, 
then,  lamented  by  all  who  personally  knew  her,  siie 
departed  this  life  June  1,  1889. 

In  the  evening  of  life  Dr.  Daggett  enjoys  the 
respect  that  accrues  to  honesty  of  purpose  and 
uprightness  of  life.  Well  supplied  with  worldly 
goods,  serene  in  the  consciousness  of  duties  done, 
he  is  going  peacefully  down  the  hill  of  time.  He 
has  always  been  a  firm  supporter  of  religion  and  a 
liberal  contributor  to  the  building,  support  and 
maintenance  of  churches  of  all  denominations  in 
Lockport,  and  is  likewise  a  liberal  and  cheerful 
supporter  of  the  common  and  high  schools  of  the 
town.  Vov  the  years  of  1888-89  he  was  President 
of  the  "Pioneer  Association"  of  the  old  settlers  of 
Will  County,  and  b}'  his  efforts  did  much  in  add- 
in"  to  the  effects  and  the  interesting  history  of  the 
early  residents  of  the  countj*.  Bui  few  of  his 
earl}'  associates  in  business  and  professional  circles 
are  now  living. 


•#-r 


AMUEL  LOVP:.  Joliet  Township  is  the 
home  of  the  above-named  gentleman  who 
lives  on  section  2.5,  his  farm  including  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  this  Township 
and  twenty  acres  adjoining.  Since  settling  here  he 
has  given  his  attention  entirely  to  agriculture,  in 
which  he  is  winning  the  success  which  ever  waits 
upon  industrious  efforts.  He  was  born  in  County 
Cavan,  Ireland,  in    1822,  and  grew  to  manhood  in 


his  native  country.  Upon  coming  to  America  he 
made  his  home  in  New  York  for  several  ^ears,  be- 
coming a  resident  of  this  county  in  the  fall  of  1856. 
He  was  a  contractor  and  builder  and  followed  his 
trade  in  Joliet  some  twelve  or  thirteen  years.  He 
then  married  and  settled  upon  the  farm  which  has 
since  been  his  home. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Love  is  a  (laughter  of  the  late 
John  Cooper,  of  New  Lenox,  and  bears  the  name 
of  Elizal>elh  B.  .She  h.as  borne  her  h\isband  five 
children — John  W.  C,  Samuel  E.,  Hatlie  J.,  Mary 
E.  and  Annie  M.  J.  Mr.  Love  has  been  Highway 
Commissioner  and  School  Director.  In  polities  he 
is  a  Republican.  He  and  his  worthy-  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


— 0"»- 


I^BEL  BLISS,  .Ir.  One  of  the  finest  farms 
ill  New  Lenox  Township  is  that  owned  and 
occupied  by  the  gentleman  with  whose 
name  we  introduce  this  sketch.  As  an  agriculturist, 
he  is-  thorough  and  skillful,  and  as  a  business  man 
shrewd  and  enterprising,  wise  in  his  investments 
and  possessing  the  energy  which  admits  no  such 
word  as  ••fail."  His  (hvelling  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  that  section,  and  is  tlaiiked  b}'  a  good  barn  and 
all  the  necessary  outbuildings  erected  in  modern 
style  of  architecture  and  [iroviding  all  the  comforts 
and  conveniences  of  modern  life.  The  whole  forms 
one  of  the  most  attractive  homes  in  Will  County. 
The  proprietor  is  a  man  widely  and  favorably 
known,  and  comes  of  one  of  the  best  families  of 
Northern  Illinois. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  w.as  born  at  the  home- 
stead where  he  now  lives  August  8,  18;J3.  His 
father,  Abel  Bliss,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Wilbraham, 
Mass.,  and  was  born  February  9,  1810.  The  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Lucinda  Blake.  She  also 
was  a  native  of  the  Bay  State  and  born  in  Spring- 
field, October  14,  1816.  The  parents  were  married 
in  Springfield  Jlay  6,  1840,  and  at  once  started  for 
Illinois,  coming  to  this  county  and  settling  on  sec- 
tion 18,  New  Lenox  Township.  There  the  father 
gave  his  undivided  attention  to  agricultural   puv- 


710 


PORTRAIT  AMD  BlOGUAl'lllCAL  ALIUIM. 


suits  ami  lived  to  a  ripe  old  a»c,  boiny;  called  hence 
Deceiiil  er  25.  1883.  He  had  visited  Will  County 
(ii-sl  in  1.S37. 

The  father  of  our  subject  (assessed  the  untlaj;;- 
ging  industry  and  patience  which  is  necessary  to 
success,  and  becair.e  the  owner  of  live  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  New  Lenox  Township.  lie  erected 
a  neat  and  substantial  set  of  farm  buildings  and 
surrounded  himself  and  his  famil}^  with  all  the 
com  forts  of  life.  lie  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  in  which  he  held  the  various 
odices,  and  in  i)olitic3  was  a  lic|)uMican  and  wa^oiie 
of  the  first  Abolitionists  in  this  section.  The 
mother  is  still  living,  remaining  at  the  old  honie- 
ste-id  with  her  son,  Abel.  To  herself  and  husband 
there  was  born  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
Abel  was  next  to  the  youngest. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  renjaincd  with  his 
parents  during  his  boyhood  and  joutli,  pursuing 
his  Mist  studies  in  the  common  school  and  later 
attending  for  two  years  the  High  School  at  Engie- 
wood.  Afterward  he  became  a  student  of  the  Illi- 
nois University  at  Champaign.  His  tastes  and 
inclinations  led  him  to  desire  to  become  a  Civil 
Kngineer,  but  on  account  of  his  father's  accnmu- 
laled  years  and  by  his  wish,  he  abandoned  the  pro- 
ject, and  after  his  school  life  was  over,  returned  to 
the  farm  where  he  has  since  followed  agricultural 
pursuits. 

After  the  death  of  his  father  Mr,  Bliss  began 
r)perating  a  part  of  the  large  farm.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in 
New  Lenox  Township;  besides  this  he  owns  a  large 
ranch  of  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Gage 
County,  Neb.  He  was  married  in  this  township 
February  21,  1877,  to  Miss  Nettie,  daughter  of 
Stanton  and  Isabella  (Doig)  Lynk.  I\Ir.  Lynk  is 
represented  on  another  page  of  this  Album.  Mrs. 
IJliss  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  was  born  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  September  25,  1857.  Of 
her  union  with  our  subject  there  has  been  born 
one  child  oidy,  a  daughter.  Floi-ence  I.,  August  22, 
1882.  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Bliss  arc  members  in  good 
standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  Mr.  Bliss  has  ofliciated  .as  Steward  and  Tnis- 
loe.     He  votes  the  straight  Republican  ticket  and 


has  held  the  office  of  Townshii)  Collector  and  School 
Trustee.  He  is  Trustee  of  the  Methodist  Caini) 
(iround  Association,  and  Secretary  of  the  New 
Lenox  Mutual  Insurance  Company. 


EURGE  L.  FRANCIS.  This  genllcmaa  is 
the  owner  and  occupant  of  a  line  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  five  acres  on  sections  10 
and  15,  in  New  Lenox  Township.  He  is  the  tenth 
in  a  family  of  eleven  children  and  was  born  on  his 
father's  homestead  October  5,  1856.  He  gi-ew  to 
manhood  amid  the  usual  surroundings  of  a  farmer's 
son,  receiving  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  the  high  school  at  Englewood.  His  tastes  led 
him  to  adopt  farming  as  his  life  work  and  the  town- 
ship in  which  he  w.-is  born  has  been  his  continuous 
home. 

On  June  21,  1877,  Mr.  Francis  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  Thom.'is 
Doig,  of  the  same  township.  The  family  histor}- 
of  Mrs.  Francis  will  be  found  in  liie  sketch  of  her 
father,  on  another  page  in  this  Album.  She  w.as 
born  October  20,  1856,  and  like  her  husband  has 
been  a  life-long  resident  of  New  Lenox  Township. 
The  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  three 
chihlren — Frank  D.,  Laura  D.  and  George  II. 
Laura  died  when  sixteen  months  old.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Francis  belong  to  the  Methodist  I",pisco|>al 
Church.  Mr.  Francis  is  serving  in  the  capacity  of 
School  Trustee. 


^ ^^-1 


HARLES  FRANCIS.  This  gentleman  has 
,,  _  been  a  life-long  resident  of  New  Lenox 
^^?  Township  and  engaged  in  agricultural  par- 
suits  from  his  youth.  He  owns  about  three  hundred 
acres  of  hand  on  which  are  adequate  improvements. 
His  natal  d.ay  was  August  17,  1847,  and  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  he  grew  to  manhood.  His  early  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
township  and  supplemented   by  an    attendance  in 


*5; 


^  /O^  ^.  /&/a\^et/tn<a. 


FORTKAir  AND  DIOLiRAPIlICAL  ALBUM. 


713 


Joliel.  Ilo  loiiiaineil  under  the  ijurenliil  roof  until 
his  man-i:igi',  which  look  phice  at  tlie  biitle's  home, 
l'\-l)ruaiy  5,  1872. 

The  cliosen  c'om|)anion  of  Mr.  Francis  was  known 
in  her  niaidoniiood  as  Maiy  E.  Haven,  and  is  also  a 
native  of  New  Lenox  Townsliii),  in  wiiich  she  was 
born  INIarch  '22,  1851.  She  is  a  daughter  of  tlie 
Hon.  Dwight  Haven,  whose  biograijhy  occupies  an- 
other page  in  this  Ai-iiuM.  Her  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  the  township,  and  those  of 
the  city  of  Chicago.  She  has  borne  her  husband 
seven  children,  all  living  excepting  the  first  born, 
Hattic,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years.  The 
survivors  are  named  respectively,  Charles  IL,  Alice 
M.,  Helen  J.,  Walter  E.,  Maggie  L.  and  Fred.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Francis  Iielongto  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  he  has  been  Sui)erintcndent  of  the  New 
Lenox  Sunday-school  for  several  years.  His  po- 
litical adherence  is   given  to  the  Republican  i)arty. 


,K.  CARLM.  BAERCHECK.  The  lives  of 
many  men  arc  humdrum  and  uneventful, 
only  marked  by  a  steady  purpose  and  a 
quiet  performance  of  the  daily  duties,  while  around 
some  romance  loves  to  linger,  and  in  their  lives 
interesting  or  unusual  events  are  common.  The 
subject  of  this  biographical  notice,  who  has  been 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Joliet  for 
aljouta  (lu.arler  of  a  century,  is  one  whose  life  has 
been  marked  with  a  niore  than  the  usual  amount  of 
romance.  Even  his  descent  is  unusual,  his  father, 
f(n-  whom  he  is  named,  having  been  a  native 
of  Fiance,  his  grandfather  of  Poland,  and  his 
mother,  Anna  Matinas,  a  native  of  San  Taudair, 
Si)ain.  He  is  the  eldest  of  sixteen  children  born 
to  his  mother,  while  his  father's  second  wife  bore 
six  children;  he  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  in 
America,  whither  he  came  in  1859. 

Dr.  Baerchcck  was  born  in  Loraine,  France,  Feb- 
ruary G,  1818,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
ho  ran  away  from  home  in  company  with  a  brother 
and  four  companions.  He  studied  medicine  in 
Paris  and  in  the  University  atBohn,on  the  Rhine, 
and  also  in   Switzerland,     In   1842   he  began    the 


praclice  of  his  profession  in  Metz,  Alsace,  France, 
now  a  Province  of  (Jermany.  He  went  to  China  in 
1845,  on  the  French  warship  "Grand  Napoleon,"  on 
which  he  afterward  embarked  for  the  Crimea,  be- 
coming a  surgeon  in  the  Second  Division,  Second 
Corps,  and  serving  ihiH)ughout  the  Crimean  War. 
He  was  with  Carl  Robert,  Gen.  Baclhrsgch  and 
(4en.  McMahon  ii'.  Africa,  following  the  destinies  of 
the  army  during  the  entire  struggle,  meeting  with 
experiences  such  as  few  men  participate  in  or  wit- 
ness. When  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
new  world,  he  did  not  leave  behind  him  thecxcite- 
ing  and  interesting  scenes,  but  after  reaching 
America  he  still  carried  on  his  former  manner  of 
life.  Landing  in  New  York  in  lS5t).  he  went  to 
Boston,  where  he  worked  in  a  drug  store  for  a 
time,  but  we  soon  find  him  again  in  the  metropolis 
vifhence  he  went  to  Philadeliihia  and  enlisted  in  the 
Union  Arm^'.  Joining  the  Eighteenth  I'ennsylva- 
nia  Regiment,  his  name  was  attached  to  the  muster 
roll  of  Company  D., which  was  composed  of  French- 
men. They  were  with  Ellsworth  at  Alexandria  and 
fought  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run. 

His  medical  knowledge  becoming  known.  Dr. 
Baercheck  became  Hospital  Steward  and  after 
holding  the  position  six  months,  went  to  Pittsburg, 
where  he  intended  practicing  his  profession.  He 
soon  entered  the  Provost  Marshal's  olllce  in  that 
city,  and  again  became  an  arm}'  surgeon,  laboring 
as  such  three  years.  Among  his  patients  now  are 
m.any  whom  he  treated  in  the  army,  together  with 
their  friends.  While  performing  the  hazardous 
duties  which  devolved  upon  him,  he  received  two 
wounds,  the  one  at  City  Point,  and  the  other  at 
Gettysburg,  at  the  latter  place  a  ball  passed  through 
his  arm. 

After  the  war  Dr.  Baercheck  came  to  Joliet, 
where  he  has  since  i)racticed.  He  is  a  specialist, 
devoting  his  attention  to  chronic  cases,  and  in  the 
discharge  of  his  extensive  practice  ships  prescrip- 
tions and  medicine  to  various  parts  of  the  country, 
where  his  reputation  as  a  physician  is  well  known. 
He  has  met  with  some  misfortunes  since  coining  here 
having  been  burned  out  in  1878.  He  is  truly 
cosmopolitan  in  his  feelings,  having  gleaned  an  ex- 
tended knowledge  from  his  travels,  which  have 
embraced  South  America,  Europe.  Asia.  Africa  and 


714 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Australia.  He  gives  his  political  allegir.iice  to  the 
Republican  party.  For  those  wiio  enjoy  the  ac 
count  of  adventures  and  a  traveler's  observations, 
Dr.  Baercheck  proves  an  extremely  entertaining 
companion,  when  once  he  begins  to  speak  concern- 
ing his  past  life.  He  is  well  known  iu  Joliet,  where 
lie  is  regarded  with  respect  for  his  inlelligence  and 
professional  attainments,  his  gentlemanly  nature 
and  honorable  character. 

In  .Switzerland,  in  1848,  Dr.  Baercheck  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Helena  Haines,  who 
shared  his  fortunes  until  July,  1874,  when  she  was 
called  hence.  Sis  children  were  born  to  her,  three 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  In  1876  the  Doctor  con- 
tracted a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  his  com- 
panion being  Miss  Jennie  Atkins,  a  lady  of 
English  descent,  who  has  borne  him  nine  children, 
onl}^  three  of  whom  are  living. 

A  portrait  of  Dr.  Baercheck  accompanies  this 
brief  biographical  review. 


irILLIAMH.  LAXFEAR.  Among  the  prom 
jj!    inoiit    farmers   of  Homer  Township,  may 

^  be  proper!}'  mentioned  the  subject  of  this 
notice  who  has  unquestionably  been  a  success,  not 
only  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  but  as  a  member  of  a 
community  more  than  ordinaril}-  intelligent.  AVe 
find  him  comfortably  situated  on  section  29,  the 
possessor  of  a  well-regulated  farm  which  he  has 
improved  with  good  buildings  and  where  iie  has 
not  only  surrounded  himself  and  his  family  with 
the  comforts  of  life,  but  laid  up  something  for 
future  needs.  He  is  numbered  among  the  most 
highly  respected  men  of  the  township  iu  whose 
material  welfare  lie  has  always  evinced  a  warm  in- 
terest. He  has  served  as  a  Highway  Commissioner 
and  School  Director,  and  given  his  unqualified  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  i)arty.  The  Baptist  Church 
h,as  recognized  in  him  for  man\'  years  one  of  its 
most  active  and  useful  members. 

The  sixth  in  a  family  of  ten  children.  Mi.  Lan- 
fcar  was  born  December  25,  1830,  at  Sempronius. 
Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  when  a  boy  of  five 
years  came   with  his  parents  to   this  county,  they 


settling  in  Homer  Township  wliere  he  was  reared 
to  man's  estate.  He  acquired  such  education  as 
was  iiflforded  !)}•  the  common  schools,  and  at  an 
early  age  learned  the  various  arts  of  farming 
choosing  these  for  his  life  vocation.  Shortly  after 
reaching  his  majority  he  was  married  February  25, 
1852,  at  the  bride's  home  iu  Homer  Towiishi[),  to 
Miss  Emily  M.,  daughter  of  the  well-known  late 
Deacon  Levi  Savage,  mention  of  whom  is  made  in 
the  sketch  of  Amos  Savage,  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I>anfear 
settled  on  his  present  farm  and  as  3'ears  have  passed 
thej-  have  taken  their  place  among  its  best  people. 
Early  in  life  they  identified  themselves  with  the 
Baptist  Church  and  have  sought  to  do  good  as 
they  Have  opportunity,  rearing  their  children  in 
the  way  they  should  go  and  proffering  uniform 
kindness  to  their  neighbors. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Asa  Lanfear,  who 
was  born  in  Mayfleld,  Montgomeiy  Countj^  N.  Y., 
in  1 793.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Olive  Burgess,  and  was  a  native  of  the  same  place 
as  her  husband  and  born  iu  17'J7.  After  marriage 
they  continued  to  reside  in  Mayfield  for  a  time, 
then  removed  to  Sempronius  where  the}'  lived 
until  1835.  That  year  they  emigrated  to  Illinois 
and  the  father  secured  a  farm  on  section  29,  Homer 
Township,  where  he  and  his  good  wife  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  days.  Mr.  Lanfear  was  called 
hence  June  23,1871.  The  mother  survived  her 
husband  a  number  of  3'ears,  her  death  Liking  place 
June  15,  1883.  Nine  of  the  ten  children  born  to 
them  lived  to  mature  j'ears  qnd  eight  are  now  liv- 
ing, being  located  mostly  in  this  county, 

Jlrs,  Lanfear  was  born  July  24,  1830,  iu  Gran- 
ville, Washington  County,  N.  Y..  and  was  a  mere 
child  when  her  parents  came  to  Illinois,  She  was 
trained  by  a  careful  mother  to  all  useful  household 
duties  and  was  well  fitted  to  become  the  partner  of 
a  good  man's  home.  Of  her  union  with  our  sub 
ject  there  have  been  born  seven  children,  of  whom 
but  three  are  living.  The  eldest,  Mary  A.,  is  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Brow-n,  and  they  live  in  New  Le- 
nox Township;  Albert  II,,  married  Jliss  Minnie  L. 
Fisher,  and  occupies  himself  at  farming  with  his 
father;  Nettie  E,,  remains  at  home  with  her  parents, 
'riie  deceased  children  are  Asa  AY.,  who  died  when 


PORTRAIT  AND  RIOGRAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


sixteen  \eai-s  old  ;  Ida  M.,who  died  at  the  age  of  lliiee 
and  one  half-years;  Charles  E.,  who  died  when  an 
infant  of  eight  months,  and  Willie  H.,  who  died 
when  about  two  \eais  old.  The  farm  of  ^Ir.  Lanfear 
oom[)rises  two  hundred  and  tiiirt\--foiir  acres,  the 
larger  part  of  which  is  devoted  to  general  farming 
and  the  remainder-furnishes  ample  facilities  for  the 
accommodation  of  live  stock. 


^YJAY  GORDON.  A  good  representative  of 
the  }'oungcr  element  of  citizenship  in  Du- 
Page  Township,  is  found  in  the  person  of 
Jay  Gordon,  who  resides  with  his  mother 
on  section  16,  and  owns  a  half  interest  in  one 
hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land  in  tlie  township. 
He  is  meeting  with  success  in  the  agricultural  work 
to  which  he  is  giving  his  attention,  as  he  formerly 
(lid  in  the  field  of  pedagogj',  in  which  he  labored 
several  winters. 

The  ancestors  of  our  subject  arc  supposed  to 
have  been  English,  and  his  parents  were  born  in 
the  Empire  State.  David  and  Tryphena  (Beebe) 
Gordon,  removed  to  Will  County,  111.,  in  1853, 
when  he  of  whom  we  write  was  but  a  few  weeks 
old.  They  located  in  the  western  part  of  DuPage 
Township,  on  section  19,  on  laud  that  was  some- 
what improved,  a  few  acres  having  been  plowed, 
and  in  an  old  frame  liouse  they  took  up  their 
abode,  residing  tiiere  about  two  years.  Then  they 
removed  to  the  farm  that  is  now  occupied  b}'  the 
widow  and  son,  and  where  the  father  died  -luly  23, 
1880. 

The  means  possessed  b}-  David  Gordon  when  he 
came  to  this  section  were  limited,  and  he  and  his 
family  endured  some  of  the  privations  incidental 
to  pioneer  life,  but  all  was  borne  uncom|)lain- 
iiigly  by  the  sturdy  man  and  wife,  who  felt  that 
the  future  hold  comfort  for  them  and  their  off- 
spring. Mr.  Gordon  was  a  citizen  who  could  be 
relied  on  to  bear  a  hand  in  whatever  promised  to 
advance  the  interests  of  the  region,  or  aid  those 
about  him  to  greater  ease  and  prosperity.  He 
voted  the  Republican  ticket.  He  was  fairly  suc- 
cessful in  a  worldly  sense,  leaving  an  estate  of  one 


hundred  acres  of  unincumbered  land  as  the  result 
of  his  life's  work. 

The  widow  of  David  Gordon  and  mother  of 
our  subject  is  now  in  her  si.xly-ninth  year,  and 
enjoys  good  health  for  one  of  that  age.  She  has 
four  sons,  namely:  Emory,  who  lives  in  Hamilton 
County,  Iowa;. lay,  our  subject;  Frank,  residing  in 
Hamilton  County, Iowa;  and  Eugene,  who  was  mar- 
ried February  22,  1882,  to  Miss  Alvina  Sears,  of 
this  township,  and  has  three  children,  named, 
Nettie,  David  and  George;  ho  lives  with  his 
mother  and  brother  .Jay  on  the  homestead.  Mrs. 
Gordon  is  one  of  the  oldest  living  [jioneers  of  the 
township  and  is  cherished  by  the  older  inhabitants, 
also  having  many  friends  among  the  younger  peo- 
ple. 

Jay  Gordon  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y., 
May  8,  1853,  but  was  reared  in  this  county  amid 
the  scenes  of  pioneer  life.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  county,  after  which  he  at- 
tended the  Northvvcstern  College,  at  Naperville, 
DuPage  County,  for  six  months.  Subsequently 
the  young  man  engaged  in  toailiing,  acting  as  an 
instructor  during  thirteen  fall  and  winter  terms  of 
school  and  during  the  summers  devoting  his  atten- 
tion mostly  to  farming.  He  is  a  Rei)ublican,  and 
on  the  party  ticket  was  elected  Clerk  of  DuPage 
Townshii),  in  1884,  otticrating  a  year.  His  charac- 
ter is  a  manly  and  upright  one,  his  manners  are 
pleasing,  and  he  has  many  friends  who  look  for- 
ward to  seeing  him  occupy  a  yet  more  prominent 
place  in  the  county  as  3'ears  roll  by. 


ANIEL  lURKETT  is  eminently  a  self-made 
man,  and  is  a  line  type  of  the  class  who,  in 
building  up  their  own  fortunes  have  been 
important  factors  in  securing  the  prosperity  and 
promoting  the  growth  of  their  State,  county  and 
township.  This  gentleman  came  to  this  county 
more  than  half  a  century  ago,  a  poor  man  with 
scarcely  a  dollar  that  he  could  call  his  own,  yet  to- 
day he  is  numbered  among  the  men  of  wealth  in 
this  part  of  the   State.     For    many   years  he  lia.s 


716 


POKTUAIT  AND  BIOGRAl'IIICAL  ALBUM. 


been  extensively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
and  owns  one  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable 
farMis  in  tills  lounty.  whieh  is  exceptionally  well 
improved  and  under  perfect  management.  Besides 
this  he  owns  several  ether  farms.  His  beautiful 
home  in  Plainfield,  one  of  the  finest  residences  in 
the  village,  is  fitted  up  with  all  modern  conve- 
niences, and  is  comfortably  furnished. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  the 
County  of  Cumberland,  December  21,  1811.  His 
father  and  his  grandfather  both  named  like  himself, 
were  also  natives  of  that  count}-.  His  grandfather 
was  a  farmer  and  landowner  and  lived  to  be  up- 
wards of  ninety  ^ears  old.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  reared  and  married  in  the  place  of  his 
nativity,  and  there  carried  on  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  and  spent  his  entire  life,  his  remains  now 
lying  in  Ireby  Churchyard.  The  maiden  name  of 
his  wife  was  Jane  K.-iilton,  and  she  was  also  a  native 
of  Cumberland  County.  Her  father,  Joseph  Rail- 
ton,  was  vc  tiller  of  the  soil,  and  spent  his  entire 
life  in  that  county.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
died  in  the  place  of  her  birth.  She  and  her  hus- 
band reared  seven  children.as  follows:  John, Joseph, 
Mar_v,  Jane,  William,  Daniel,  and  Ann,  our  subject 
being  the  only  one  of  the  sons  who  ever  came  to 
this  country. 

He  was  reared  and  married  and  remained  in  his 
English  home  until  1835.  He  was  of  an  ambitions, 
venturous  turn  of  mind  and  resolved  to  try  his 
fortunes  in  the  United  States  of  America,  and  in 
that  year  set  sail  from  Eiverpool  in  the  month  of 
Januar}-,  on  the  good  ship  '-St.  Lawrence,"  and  on 
the  Gth  of  Jlarch  disembarked  at  New  York,  after 
a  voyage  of  six  weeks  and  four  d.ays.  He  was  .ac- 
companied to  this  country  by  his  wife,  and  they 
stayed  in  New  York  City  nearly  two  j'ears  before 
coming  to  Illinois,  making  the  journe}'  hither  by 
the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  and 
thence  b}'  lake  to  Chicago,  which  the}-  then  found 
to  be  a  small  place.  At  that  time  our  subject  was 
very  poor  and  was  glad  to  liud  emplovment  on  the 
canal  which  was  then  in  process  of  construction. 
Mrs.  Birkett  |)roved  herself  to  be  a  true  helpmate, 
and  shouldering  a  part  of  the  burden  of  sup]iort 
of  the  family,  she  boarded  forty  of  the  workmen. 
^Ir,  Birkett  built  an  oven  of  .?lpne  and  clay  for  her 


to  cook  by,  as  when  the}^  commenced  housekeeping 
they  had  no  furniture.  He  bored  holes  in  a  log  of 
their  cabin  and  inserted  poles  to  make  a  bedstead, 
using  their  chest  for  a  table  and  boxes  for  seats.  Mr. 
Birkett  worked  on  the  canal  for  one  season  and  then 
located  on  land  in  Cook  County,  living  there  until 
183ii,  when  he  came  to  Will  County.  This  was 
then  ver}-  sparsely  settled,  the  land  vv,as  in  the 
hands  of  the  CJovernment  and  for  sale  at  $1.2.5  per 
acre.  Deer,  wolves,  and  other  wild  animals  were 
roaming  at  will  over  the  wild  prairies  and  were 
often  troublesome  to  the  new  settlers.  At  that 
time  there  were  no  raihv.ays  in  the  State  and  Chi- 
cago was  the  nearest  market,  to  which  the  pioneers 
took  their  grain  with  ox  teams.  Mr,  Birkett  rented 
land  two  or  three  years,  and  then  purch.ased  one 
hundred  and  twentj'  acres  of  the  Government  in 
what  is  now  Wheatland  Township.  He  built  a  frame 
house  and  broke  a  few  acres  and  then  sold  the  land 
and  all  his  stock.  He  then  invested  in  another 
tract  of  wild  prairie  l.ind  in  the  same  township,  and 
for  a  year  rented  improved  land,  and  during  the 
time  broke  and  fenced  and  built  on  his  own  prop- 
erty, and  then  settled  there.  He  continued  to  live 
on  that  place  until  1856,  when  he  disposed  of  it  at 
an  advance  and  located  on  another  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land  adjoining 
the  farm  that  he  had  previously  purch,ased.  He 
erected  suitable  buildings,  improved  the  land  and 
resided  on  it  until  1872,  when  he  sold  the  farm 
and  bought  a  place  near  by  on  which  he  built  a 
dwelling,  which  he  made  his  home  until  1880.  His 
next  move  was  to  Aurora,  where  he  bought  land 
and  built  and  there  dwelt  for  a  few  months,  when 
he  sold  at  a  good  price,  and  returning  to  AVheat- 
laud  was  there  until  1885.  and  in  that3ear  came  to 
his  present  beautiful  home  in  PlainQeld. 

Mr.  Birkett  and  Miss  Ann  Ray  were  united  in 
marriage  June  2,  1834.  She  was  a  native  of  Cum- 
berland County,  England,  born  Maj-  22,  1815.  Her 
grandfather.  John  R.ay.  who  was  of  Scotch  paren- 
tage, was  a  landowner  in  that  county  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, Mrs.  Birkett's  father  was  also  a  farmer,  and 
passed  his  whole  life  on  his  native  soil.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Birkett  have  reared  ?even  children,  of  whom 
the  following  are  recorded:    Anu.  married  Thomas 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOCiRAPHlCAL  ALBUM. 


717 


King;  Daniel  R.:  Louisa  M.  mari-ied  .lolin  A'arley; 
Elizabeth  Esther  married  Charles  Varle\-;  Olive  A. 
married  Nicholas  Kanaff;  Lavina  J.,  who  is  tiie 
widow  of  William  Irwin,  lives  with  her  parents; 
and  Mavy  J., who  married  .T.aj-  Ilyland.  The  wedded 
life  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  not  passed 
witliout  its  attendant  sorrows  in  the  death  of  four 
of  their  children,  as  follows:  Jane  died  at  tlie  age 
of  two  years;  Henry  R.,  when  eight  montlis  old; 
Mary  J.  at  the  age  of  eight  years  and  eight  months; 
and  John,  aged  six  weeks. 

Mr.  Birkett  is  a  man  of  strong  character,  self 
reliant  and  self  helpful,  and  has  always  managed 
his  affairs  in  a  thoroughl}-  business-like  manner, 
evincing  remarkable  discernment  and  discretion. 
With  the  wealth  tlius  acquired  he  makes  judicious 
use,  being  liberally  and  charitably'  disposed  and 
doing  his  share  to  promote  all  schemes  for  pul)lic 
benefit.  This  venerable  gentleman  and  his  estima- 
ble wife  are  honored  and  respected  not  only  for 
what  they  are,  but  for  wiiat  they  h.ave  done  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  of  the  county  and  establish  its 
material  prosperity,  and  they  are  well  worthy  of  a 
place  in  this  Biogr.\phical  Album. 


••■J»»;9««^:»S>^^-^«f-<C*f-» 


\] 


lOHN  O.  riEPENBRINK.  A  high  place 
among  the  farmers,  stock-raisers,  and  dair3-- 
men  of  the  county  must  be  accorded  the 
gentleman  above  named,  who  has  made  a 
fortune  by  hard  labor,  prudent  economy  and  busi- 
ness shrewdness.  He  has  experienced  all  that  is 
known  to  a  poor  man  who  makes  a  settlement  in  a 
new  county,  among  the  disadvantages  under  which 
be  labored  being  that  of  having  to  pay  thirty-six 
per  cent,  per  annum  for  the  money  which  he  bor- 
rowed. He  always  managed  to  meet  his  payments 
when  due,  and  his  abilitj-  to  make  money  has  been 
clearly  demonstrated.  He  came  to  Crete  Township 
in  1849,  taking  up  his  abode  in  a  small  log  house, 
which  had  not  sufficient  cover  on  it  to  keep  the 
snow  and  chilly  blasts  of  winter  from  entering. 
From  this  small  beginning  has  grown  a  landed  es- 
tate of  more  than  seven  hundred  acres,  a  part  of 
which  is  now  owned   by  the  sons.     A  good  part  of 


the  wealth  of  Mr.  Pie|)enl)rink  was  made  by  cheese 
and  butter  making,  from  whicli  he  has  now  some- 
what withdrawn.  He  has  in  former  times  kept 
more  than  one  hundred  cows,  and  made  all  the 
milk  into  cheese  and  butter,  which  went  to  tiie 
city  of  Chicago.  The  homestead,  situated  on  sec- 
tion 11,  has  been  occupied  by  our  subject  for  the 
last  twenty  years,  and  is  a  well-improved  farm, 
occu|)ying  a  prominent  place  in  the  list  of  Will 
County's  rural  homes. 

That  part  of  the  Kingdom  of  Prussia  whicii  is 
known  as  Hesse-Cassel,  has  furnished  to  this  county 
a  number  of  her  best  citizens  and  most  enterprising 
farmers.  To  it  we  are  indebted  for  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  who  was  born  in  that  far-away  land 
April  24,  18-26.  His  father,  H.  II.  Piepenbrink, 
w.as  also  born  in  Prussia,  and  was  of  pure  Ger- 
man ancestry.  His  occupation  was  that  of  a 
farmer.  He  married  Miss  Lf>ttie  Meier,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  tiie  same  German  State  as 
himself.  They  s|)ent  their  entire  lives  in  their 
native  country,  the  husband  dying  when  fifty-five 
and  the  wife  when  forty-five  years  of  age.  They 
were  numbered  among  the  most  worthy  citizens  of 
the  section,  both  being  active  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  earnest  in  their  discharge 
of  every  duty.  Their  family  consisted  of  three 
sons  and  a  daughter,  he  of  whom  we  write  being 
the  second  son  and  child.  He  is  the  only  member 
of  the  family  who  came  to  America,  and  with  the 
exception  of  his  sister,  the  only  survivor. 

J.  O.  Piepenbrink  grew  to  manhood  undg^ie 
parental  roof,  receiving  an  excellent  education, 
his  advantages  being  more  favorable  than  those  of 
many  of  his  couutr3'men.  His  father  was  wealthy, 
and  able  to  bestow  upon  his  children  all  the  learn- 
ing they  desired,  althougii  the  property  at  his 
death  fell  to  his  eldest  son.  After  he  became  of 
age  our  subject  received  an  .appointment  in  the 
arm}',  but  was  induced  by  his  father  to  let  the 
latter  pay  the  tax  for  his  release  and  return  to  his 
home.  He  married  a  lady  of  his  own  village,  Miss 
Sophia  Wille,  with  whom  he  set  sail  from  Bremer- 
haven  April  3,  1849,  landing  in  New  York  City 
on  the  1st  of  May  following.  They  came  by  rail 
and  water  to  Chicago,  and  thence  to  their  new 
i    home  in  this  county,  where  they  have  since  made 


(18 


PORTRAIT  AND   HlOGRAinilCAL  ALBUM. 


such  a  splendid  record  and  where  they  have  man}' 
friends,  particularly  among  the  natives  of  their 
own  country. 

Mrs.  rie|)enbrink  is  a  daughter  of  Conrad  and 
Sophia  (Oldrag)  Wille,  who  were  reared  and  mar- 
ried near  llesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and  began  life 
after  the  stylo  of  the  well-to-do  Germans.  They 
spent  their  lives  in  comfort  on  a  large  farm — for 
that  country — dying  shortly  bftforc  reaching  the 
age  of  lifty  years.  They  were  [irouiinent  members 
of  their  community,  and  active  in  tiie  work  of  the 
Lutheran  Churcli.  Their  family  ccjnsisted  of  seven 
children,  most  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States 
and  are  yet  living.  The  wife  of  our  subject  is  the 
fourth  of  the  family,  and  was  horn  .January  "2, 
1826.  She  was  well  reared  and  received  a  good 
German  education,  and  the  knowledge  of  domestic 
affairs  which  has  been  useful  to  her  as  a  helpmate 
and  mother. 

Eight  children  make  uj>  the  family  circle  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife,  all  being  residents  of  Crete 
Township.  J.  Otto  and  Henry  F.  are  the  subjects 
of  biographical  sketches  which  appear  in  this  vol- 
ume. J.  Otto  married  Miss  Dora  Orkenlierg; 
Henry  F.  was  married  to  Miss  Maggie  Schi'ing; 
Conrad  married  Soi)hia  Engelking;  William  mar- 
ried Sophia  Meier;  John  married  Louisa  Do- 
mier;  Phillip  married  Louisa  Diersen.  All  these 
are  farmers.  Ellen  married  Henry  Sporleder,  also 
a  farmer;  Sophia  is  the  wife  of  John  Diersen,  a 
hardware  merchant  in  Crete  Village.  Mr.  Piepen- 
hrink  is  not  au  ollice-seeker,  but  is  a  sound  and  re- 
liable Republican.  He  and  his  wife  take  an  active 
part  in  the  work  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  the 
sup[)ort  of  which  they  contribute  liberally;  they 
are  charter  members  of  the  organization  in  this 
county. 

iEORGE  MUNROE.  The  wholesale  grocery 
T  interests  of  Joliet  are  worthily  represented 
^^j)||  by  the  subject  of  this  notice  with  the  firm 
of  George  T.  Relyca  &  Co.,  of  which  ho  is  the 
senior  member. 

Mr.  Munroc  belongs  to  one  of  the  best  nationali- 
ties on  the   face  of  the  globe,  having  been  born  in 


Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  and  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  April  4,  1821.  His  parents  were  Daniel 
and  Jane  (Richmond)  Munroe,  who  were  likevvise  of 
Scotch  birth  and  ancestry,  and  who  emigralcd  to 
the  United  States  in  1827,  settling  in  Brown ville, 
Jeffeisou  Count}',  N.  Y.  They  brought  with  them 
three  children — George,  Angus  and  Barliara.  The 
family  remained  residents  of  Jefferson  County  until 
1819,  then  emigrated  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Will 
County  where  the  father  died  in  18G0.  The  mother 
hail  passed  away  at  Brownville,  N.  Y.,  about  1829. 

For  thirteen  years  after  coming  to  this  county 
Mr.  Munroc  engaged  in  farming  in  P'loreuce  Town- 
ship. In  the  meantime  he  was  recognized  as  a 
valued  addition  to  the  community  and  filled  with 
credit  many  of  the  local  offices.  In  18(52  he  w,as 
elected  Sheriff  on  the  Democratic  ticket  and  that 
same  year  removed  to  Joliet,  assuming  the  duties  of 
his  oftice  in  November  following.  Subsequently 
he  served  three  3'ears  as  County  Treasurer,  but  in 
the  meantime  in  company  with  his  son,  George  H., 
engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  trade,  being  first  lo- 
cated at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Chicago  Streets. 
They  remained  there  ten  years  and  then  removed 
to  the  t)pera  House  Building  whore  they  did  busi- 
ness six  j'ears.  The  well-known  firm  of  (leorge 
Munroe  &  Son  has  existed  since  I860. 

j\lr.  Munroo  with  his  son,  George  H.,  established 
the  first  wholesale  grocery  store  in  Joliet,  and  with 
his  old  book-keeper,  Mr.  Relyea,  is  the  oldest  repre- 
sentative of  the  wholesale  grocery  business  in  this 
city.  G.  Munroe  &  Son  put  up  the  Hotel  Munroe 
Building  which  they  still  own  and  they  occuijied 
the  ground  floor  for  their  wholesale  trade  until 
1889,  when  they  erected  an  elegcant  stone  buikling, 
65x120  feet  in  dimensions  and  three  stories  in 
height  into  which  the  new  firm,  G.  T.  Relyea  & 
'Co.,  removed  and  which  they  now  occupy.  For 
the  last  five  years  Geoige  and  George  FL  Munroe 
have  dealt  extensively  in  real  estate,  under  the  firm 
name  of  George  Munroe  A  Son,  the  latter,  George 
IL,  being  the  active  manager,  and  who  has  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  building  up  of  the  business 
part  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Munroe  occupies  a  fine  residence.  No.  1204 
Cass  Street.  He  has  been  prominent  in  looal  affairs, 
rei)resenting  his  Ward  in  the  City  Counc'l.  serving 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOaRAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


719 


as  Scliool  Trustee  aud  in  various  otlier  capacities. 
Sociall}',  he  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Commandery,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  in  each  of  which  he 
lias  held  the  different  offices  and  he  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
serving  as  Trustee  at  the  present  time.  lie  has  been 
in  some  odicial  capacity  in  the  church  since  com- 
ing to  Joliet  and  gives  to  it  a  liberal  support. 

Miss  Sarah  IM.  Ilentze  of  Brownville  became  the 
wife  of  our  subject  December  22, 1842.  Mrs.  Mun- 
roe  was  born  in  Brownville,  N.  Y.,  April  30,  1822, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Charity  (Gould) 
Henlze,  who  were  natives  of  New  Yorlv  and  spent 
their  last  years  in  California  and  Illinois.  This 
union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  five  children,  four  of 
whom  are  living,  viz:  George  H.,  .lane  Amelia, 
the  wife  of  Rev.  (x.  11.  Van  Horn,  now  Presi(iing 
Elder  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Rock- 
ford  ;  ]Mary  Elizal)eth,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Hayward;  Edwin, 
traveling  salesman  for  the  firm  of  Reed  ik  Mur- 
dock,  Chicago  Street. 


^^  IIARLES  !•'.  BAITMANN,  is  an  intelligent 
(l(  _  and  enterprising  man,  very  popular  in  the 
"^^7  community  in  the  best  circles  of  which  his 
family  move.  He  was  born  in  Sase-Weimar,  Ger- 
many, March  6,  1835,  and  reared  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. He  is  the  third  of  five  children  liorn  to 
Charles  F.  and  Caroline  W.  R.  (Krauea)  Baumann. 
The  laxter  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kraiica,  a 
minister  of  the  l^utheran  Church  and  both  jjarents 
were  boni  in  Wetsdorf.  The  father  was  a  linen - 
weaver  and  fuller,  and  he  also  operated  a  small 
farm. 

In  18r)3,  he  emigrated  to  America,  making  his 
first  location  in  Richton  Township,  Cook  County, 
III.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  subsequently 
rented  a  farm  in  Will  County' and  still  later  bought 
eighty  acres  in  Frankfort  Township,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  death  in  1874.  His  wife  had  died 
the  previous  year.  He  belonged  to  the  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran  Church. 

The  parental  household  included  Paulina,  Mrs. 
Steckish,   who    died  in    Frankfort;    Mrs.   Caroline 


Metz,  who  lives  in  Minnesota;  our  subject;  August 
who  was  killed  at  Ft.  Donelson,  having  been  Cor- 
l)oral  in  the  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he 
li.ad  enlisted  in  LSCl  ;  and  William,  whose  home  is 
in  AVilmington. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  reared  in  Germany 
and  attended  the  common  schools  until  fourteen 
years  old.  lie  then  worked  .at  his  father's  trade 
until  the  spring  of  1853,  when  the  family  came  to 
America.  They  embarked  at  Bremen  on  the  sailer 
"Yorkshire"  which  made  Quebec  in  fifty-fliree 
days.  Coming  at  once  to  Illinois,  the  young  man 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  a  few  years  and  in  the 
spring  of  1857,  went  to  Minnesota.  He  drove  an 
ox-team  at  St.  Peter,  but  not  being  pleased  witli 
the  country  he  returned  in  the  same  m.anner  after  a 
sojourn  of  but  three  months.  He  was  still  unmar- 
ried and  had  gone  to  Minnesota  to  accommodate  a 
brother-in-law. 

When  Mr.  Baumann  returned  to  Illinois  he  re- 
sumed farming  aud  the  following  spring  rented 
land  in  partnership  with  his  father  and  brother.  In 
1862  he  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Frankfort  Township,  broke  the  soil 
upon  it  and  improved  and  operated  it  until  IHOG. 
He  then  sold  the  farm,  stock  and  im[)lements,  and 
locating  in  Frankfort  started  a  saloon  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother.  They  subsecpiently  dissolved 
the  connection  and  buying  out  the  business,  our 
sul)ject  has  continued  it  alone  from  that  time.  He 
put  up  the  building  which  he  now  occupies  in  1868, 
it  being  53x38  feet  and  occupying  two  and  a  half 
lots.  Besides  this  property  Mr.  Baumann  owns 
seven  acres  adjoining  town,  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  .Martin  Ccninty,  Minn. 

The  lady  who  [)resides  over  the  home  of  our  sub- 
ject Ijecame  his  wife  .luly  26,  1863,  the  ceremony 
taking  place  at  her  home  in  Franklin  Tovvnship. 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Klebbcr, 
and  is  a  native  of  Gietzenlieim,  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany.  She  is  a  daughter  of  .John  Klebber,  a 
farmer  who  settled  in  this  county  about  1852,  and 
who   is  now   living  with  our  subject. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baumann  ten  children  have 
been  born.  John  ^\^  is  clerk  fen  Burrell  &  Co.,  in 
Chicago,  and  Ciiarles  B.  is  now  in  Coal  City,  III.; 
the  latter  formerly  clerkcnl  for  Barney  Belshawski, 


720 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  Al.l'.r.M. 


uf  Fiankfoit  for  six  3ears.  The  children  still  at 
home  are,  Annie,  August,  Lizzie,  Freddie,  Caro- 
line, Ida,  Osiar  and  Arthur. 

Mr.  Banniann  i.s  a  Republican  of  the  stanchest 
sort  and  has  served  his  part}'  as  delegate  to  county 
conventions  and  in  other  capacities.  He  was  Vil- 
lage Trustee  for  six  years.  He  belongs  to  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  holding  meraber- 
sliip  in  a  Joliet  lodge  and  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  He  is  one  of  the  most  intlueutial 
men  in  Frankfort  and  is  an  eflicienl  worker  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  town. 


«^«^»'^m5» 


--j*^**-^*!^ 


'I^EKDHAM  P.  COOPER.  A  pleasant  farm  of 
I  ///  ^^o^^^  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  New 
ji\,M)  Lenox  Township  is  owned  and  operated  by 
the  gentleman  above  named,  who  has  erected  an 
excellent  set  of  buildings  and  made  other  good  im- 
provements upon  his  estate.  His  home  's  locatetl 
on  section  10,  where  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
has  been  passed.  He  was  born  in  Brown  County, 
Ohio,  Maj'  29,  1833,  and  was  about  eighteen  months 
old  when  his  parents  removed  to  the  Prairie  State, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm. 
He  is  the  fourth  of  seven  children  making  up  the 
parental  family,  the  others  being  William, who  lives 
in  Kankakee  Countj';  John  W.,  deceased;  Ann, 
deceaseil,  who  was  the  wife  of  Robert  J.  Broadie; 
Thomas  F.,  a  farmer  in  New  Lenox  Township; 
Elizabeth  E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Love,  and  Lydia  J., 
deeeascil,  who  was  the  wife  of  Norman  Carl. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  late  John 
Cooper  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  October, 
1800,  and  who  died  in  this  county  in  1875.  The 
mother  was  Lydia  (Perry)  Cooper,  born  in  1807, 
in  Brown  County,  Ohio,  where  her  marri.age  took 
place  and  she  and  her  husbaml  lived  until  the  fall 
of  1834.  They  then  came  to  what  is  now  Will 
Countj',  and  settled  on  section  10,  New  Lenox 
Township,  taking  up  the  burdens  which  the  early 
settlers  endured.  Mrs.  Cooper  breathed  her  last  in 
the  fall  of  18.53. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  married 
Juno  26,  1850,  to   Miss   M;u-garcl    Loui.sa   Francis. 


She  was  born  on  the  old  Francis  homestead  in  New 
Lenox  Township,  January  3,  1834,  and  is  probably 
the  lirst  white  child  born  in  Will  County.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Abraham  F^rancis,  whose  his- 
tory is  incorporated  in  a  sketch  of  A.  Allen  Francis, 
elsewhere  in  this  Ai.i'.um.  She  was  the  mother  of 
seven  children,  as  follows:  F^lla,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; John,  who  died  when  about  two  and  oue- 
half  years  old;  Frankie,  who  died  when  twenty 
months  old;  Margaret  L.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Jeffer- 
son Doig  of  New  I-enox  Townsliip;  N.  Perry,  who 
lives  at  home;  Allen  F.,  who  is  clerking  in  New 
Lenox,  and  Jessie  M. 

Mr.  Cooper  acts  with  the  Republican  partj\  He 
has  served  as  Assessor  one  year  and  as  Constable 
four  j'ears.  He  and  his  good  wife  belong  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  which  he  has  held 
the  offices  of  Steward  and  Trustee. 

<i^  j^-ILLlAM  II.  FLAGG,  a  son  of  one  of  the 
very  first  settlers  of  the  county,  whose 
biographical  sketch  appears  in  this  volume, 
was  born  on  the  farm  that  he  now  owns  and  oc- 
cupies in  Plainfield  Township,  one  mile  from  the 
vill.age  on  the.  Chicago  road.  Mil}'  8.  1841,  being 
the  date  of  his  birth,  he  being  the  ninth  child  of 
Reuben  and  Betse}'  (Kendall)  Flagg.  He  was 
reared  under  pioneer  influences,  and  since  attaining 
manhood  has  taken  his  place  among  the  most  in- 
telligent and  progressive  of  the  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  his  native  coujit}',  whose  interests  he 
seeks  to  promote  materially  and  morally. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  prim- 
itive pioneer  schools  of  his  early  days,  and  as  soon 
as  large  enough  went  to  work  on  the  liome  farm, 
always  remaining  with  his  parents  until  death  sep- 
arated them.  He  gained  a  good  practical  know- 
ledge of  agriculture  and  inherited  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead,  whose  acreage  he  has  since  increased 
by  purchasing  other  tracts  of  land,  till  it  now  con- 
tains one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  land, 
whose  fertility  and  productiveness  is  unsurpassed 
in  this  county.  It  is  under  a  high  state  of  culli- 
vation  and  is  am|il3'  provided  with  modern  niachin- 


Ua//^"^    ^      ^a^Wiy 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


723 


ery  for  various  purposes,  and  be  has  erected  a  fine 
set  of  frame  buildings,  and  everything  about  the 
place  evinces  thrift  aud  careful  management  on  the 
part  of  its  owner. 

Mr.  Flagg  and  Miss  Margaret  Van  Horn  were 
united  in  marriage  in  1867,  and  they  have  estab- 
lished one  of  the  coziest  and  most  attractive  liomes 
in  the  neighborhood,  the  scene  of  generous  and 
friendly  hospitalitj'.  Their  pleasant  home  circle  is 
completed  by  their  five  children — Kate  O.,  Bessie 
L.,  Warren  L.,  Henry  C,  and  Burr  W. 

Mr.  Flagg  is  a  man  of  many  fine  characteristics, 
is  thoughtful,  discriminating,  self  reliant,  and  clear 
sighted,  is  a  good  worker,  and  is  a  credit  to  the 
place  of  his  nativity,  where  he  is  held  in  univer- 
sal respect  whether  in  social  or  in  a  business  life,  by 
the  people  who  have  watched  his  career  from  youth 
up,  and  by  all  with  whom  he  associates.  He  holds 
advanced  views  in  regard  to  religion,  and  is  a 
thorough  advocate  of  the  Universalist  faitli  as 
preached  by  the  Rev.  Jacob  Mcrrifiold,  in  the 
church  of  that  denomination  in  Plainfleld. 


<Sl  felLLIAM  PENN  CATON.  A  few  years 
\/sJll  *'"*^^  there  passed  from  life's  active  scenes 
^y^  H.  gentleman  who  had  been  conspicuously 
interested  in  the  most  important  affairs  of  Will 
Count}',  and  whose  portrait  is  presented  on  the 
opi)08ite  page.  He  was  prominent  in  political  and 
religious  circles,  and  was  first  a  member  of  the 
Whig  party.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  he  became  a  strong  supporter  of  its 
principles,  and  during  the  late  war  was  a  stanch 
Union  man. 

The  native  place  of  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
late  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Joliot,  was  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  he  was 
born  March  28,  1815.  His  immediate  progenitors 
were  Robert  and  Hannah  (Dean)  Caton,  who  were 
Quakers  in  religion  and  worthy  representatives  of 
that  peaceable  sect.  Robert  Caton  was  born  May 
22,  1761,  and  was  three  times  married,  Hannah 
Dean,  the  mother  of  our  sulijcci,  licing  the  tiiird 
wife.     The   father  died   April   (i,    1X1,5,  when  our 


subject  was  only  nine  days  old.     The  mother  died 
April  16,  1836,  aged  fifty-eight  years. 

In  Oneida  County  young  Caton  spent  the  first 
eighteen  years  of  his  life.  Then,  setting  out  for 
himself,  he  repaired  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  so- 
journed there  three  years,  being  employed  as  a 
clerk  in  a  general  store.  In  1836  he  went  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  and  clerked  there  and  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  until  the  following  year.  Then,  returning  to 
Chicago,  he  sojourned  in  that  place  briefly,  and 
finally  took  up  two  thousand  acres  of  Govern- 
ment land  in  Cook  County,  111.,  situated  about  six- 
teen miles  northwest  of  the  present  site  of  Chicago, 
where  he  lived  until  the  year  1848.  In  the  mean- 
time he  was  married,  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  No- 
vember 28,  1844,  at  the  bride's  home,  on  the  north 
branch  of  the  Chicago  River,  Cook  County,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Steele. 

Returning  now  to  Chicago,  Mr.  Caton  secured  an 
otHce  as  inspector  of  canal  boats,  an  important  po- 
sition, which  he  held  until  1856.  Then,  removing 
to  the  vicinity  of  Plainfleld,  this  county,  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  1871.  He  now  decided  to 
retire  from  active  labor,  and  removing  to  Joliet, 
remained  a  resident  of  this  city  until  his  death, 
March  22,  1886.  During  the  late  years  of  his  life 
he  suffered  very  much  from  ill-health.  While  a 
resident  of  Chicago  he  was  connected  with  the 
I'lymouth  Church,  in  which  he  officiated  as  Dea- 
con. After  coming  to  Joliet  he  joined  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  and  held  the  same  office  in 
this  church  for  many  years.  He  became  promi- 
nent in  mercantile  circles  in  the  Garden  City,  and 
for  a  lime  was  engaged  in  banking. 

The  estimable  wife  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Steele)  Caton  was  born  May  30,  1819,  in  Eliza- 
bethtown,  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  to  Jonathan  and 
Theodosia  (Nichols)  Steele.  Jonathan  Steele  was 
a  native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  was  born  in  1777. 
From  his  native  place  he  removed  to  Elizabeth- 
town,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1812  had  charge  of  the  arsenal 
at  Elizabethtown,  fitting  out  the  troops  for  the 
campaign  on  Lake  Champlain.  His  wife,  Theo- 
dosia, was  liorn  in  Vermont,  October  16,  1780,  and 
died  in  Elizabethtown,  N.  Y.,  when  her  daughter, 
Elizabeth,  was  onl}'  three  months  old.  Subse- 
quently  the   father  removed    to   New  York   City, 


724 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


aud  lived  there  until  removing  to  Cliicago,  111.,  in 
1837.  Mrs.  Caton  thus  looked  upon  the  now  great 
cit}'  when  it  was  a  village  of  a  few  housos.  and  she 
has  watched  its  gradual  growth  to  a  great  metropo- 
lis with  more  than  ordinary  interest.  She  sailed 
from  Buffalo  on  one  of  the  first  lake  steamers  which 
ever  plied  the  waters  of  old  Lake  Michigan. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caton  there  was  born  a  family 
of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  living:  William 
Edward,  a  resident  of  Grand  liapids,  Mich.,  is  mar- 
ried and  the  father  of  three  children ;  Hannah  E. 
is  the  wife  of  T.  A.  Mason,  of  Joliet,  and  they 
have  two  children;  Charles  A.,  a  resident  of  Ot- 
tawa, 111.,  is  married  and  the  f.nther  of  three  chil- 
dren; Albert  H.  and  wife  are  living  in  Plainfield; 
Minnie  E.  remains  with  her  mother.  Mrs.  Caton, 
since  the  death  of  her  husband,  has  managed  the 
estate  in  an  admirable  manner,  and  is  a  lady  greatly 
respected  in  her  community. 


^^B^afflg 


HRTSTOPH  SALZMANN.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  agricultural  resources  of  Wash- 
''  ington  Township,  has  been  largely  due 
to  the  efforts  of  foreign-born  citizens,  particularly 
bo  natives  of  the  German  Empire.  Many  of  them 
have  made  their  home  here,  and  taking  tracts  of 
unbroken  prairie  land,  devoid  of  buildings,  have 
soon  converted  the  virgin  soil  into  smiling  fields  of 
golden  grain,  in  the  midst  of  which  substantial 
dwellings  and  outbuildings  have  been  erected. 
This  has  been  the  case  on  the  homestead  of  Cbris- 
toph  Salzmann,  who  owns  eighty  acres  of  excel- 
lent land  on  section  30. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Paul  Salzmann,  a 
native  of  Northern  Germany,  and  a  linen-weaver 
by  trade.  He  died  when  but  forty-six  years  old, 
leaving  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  most  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  His  wife  was  Mary  Er- 
bach,  also  a  native  of  Northern  Germany,  in  which 
she  spent  her  entire  life,  breathing  her  l.asl  when 
sixty  years  of  age.  Both  husband  and  wife  were 
life-long  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born 
September  12,   1821,   in    S.axe-Coburg,  Germany, 


and  having  lost  his  father  when  but  five  j-ears  of 
age,  was  reared  by  bis  worthy  mother.  When  he 
had  reached  the  proper  age  he  began  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  linen-weaver,  in  which  his  father  had 
been  so  skilled  a  workman  and  in  which  he  also  at- 
tained proficiency.  He  w!\s  thirty-two  years  old 
and  yet  a  single  man  when  he  was  drawn  to  Amer- 
ica b3-  what  he  had  heard  of  the  openings  which 
this  country  presented  for  a  man  of  energy.  He 
left  Bremerhaven  Maj-  20,  1853,  on  a  sailer  that 
required  fifty-four  days  to  make  the  voj^age  to 
New  York  City.  He  came  at  once  to  Cook 
County.  111.,  in  whicli  he  made  his  home  until 
18C2.  with  the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Iowa. 
During  this  l^ime  he  was  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer 
and  had  been  hoarding  his  resources  in  order  to 
bu}-  himself  a  home.  Coming  to  Will  County  he 
secured  the  tract  of  prairie  which  his  well-directed 
efforts  have  converted  into  his  present  well-im- 
proved and  well-cultivated  estate. 

The  lady  whom  Mr.  Salzmann  won  for  his  wife 
and,  with  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  Cook 
County,  was  Miss  Sophia  .Shoof.  .She  w.as  born  in 
Mecklenberg,  Germany.  June  23,  1830,  and  reared 
and  educated  in  her  native  laud.  In  185G  she 
accompanied  her  parents  and  other  members  of  the 
family  to  America,  whence  two  brothers  had  pre- 
ceded thera.  They  crossed  the  Atlantic  on  a  slow 
sailer  from  Hamburg  to  New  York,  the  entire  fam- 
ily coming  direct  to  the  Prairie  State,  and  settling 
at  Oak  Park,  Cook  Count}-.  There  Henry  Shoof 
died  in  1870,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-one  years. 
His  widow  afterward  came  to  live  with  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Salzmann.  and  died  at  her  home  in  1872, 
when  seventj'-nine  years  old.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shoof  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
kindly  of  heart  and  industrious  in  habits.  After 
reaching  Chicago  their  daughter  earned  her  liveli- 
hood as  a  domestic  until  her  marriage  to  our  sub- 
ject. 

The  hapii}'  union  of  Mr.  and  ]Mrs.  Salzmann  has 
been  blest  1)y  the  birth  al  seven  children,  and  they 
mourn  the  loss  of  a  daughter,  Sarah,  who  died 
when  a  year  old.  Of  the  surviving  members  of 
the  family  circle,  Rosa  is  living  with  a  sister  in 
Thornton,  III. ;  Frank  married  Anna  Kratchniar  and 
lives  in  Chicago,  where  he  has  a  saloon;  Emma  A. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


725 


is  the  wife  of  William  Maxwell,  a  quarrymau,  in 
Thornton;  Robert,  a  promising  young  man,  is  at 
home  and  working  the  homestead  and  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  of  land  which  belongs  to  himself; 
Christy  M.  is  attending  school  at  Thornton;  Jessie 
G.  is  at  home.  Mr.  Salzmaun  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  he  and  his  good  wife  be- 
long to  the  Lutheran  Church,  by  whose  principles 
they  endeavor  to  guide  their  daily  lives. 


I 


LINK,  though  of  foreign  birth,  came  to  this 
country  in  his  boyhood  and  was  reared  under 
our  institutions  and  educated  in  our  schools, 
and  to-day,  in  the  vigor  of  a  stalwart  manhood, 
scarcely  past  its  prime,  is  a  prosperous  and  suc- 
cessful citizen  of  one  of  its  richest  farming  commu- 
nities, the  possessor  of  a  farm  in  Troy  that  is  as 
valuable  and  well  improved  as  any  to  be  found  in 
this  section  of  Will  County. 

Mr.  Link  is  a  native  of  Alsace,  Germany,  where 
he  was  born  August  1,  1845,  to  Joseph  and  Mary 
Ann  (Striker)  Link.  When  he  was  eleven  years 
of  age  his  parents  emigrated  to  America  and  came 
directly  to  Joliet,  where  they  lived  for  five  years. 
Ill  1863  they  purchased  apart  of  the  farm  in  Troy 
Township  now  owned  and  occupied  b}' our  subject. 
Ileie  they  remained  making  their  home  with  him 
until  death  called  them  hence,  the  father  dying 
in  February,  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventj'-five  years 
and  one  month  and  the  mother  April  3,  1889,  aged 
seventy-five  years,  seven  months  and  twenty-five 
days.  They  left  a  family  of  three  children — Ellen, 
wife  of  Xavier  Beath,  a  farmer  of  Troy ;  our  sub- 
ject; Mary,  widow  of  Joseph  Metzgar. 

lie  of  whom  we  write,  received  an  excellent 
common-school  education.  He  was  reared  to  farm- 
in"  pursuits  and  remained  on  the  homestead  of  his 
parents,  finally  buying  the  farm  of  them.  He  has 
been  very  much  prospered  in  his  vocation  and  has 
added  to  his  first  purch.ise  a  large  tract  of  fine 
farming  land  comprising  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
acres,  so  that  his  farm  is  now  composed  of  two 
hundred  and  ninety-six  acres  of  land  well  tilled 
and  finely  improved.      He    has    buill    a   large    and 


conveniently  arranged  barn  and  is  preparing  to 
build  a  commodious  and  substantial  residence, and 
has  other  suitable  buildings. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Link  with  Miss  Christina, 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Caroline  Eigsted,  took 
pl.ice  in  1872.  Mrs.  Link's  parents  came  from 
Prussia  in  1 855,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives  in  Joliet,  leaving  two  children  at  their  death. 
Seven  children  complete  the  present  liousehold 
circle  of  our  subject  and  his  wife.  Frank,  John, 
Mar}-,  Albert,  Lizzie,  Josephine,  and  bain*  Louisa. 
Mr.  Link  aims  to  give  his  children  each  two  years 
schooling  in  the  church  as  he  desires  to  have  them 
well  educated.  The}'  all  speak  good  German  and 
the  elder  ones  have  good  English  educations. 

Mr.  Link  has  well  improved  his  opportunities, 
laboring  unceasingly,  carrying  on  his  work  with 
skill,  and  sound,  clear  judgment,  so  that  he  has 
achieved  a  proud  place  among  the  most  wide 
awake  and  successful  of  our  farmers  in  this  part  of 
the  county.  His  fellow-citizens,  marking  his  abil- 
ity in  carrying  on  his  own  afifairs,  have  called  on 
him  to  aid  in  the  management  of  public  business. 
He  has  been  Highway  Commissioner  for  three  years 
and  also  Collector  for  the  Township,  and  has  faith- 
fully filled  the  position  as  School  Director  for  six- 
teen years,  the  school  of  District  No.  5,  being 
located  on  his  farm.  He  and  his  wife  are  true 
Christians  and  members  in  good  standing  of  the  St. 
John's  German  Catholic  Church  of  Joliet,their  chil- 
dren also  being  communicants  of  that  church.  In 
politcs  he  is  a  sturdy  Democrat,  though  he  is  not 
confined  to  party  ties,  but  in  local  elections  votes 
for  the  man  whom  he  thinks  is  best  fitted  for  the 
office. 


'i^m- 


DAVID  ROSENHEIM,  one  of  the  pioneer 
)  clothing  men  of  Joliet,  has,  by  a  thorough 
understanding  of  his  business,  built  up  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  trade,  having 
among  his  friends  and  patrons  the  leading  men  of 
the  city.  He  is  still  comparatively  a  young  man, 
approaching  the  forty-third  year  of  his  age,  hav- 
in<^  been  born  December  11,  1 847.  His  native  place 
was  in  the   kingdom   of  Wurtemburg,  and  his  par- 


726 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ents  were  Benedict  and  Babette  (Melzgar)  Rosen- 
heim, who  were  likewise  of  German  birth  and  an- 
cestry, and  who  spent  tiieir  entire  life  on  their 
native  soil. 

Our  subject,  arrived  iu  Joliet  in  the  spring 
of  1863,  having  made  tlie  passage  on  the  steam- 
ship "China."  lie  engaged  first  as  a  clerk  with 
his  brother,  and  then  became  proprietor  of  the  busi- 
ness. Bj-  steady-  application  thereto  and  court 
eons  treatment  of  his  customers,  he  has  attaiued  to 
a  good  position  socially  as  well  as  in  a  business 
wav,  and  like  most  of  those  of  his  nationality  who 
have  sought  their  fortunes  on  the  soil  of  America, 
he  is  now  comparatively  independent. 

Mr.  Rosenheim  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss 
Augusta  Lindauer  at  the  bride's  home  in  Joliet, 
June  18,  1878.  This  lad3-  was  born  in  the  same 
town  in  Germany  as  her  husband,  and  was  ids  play- 
mate during  their  school  days.  Her  father,  Julius 
Lindauer  and  his  wife,  were  of  German  birth  and 
parentage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rosenheim  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  bright  children — Bert,  Julian,  Myra 
and  Sidney.  The  little  family  occupies  a  snug 
home  in  the  city  where  they  enjoy  all  of  llie  com- 
forts and  manv  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 


^= 


E^ 


VwiENSEN  BROS.,  luoprietors  of  the  cele- 
|!  In-ated  '-Paradise  Farm,"  are  among  the 
I,  most  intelligent,  active  and  enterprising 
^^^1/  farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  Will  County. 
Their  farm,  on  section  30,  Channahon  Township, 
lies  on  the  upland,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Des- 
plaines  and  Kank.akee  Rivers,  where  they  unite  to 
form  the  Illinois.  From  the  bluff  on  which  they 
live  they  have  a  magnificent  view  for  manv  miles 
up  the  Kankakee,  and  on  a  clear  day  can  see  Wil- 
mington, Braidwood  and  other  surrounding  towns. 
Our  subjects  came  here  in  1875  and  bought  a  small 
part  of  their  present  estate,  Ijdng  in  the  forest, 
and  since  then  they  have  done  so  well  financiallj' 
that  they  have  added  to  their  original  purchase 
and  now  own  four  hundred  .acres  of  valu.able 
land.  By  extraordinary  exertions  and  persever- 
ance   they    have  cleared  about  one  hundred  and 


forty  acres  of  this  and  have  it  under  the  plow,  de- 
voting the  remainder  to  pasturage  for  their  large 
herds  of  stock,  the  land  being  especially  adapted 
to  that  purpose.  The\'  have  provided  it  with  am- 
ple buildings,  each  having  a  comfortable  dwelling, 
and  there  are  good  barns  and  other  outhouses  on 
the  place. 

The  Messrs.  Jensen  early  took  the  advantage  of 
the  adaptability  of  their  land  to  stock  raising,  and 
have  made  a  speciality  of  that  line,  raising  horses, 
cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  all  of  the  best  grades. 
They  have  a  fine  thorough-bred  Holstein  bull,  and 
a  herd  of  thorough-bred  cows,  making  a  specialty 
of  this  breed;  while  in  horses  they  have  the  heavy 
draft  Clydesdale  and  Norman  stock;  in  sheep  they 
have  nothing  but  the  Shropshire;  and  in  hogs  they 
have  the  celebrated  Poland-Chinas.  These  gentle- 
men have  by  no  means  confined  their  operations 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  but  have  branched  out  in 
other  directions  since  coming  to  Will  County,  in 
1869.  They  own  and  operate  a  steam  threshing 
machine  and  corn  sheller,  and  furnish  poiver  for 
drilling  artesian  wells.  They  were  the  first  to  buy 
and  operate  the  now  ver}'  common  road  grader, 
taking  road  grading  bj'  contract,  and  have  made 
all  the  roads  in  the  township  of  Seward,  Grundy 
County,  and  have  done  considerable  work  in  the 
city  of  Chicago,  grading  all  the  streets  of  Ever- 
green Park  and  W.ashington  Heights. 

Louis  and  Augustus  Jensen,  of  whom  we  write, 
are  natives  of  Norway,  their  birthplace  being  on 
the  shores  of  the  beautiful  lake  Mjaison.  They 
came  to  America  when  Louis  was  eighteen  years 
of  age  and  Augustus  was  but  sixteen.  A  twin 
brother  of  the  latter,  John,  accompanied  them. 
He  is  now  numbered  among  the  well-to-do  farmers 
of  Grundy  County,  having  a  good  farm  but  a  few 
miles  from  his  brothers.  The3-  came  directly  to 
Chicago,  and  from  there  Iq  Minooka,  where  thej' 
had  an  uncle  living,  and  where  each  .accepted  work 
at  .anything  at  which  they  could  turn  an  honest 
pennj'. 

Louis  Jensen  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Moe,  of 
Chicago,  in  1880,  she  also  being  a  Norwegian  by 
birth.  The}-  have  two  daughters  and  one  son — 
Annie  Pauline,  Ida  Fredericka  and  Warner. 

Augustus  Jensen  was  married,  in  1881,  to  a  Dan- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


727 


ish-German  lady,  ]Miss  Catharine  Hensen.  They 
have  two  chiklien  :  Louisa  Dura  Missa,  seven  years 
of  age;  and  Walter  Nelson,  a  baby. 

The  Jensen  brothers,  by  their  courage,  foresight 
and  business  enterprise,  have  been  very  influential 
in  advancing  the  financial  status  of  the  township, 
and  are  numbered  among  its  most  invaluable  citi- 
zens. In  [jolitics  thej'  are  a  little  mixed,  being 
rather  inclined  to  the  Greenliack  order.  They 
■were  educated  in  the  tenets  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  and  still  abide  by  that  faith. 

i^ASHINGTON  D.  STEWART  is  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  in  jjoiut  of  settlement  in 
Custer  Township,  and  has  been  a  very 
cllicient  aid  in  developing  its  fine  agricultural  re- 
sources. He  was  born  July  30,  1826,  in  Wayne 
County,  Ohio,  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Motz) 
Stewart,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  that  State  about  1820,  and  moving  to  Ohio, 
became  early  settlers  of  Wayne  County,  where  the 
father  carried  on  farmitig  and  where  they  made 
their  permanent  home  till  death  called  them  to  a 
higher  life,  she  dying  in  1876,  and  he  in  1880.  They 
had  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 
The  son  of  whom  we  write  was  their  sixth  child. 
His  early  educational  advantages  were  limited  and 
after  he  was  eight  jears  old,  he  never  attended 
school  again.  Ambitious,  however,  to  better  his 
education,  later  in  life  he  pursued  his  studies  and 
became  quite  a  proficient,  especially  in  mathematics. 
During  his  youth  he  was  kept  in  attendance  at  the 
Postoffice  and  bar  of  the  tavern  belonging  to  his 
father,  but  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  life  for 
himself.  For  some  years  he  engaged  in  handling 
stock  and  in  general  trading  until  he  had  quite  a 
sum  of  monej\  In  1  847,  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
bought  his  present  farm,  locating  land  warrants  for 
four  hundred  acres.  He  did  not  however,  settle 
here  then,  but  went  back  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  and 
in  1850  returned  with  his  family  to  make  his  per- 
manent residence  here.  The  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  comprising  his  farm  have  been 
put  under  excellent  tillage  and  he  has  erected  a  sub- 


stantial set  of  buildings.  He  first  erected  a  frame 
house  and  in  1868,  built  his  present  more  commodi- 
ous residence  at  a  cost  of  $2,800.  He  has  given  his 
attention  to  stock-raising  and  farming,  and  formerly 
raised  some  very  fine  blooded  cattle. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  married  April  23,  1845,  to  Miss 
Rosella  Tanner,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Tanner,  of 
Wayne  Count}',  Ohio,  a  pioneer  farmer  of  that  lo- 
calit}'.  Mrs.  Stewart  was  born  November  24,  1826, 
on  her  father's  homestead  in  Wayne  County,  and 
received  the  advantages  of  a  good  common-school 
education.  Mrs.  Stewart  departed  this  life  March 
27,  1888.  Of  the  six  children  born  of  her  mar- 
riage with  our  subject,  two  are  now  living:  Ella, 
wife  of  Joseph  Myers,  who  lives  with  our  subject; 
and   Emma. 

Our  subject  occupies  a  worthy  place  among  the 
pioneers  of  the  count}',  and  during  his  long  resi- 
dence in  Custer  Township  has  shown  himself  to  be 
a  good  citizen  who  has  always  taken  an  interest  in 
its  welfare  and  who  has  served  it  faithfuU}-  while 
in  public  office.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  Di- 
rector of  the  school  district  and  for  eight  years  has 
served  with  credit  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  has 
been  Township  Clerk  and  Road  Commissioner.  He 
has  alwa3'S  taken  an  active  part  in  politics  and  keeps 
himself  well  posted  on  the  political  issues  of  the 
day.  He  has  been  a  sound  Democrat  from  his 
30uth  ui)wards,  though  in  local  affairs,  he  votes  for 
the  man  regardless  of  party. 


,^ps^  MEYER,  M.l).  For  about  eighteen  years 
^^^  Dr.  Me}'er  lias  been  the  leading  phj'sician 
Ifl/'^j  and  surgeon  of  Beecher,  whore  he  established 
himself  in  1872,  and  where  he  has  built  up  a 
large  and  successful  practice.  He  was  thoroughly 
educated  in  the  science  of  therapeutics,  and  had  an 
extended  experience  as  an  arm}-  i)liysician  and  sur- 
geon, as  well  as  a  private  experience  of  many  years, 
before  he  became  a  resident  of  this  place.  His  the- 
oretical knowledge  and  skill  in  the  use  of  remedial 
agents  is  unquestioned,  while  in  the  use  of  the  scal- 
pel he  was  equally  well  versed. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Michael  Meyer,  a 


r28 


rORTRAlT  AND  lUOCRAl'lllCAL  ALBUM. 


native  of  I'lussia.  who  servoil  his  coiintiy  as  a  soi- 
(lifr  for  nine  years,  chiefly  luuler  Napoleon.  He 
lived  to  the  extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  and 
two  years,  dying  in  the  land  of  his  l)irth.  His  first 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mar}'  Francen.  She 
w.is  the  mother  of  two  children,  our  subject  and  a 
brother,  Michael,  .Ir.,  who  also  came  to  this  coun- 
try. The  latter  died  in  (^'liicago  after  having  served 
twenty  jears  as  detective  and  policeman  there. 
The  mother  was  noteil  in  her  country  for  her  med- 
ical skill  and  education,  she  having  practiced  mid- 
wifery for  man^'  ^'cars;  she  died  at  the  ripe  old  .age 
of  eighty-seven  years.  She  and  her  husband  be- 
longed to  the  Catholic  Church. 

Dr.  Meyer  was  born  in  one  of  the  Rhine  Provin- 
ces of  Prussia,  Sei)tember  11,  1821,  and  was  care- 
fully re;ued  by  his  parents,  who  bestowed  upon  him 
all  the  advai»itages  possible  in  the  way  of  obtaining 
knowledge.  When  he  had  reached  the  proper  years 
he  entered  the  medical  college  of  Bon,  (jermany, 
where  he  studied  six  years.  He  was  then  gradu- 
ated, and  entering  the  I'russian  Army  spent  nine 
years  in  discharging  the  duties  devolving  upon  an 
army  physician  and  surgeon.  He  had  charge  of 
many  serious  cases,  and  performed  many  critical 
surgical  operations,  as  he  has  since  done  in  America. 

The  knowledge  which  Dr.  Meyer  had  obtained 
of  the  United  States  led  him  to  believe  that  a 
broader  field  would  be  opened  before  him  in  this- 
country,  and  he  therefore  determined  to  leave  his 
native  land  and  .seek  a  home  in  the  New  World.  In 
the  fall  of  1854  he  engaged  passage  for  himself  and 
family  on  a  vessel  which  sailed  from  Antwerp  to 
New  York.  They  reached  the  latter  city  after  a 
perilous  vo^'age  of  sixty-five  days.  Storms  swept 
the  vessel  clear  of  its  masts  and  rigging,  and  the 
five  hundred  passengers  nearly  died  from  starva- 
tion before  the  desired  haven  was  reached.  The 
Doctor  came  at  once  to  Chicago  and  opened  an 
office  in  that  city,  where  he  pursued  his  chosen  call- 
ing with  marked  success  until  1872.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Beecher,  which  has  since  been  his  home, 
and  the  center  of  his  well-directed  efforts  lo  allevi- 
ate the  sufferings  of  mankind. 

The  first  wife  of  our  subject  was  Miss  Theresa 
A.  Hacrman,  a  native  of  one  of  the  Rhine  Prov- 
inces, in  which  she  spent   her    entire   life,  dying 


when  but  twenty-three  3'ears  old.  She  left  one 
child,  Lena,  now  the  wife  of  Adam  Rauen,  whose 
home  is  Chicago,  and  who  is  connected  with  the 
water-works  there.  Dr.  Meyer  chose  for  his  second 
com[ianion  Miss  tlertrude  Hann,  who  was  also  born 
and  reared  in  a  Rhine  Province  in  Germany.  This 
marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  a  large  family, 
four  of  whom  are  now  living.  Of  the  eight  who 
have  been  removed  by  death,  all  died  yonng  and 
most  of  them  in  infancy.  The  survivors  are  Mi- 
chael ,  Peter,  John  and  Anna.  The  first  is  foreman 
of  the  painting  department  of  the  car  shops;  he  is 
a  clever  artist,  wielding  the  brush  in  other  lines 
than  those  required  in  the  business.  Ho  married 
IMiss  Augusta  Heinz.  Peter  is  a  prominent  fresco, 
sign  and  landscape  painter,  and  he  also  evinces 
consi<lerable  artistic  talent;  John  is  employed  in 
the  Cook  County  Court  House;  Anna  is  the  wife 
of  John  Pauly,  a  dealer  in  wines  and  liquors,  at  No. 
100  Randolph  Street,  Chicago. 

Dr.  Me^'er  is  a  believer  in  the  principles  embod- 
ied in  the  Democratic  platform,  and  in  all  national 
elections  supports  it  with  his  vote.  He  is  a  memlier 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  enrolled  in  Blue 
Lodge  No.  740,  Grand  Park.  The  entire  family 
belong  to  the  Catholic  Church.  The  Doctor  owns 
some  fine  property  in  Chicago. 


¥ 


^-^^^:^;i^^^^^t7^^^ 


-ILL! AM  CUGK.  For  many  jears  thi.s 
gentleman  resided  on  a  fine  farm  on  sec- 
tion IG,  Crete  Township,  Will  County,  and 
this  land,  through  his  energetic  management,  was 
converted  into  one  of  the  most  pleasant  estates  in 
the  township.  He  also  owned  land  on  section  17, 
comprising  altogether  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres.  He  dated  his  arrival  in  this  county  from 
May  10,  1850,  after  which  he  gradually  built  up  a 
finely  improved  farm  and  accumulated  a  fair  share 
of  this  world's  goods.  Toward  the  close  of  his  life 
he  retired  from  his  more  .arduous  labors  and  spent 
his  declining  years  in  ease  and  comfort.  His  death 
occurred  at  his  home,  July  14,  1890,  when  he  had 
attained  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty  years,  four 
months  and  nineteen  days.     For  six  years  preced- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


729 


ing  his  death,  his  activity  was  somewiiat  lessened  by 
the  lameness  which  resulted  from  a  fall  be  then 
received.  Politically,  be  was  a  Democrat,  and  in 
his  religious  belief  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  His  intelligence,  uprightness 
and  useful  life  and  industry  were  recognized  by  his 
acquaintances  who  accorded  him  their  highegt  es- 
teem. 

In  Lincolnshire,  England,  many  years  ago,  lived 
and  died  Thomas  Cook,  a  small  landowner.  He 
married  Sarah  Holmes,  a  native  of  the  same  shire, 
who  died  when  sixty  years  old.  This  worthy  cou- 
ple were  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  for  thirty  years,  and  for  years  their 
home  was  a  meeting  jilace  for  the  congregation  on 
every  Wednesday  night.  They  also  had  prayer- 
meeting  every  Friday  niglitand  class-meeting  every 
Sunday  for  some  years,  tiiese  facts  illustrating  the 
faithful  interest  which  they  felt  and  manifested  in 
the  cause  of  Christianity.  To  them  were  born  nine 
children,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  one  of 
younger  members  of  tlie  family,  and  the  only  one 
who  came  to  the  United  States. 

The  natal  day  of  William  Cook  was  February 
25,  1810,  and  his  birthplace  in  the  northern  part  of 
Lincolnshire,  England.  The  early  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  in  acquiring  knowledge,  but  at  the  age 
of  thirteen  years  he  left  school  and  began  to  learn 
the  trade  of  a  shoemaker.  He  served  under  Rich- 
ard Michaelwait  in  Winterton,  in  his  native  shire 
until  he  was  twenty  years  old,  after  which  he  worked 
as  a  journeyman  for  a  time.  He  then  set  up  a  shop 
in  the  place  where  he  had  learned  his  trade,  and 
there  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Adkinson,  the  daugh- 
ter of  well-to-do  parents,  by  whom  she  was  well 
reared.  She  was  born  in  Blygton,  England,  in  1803 
and  in  her  native  shire  grew  to  womanhood.  There 
hor  mother  died,  and  a  few  years  later  her  father 
came  to  the  United  States,  where  he  lived  to  be 
quite  old.  Joseph  Adkinson  was  a  tailor.  Upon 
coming  to  America  he  settled  near  Monroeville, 
Ohio,  where  he  owned  a  large  property. 

After  the  birth  of  their  first  child  and  the  death 
of  the  same,  our  subject  and  his  wife  set  out  for 
the  United  States,  leaving  their  native  land  Feb- 
ruary 2b,  1831.  They  took  passage  at  Hull  on  a 
brig   frigate,  and    after  a  voyage   of   some   seven 


weeks  landed  in  New  York  City,  whence  they  jour- 
neyed to  Monroeville,  Ohio.  There  Mr.  Cook  fol- 
lowed his  trade  of  a  shoemaker  one  year,  and  then 
purchased  a  small  farm  on  which  he  lived  forsome 
time.  After  Qfteen  \'ear8  of  residence  at  that  place 
he  went  to  Lake  County,  Ind.,  and  for  two  years 
made  his  home  near  Clinton,  whence  he  removed 
to  this  State  and  county. 

Here  Elizabeth  (Adkinson)  Cook  died  in  18C5 
when  about  sixty-two  years  of  age.  She  attended 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  the 
mother  of  eight  ehildren.of  whom  but  two  are  living. 
Thomas  resides  in  Onarga,  this  State;  his  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  E.  Fellows,  and  was  a 
resident  of  Plaiufield.  George,  who  lives  at  Coun- 
cil Bluffs,  Iowa,  married  a  Miss  Shipley  for  his  first 
wife,  and  for  his  second  a  Mrs.  Davis. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alliance,  the  ceremony  taking 
place  in  Chicago,  III.,  and  his  chosen  companion 
being  Mrs.  Mary  A.  (Mitchell)  Iloskins.  She  was 
born  in  England,  whence  she  came  to  America  in 
early  womanhood.  She  died  December  12,  1878, 
when  past  middle  life,  leaving  one  daughter,  Julia 
A.,  a  refined  and  well-educated  young  lady.  Mrs. 
Mary  Cook  was  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  by  her  former  marriage  had  one  child, 
Frank,  a  successful  merchant  at  Geneseo. 


--^^ 


I)  WARD  D.  HOWL  AND,  M.  I).  Although 
still  quite  joung  in  his  profession  and  in- 
deed in  years,  this  gentleman  is  rapidly 
building  up  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a  skilled 
physician  which  gives  promise  of  leading  him  to  a 
front  rank  ere  many  years  shall  have  passed  over 
his  head.  He  is  a  close  student  who  is  not  content 
with  the  knowledge  he  has  already  obtained,  but  by 
every  means  in  his  power  is  co'nstantlj-  adding  to  it 
information  regarding  the  latest  discoveries  and  the 
theories  of  older  and  more  skilled  physicians.  His 
quickness  of  apprehension,  his  mental  culture  and 
his  honorable  character  give  him  popularity  in  so- 
ciety and  a  reputable  name  among  bis  fellow-men. 
The  parents  of  Dr.  Ilowland  are  Elihu  and  Jane 


730 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


(Baldwin)  Ilowland,  natives  of  Litchfield  Count}', 
Conn.,  who  came  to  the  Prairie  St.ite  in  1840,  and 
who  at  [)resent  reside  in  Ottawa,  HI.  The  father 
was  a  fanner  and  the  early  life  of  our  subject  was 
surrounded  with  the  usual  scenes  and  influences  of 
country  living.  He  was  born  in  LaSalle  County, 
this  State,  October  1.3,  1858,  and  obtained  his  fun- 
damental education  in  the  public  schools.  In  the 
State  Normal  University  at  Normal,  Ottawa  High 
School  and  Mt.  Carroll  Seminary,  he  extended  his 
fund  of  knowledge,  and  completed  his  general 
course  of  study. 

Having  chosen  medicine  as  the  science  to  which 
to  devote  his  energy',  young  Howland  began  read- 
ing in  the  office  of  R.  M.  McArthur.  61.  D.,  at  Ot- 
tawa, and  after  a  time  entered  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, Cliicago.  He  pursued  his  studies  there  during 
the  years  of  1883-84,  and  then  practiced  one  year 
with  Dr.  Wilcox  in  Michigan.  After  this  practi- 
cal application  of  the  theories  and  principles  of 
therapeutics  he  returned  to  Rush  College  in  1885, 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  the  following  year. 
On  looking  about  for  a  field  of  labor  he  was  led  to 
Lockport,  in  which  he  located  the  year  of  his  gradu- 
ation. Dr.  Howland  is  an  Odd-Fellow,  a  Mason 
and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

eWILKENING.  The  name  which  stands  at 
the  head  of  this  biographical  outline  will  be 
at  once  recognized  as  belonging  to  one  of 
the  most  energetic  business  men  of  Crete  and  one  of 
its  leading  merchants.  He  ranks  as  one  of  the  finest 
salesmen  in  Northern  Illinois  in  which  region  he 
commenced  building  his  fortunes  and  where  he  has 
gained  a  competence.  Under  the  firm  title  of  C. 
Wilkening  &  Co.,  our  subject  and  his  brother 
Frederick  are  operating  one  of  the  most  complete 
dr^'-goods  establishments  in  Will  Countj'  and  com- 
manding a  large  portion  of  the  patronage  of  its 
best  citizens.  The  brothers  were  assisted  in  the 
establishment  of  their  present  enterprise  by  their 
honored  father,  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  abil- 
it>'  and  from  whom  the  sons  have  inherited  the 
talents  which  have  brought   them  success.      The 


present  firm  was  organized  in  1880,  and  located  in 
a  fine  building  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Exchange 
Streets,  the  most  eligible  business  site  in  the  town. 

In  due  time,  owing  to  the  rapid  increase  in  trade, 
more  room  was  needed  and  so  they  removed  their 
old  brick  store,  26x60  feet,  to  another  lot  further 
south  and  began  the  construction  of  one  of  the  best 
buildings  in  the  city,  which  the}-  now  occupy.  The 
second  floor  of  this  building  was  designed  for  a 
public  hall,  but  the  firm  are  obliged  to  utilize  it 
for  the  storage  of  a  part  of  the  $40,000  stock  of 
goods  which  they  carr}'.  The  Wilkening  Block, 
two  stories  in  height,  is  51x60  feet  in  dimensions, 
facing  on  Main  Street  and  coni|)rises  two  stores 
with  a  basement  joining  the  old  store-room.  The 
latter  is  used  for  a  grocery  department  and  there 
are  three  large  warehouses  in  the  rear  from  which 
many  hundred  pounds  of  butter  and  many  thou- 
sand dozens  of  eggs  are  shipi)ed  monthly.  The 
main  building  was  completed  in  1886,  and  contains 
a  full  line  of  a  finely-selected  stock  of  dry  goods, 
tastefully  arranged  and  which  never  fails  to  attract 
attention.  Besides  these  there  is  a  special  cloak 
and  shawl  department,  also  clothing  and  gentle- 
men's furnishing  goods,  together  with  different  de- 
partments for  carpets  and  oil  cloth,  to3's,  etc.  It  is 
thus  most  properly  called  the  Department  Store 
and  neither  time  nor  money  has  been  spared  to  make 
each  attractive  and  convenient. 

The  business  career  of  Mr.  Wilkening  began  at 
an  earl}'  period  in  his  life  and  from  the  start  he  has 
kept  in  view  one  end  and  aim^that  of  excelling  in 
his  chosen  calling.  We  find  him  officiating  as  a 
clerk  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  and  he  completed 
his  business  education  in  Bryant  &  Strattou's  Com- 
mercial College.  His  father  in  former  3'ears  was  a 
farmer,  owning  land  in  Crete  Townsliip,  and  at 
that  homestead  our  subject  was  born  iMarch  24, 
1855.  He  grew  up  vigorous  in  mind  and  body  and 
at  an  early  age  learned  the  self  reliance  which  has 
been  largel}' the  secret  of  his  success.  Both  in  social 
and  business  circles  he  is  a  general  favorite,  being 
prom[it  to  meet  his  obligations  and  more  than  ordi- 
naril}'  well  informed.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  in  religion  he  conforms  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  In  all  that  goes  to  make  a  man 
reliable  and  trustworthy,  he  is  a  fine   exponent  of 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


731 


his  sulistiuilial  German  ancestry.  With  the  single 
exception  that  lie  still  remains  a  bachelor,  Mr.  Wil- 
kening  has  creditably  performed  all  the  obligations 
of  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen.  In  addition 
to  his  mercantile  interests  Mr.  Wilkening  deals 
quite  extensively  in  real  estate  and  from  this 
source  also  realizes  handsome  returns. 


ENIIY  GRAI5E  so  ordered  his  daily  walk  and 
conversation  that  his  life  was  an  exam|)le 
worthy  the  consideration  of  all  who  desire 
to  honor  their  manhood.  lie  took  an  active 
part  in  all  that  meant  the  real  advancement  of  the 
township,  was  interested  in  the  cause  of  religion, 
industrious  and  hard  working  in  the  affairs  of  this 
world,  and  kindly  and  affectionate  in  his  domestic 
and  social  relations;  an  honest  and  reliable  citizen 
was  removed  by  death  when  he  breathed  his  last  at 
ills  home  in  Washington  Township,  April  14,  1882. 
The  eyes  of  Mr.  Grabe  opened  to  the  light  of 
day  in  Germany,  in  1824.  He  grew  to  maturity 
under  the  charge  of  good  [larents,  developing  the 
natural  virtues  and  talents  he  possessed  and  being 
grounded  in  the  firm  principles  that  led  to  the  repu- 
tation he  won.  When  about  twenty-two  years  old  he 
set  out  from  Brenierhaven,  and  reaching  the  shores 
of  America  made  his  way  to  the  Prairie  State  and 
settled  in  Crete  Township,  Will  Count3^  His  first 
home  was  on  eighty  acres  of  new  Government 
land,  but  in  the  fall  of  1807  he  changed  his  resi- 
dence to  Washington  Township.  Here  he  pur- 
chased two  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  21. 
It  was  almost  unbroken  but  he  at  once  began  to 
make  improvements,  and  after  some  years  he  found 
himself  pleasantly  surrounded  with  good  buildings 
and  other  tasteful  improvements.  Here  he  carried 
on  a  successful  agricultural  career  until  called  hence, 
when  he  left  to  his  mourning  household  that  best 
of  all  inheritances — an  honored  name.  In  politics 
he  was  a  sound  Kepulilican,  and  religious!}'  was  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  to  which  faith 
Mrs.  Grabe  also  adheres. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Grabe  and   Miss  Catharina 
Schwirena  was  celebrated  in  Chicago.     The    bride 


was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel,  (iermany,  July  2G,  1831, 
to  Fred  and  Ingel  (^Miller)  Schwirena.  Her  par- 
ents were  natives  of  the  same  kingdom,and  there  the 
father  died  when  sixt^'-two  years  old.  He  was  a  Lu- 
theran in  religious  faith.  The  widowed  mother 
came  with  her  six  children  to  America  and  located 
in  Cook  County, III.,  dying  there  at  the  same  age  that 
her  husband  had  reached,,  Mrs.  Grabe  lived  near 
Chicago  until  her  marriage,  manifesting  the  <|uali- 
ties  that  won  the  regard  of  our  subject  and  that 
have  kept  the  esteem  of  all  who  know  her. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Grabe  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  nine  sons  and  daughters.  Henry,  Jr.,  mar- 
ried Miss  Augusta  Scheneka  and  is  now  living  at 
Manhattan,  Kan.;  William  is  with  his  mother,  as- 
sistiiig  her  to  operate  the  large  farm;  John,  who  is 
a  shoemaker  in  Crete,  married  Miss  Sophia  Rennie; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Meyer,  their  home  being 
in  Riley  Count}',  Kan.;  Conrad  marrie<l  Miss 
Emma  Sitzel  and  lives  in  Kankakee  County,  work- 
ing at  his  trade  of  a  blacksmith;  Cara  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Ruge,  of  Chicago;  Louisa  married  Fred 
Bowermaster,  who  lives  in  Oak  City,  Iowa;  August 
is  a  blacksmith  and  is  now  living  in  Brunswick, 
Lake  County,  lud.;  Soiihia  is  at  home  with  her 
mother. 

I/7ILLIAM  J.  AD  ATM,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
^-, ,.,  urer  of  the  Joliet  Paper  Company,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Joliet,  and  is  classed  among  the 
most  intelligent  and  enteri)rising  of  its  young  busi- 
ness men.  He  was  born  in  this  city,  September  18, 
1852.  Here  in  the  city  schools  he  laid  a  solid 
foundation  for  his  future  career.  After  attaining 
manhood, he  first  entered  the  business  world  through 
the  doors  of  his  father's  flouring  mill,  which  stood 
where  the  paper  mill  now  stands.  In  1887  he  be- 
gan the  manufacture  of  liarb  wire  and  such  line  of 
goods,  in  company  with  his  father,  and  they  have 
already  built  up  a  thriving  business,  from  which 
they  derive  a  desirable  income. 

Mr.  Adam  and  Miss  Lizzie  Folger,  were  wedded 
November  28,  1874,  and  to  them  has  come  one 
child,  whom  they  have  named  Folger.     Mr.  Adam 


732 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


is  a  lliougiitfiil,  fleai-lieaded,  energetic  man,  of 
good  peisoiial  habits,  and  is  liighly  considered  by 
all  ahoiil  him,  both  socially  and  as  a  business  man. 
He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Central  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  whicth  he  is  Trustee,  and  in  poli- 
tics gives  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party. 

ORACK  I.  MESSENGER,  of  Homer  Town- 
ship, is  comfortably  situated  at  his  father's 
old  homestead  on  section  33.     It  comprises 

1^  a  fine  body  of  land,  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  acres  in  extent,  and  is  embellished  with  a  set 
of  good  buildings,  together  with  all  the  other  ap- 
purtenances of  the  well-regulated  country  estate. 
Mr.  Messenger  is  a  modest,  unassuming  citizen, 
whose  course  in  life  has  been  such  as  to  commend 
him  to  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  had  dealings.  Ilis  life-long  habits  of  indus- 
try have  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  compe- 
tence, and  he  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  of  the 
comforts,  and  man}'  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

In  noting  the  parental  history  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  we  find  that  his  father,  Horace  Messen- 
ger, was  a  native  of  Chenango  County,  N.  V.,  and 
born  April  26,  1807.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Fannie  Shedd,  and  she  was  born  in  Os- 
wego County,  N.  Y.,  June  13,  1810.  They  were 
married  in  their  native  State,  and  came  directly  to 
this  county  in  1835,  settling  in  Homer  Township, 
in  Juno  of  that  year.  The}'  were  among  its  early 
pioneers,  and  in  Homer  Township  thereafter  so- 
journed until  called  hence.  They  were  not  long 
separated,  the  father  dying  August  31,  1882,  and 
the  mother  July  3,  1884.  Their  family  consisted 
of  five  children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  a  son,  Will- 
iam, died  when  three  years  old;  Mary  J.  is  the  wife 
of  Benjamin  White,  of  Geneseo,  this  State;  Frances 
is  a  resident  of  Joliet;  Horace  I.,  our  subject,  is 
the  next  in  order  of  birth;  Helen  also  lives  in 
Joliet. 

Mr.  Messenger  was  the  fourth  child  of  his  par- 
ents, and  is  the  only  living  son.  He  was  born  in 
Homer  Township,  February  5,  1844,  and  therein 
si)ent  his  early  years,  attending  the  common  schools 


and  becoming  familiar  with  the  various  details  of 
farm  life.  He  completed  his  studies  in  Knox  Col- 
lege, Oaleslnirg,  111.  During  the  third  year  of  the 
Civil  War  he  entered  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army, 
enlisting  February  29,  1864,  In  Company  F,  Eighth 
Illinois  Cavahy,  and  served  seventeen  months. 
During  that  period  he  became  fully  acquainted 
with  the  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life,  although  es- 
caping some  of  its  sterner  features.  Aside  from 
this,  he  has  always  followed  agricultural  pursuits. 
Mr.  Messenger  was  married  May  31,  1883,  in 
Lock|)ort.  111.,  to  Miss  Bell  Fox.  This  lady  was 
born  in  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  October  13,  1849,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Gibson  Fox,  who  still  resides  there. 
In  politics  Mr.  Messenger  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  as  a  Union  soldier,  be- 
longs to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


-^^ 


^^  IMON  HOHENSTEIN  occupies  a  pleasant 
farm  three  miles  from  Frankfoit  Station, 
the  estate  comprising  one  hundred  and 
sixt}'  acres  on  section  25,  Frankfort  Town- 
ship, watered  by  the  south  branch  of  Hickory 
Creek,  and  joined  by  the  Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern 
Railroad.  All  the  land  is  tillable  except  the  timber, 
and  is  ada|)ted  ft)r  the  raising  of  both  grain  and 
stock,  in  which  Mr.  Hohenstein  occupies  himself. 
He  keeps  a  good  grade  of  cattle  and  hogs,  uses  two 
teams  on  the  [ilaee,  and  carries  on  a  thriving  agri- 
cultural business. 

Mr.  Hohenstein  is  desi'cnded  from  honorable 
German  ancestors,  both  lines  having  been  resident 
in  Hesse-Darmstadt.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Johannes  Hohenstein,  was  a  farmer,  and  his  father, 
Balthasar,  engaged  in  the  sanie  0ecupation,and  that 
of  fruit-raising.  The  latter  came  to  America  in 
1854,  and  tilled  the  soil  in  Green  Garden  Town- 
ship, this  county,  until  he  retired  to  live  with  our 
subject;  he  is  now  sevent^'-eiglit  years  old.  He 
belongs  to  the  Evangelical  Church.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Ditzel,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Ditzel,  also  a  farmer.  She 
breathed  her  last  in  this  county,  in  1860.  The  pa- 
rental family  included  three  sons — Simon,  Conrad, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


733 


and  George.  Tlie  second  son  enlisted  in  18G1,  in 
the  Twentietli  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  until  he 
lost  his  life  at  the  battle  of  Jackson,  Tenn.  The 
youngest  son  lives  with  our  subject. 

Simon  Hohenstein  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Messel,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  September  17, 
1837,  and  being  reared  on  a  farm,  early  acquired 
the  rudiments  of  his  father's  occupation.  He  at- 
tended the  common  schools  from  the  age  of  six  to 
fourteen  years,  acquiring  a  good  education.  Three 
3'ears  after  the  completion  of  his  studies,  the  fam- 
ily determined  to  emigrate  to  America.  They 
sailed  on  the  "Bremerhaven"  in  Ma3%  1854,  and 
after  an  ocean  voyage  of  forty. nine  days,  stood  on 
shore  in  Xew  York  City.  Thence  they  took  a  boat 
to  Albany,  the  cars  to  Buffalo,  a  steamer  to  De- 
troit, and  cars  to  Chicago,  completing  the  journey 
to  Green  Garden  Township,  this  county,  by  teams. 
A  farm  of  eight}-  acres  was  purchased,  and  the  new 
life  was  begun  in  a  log  house.  This  was  the  home 
until  1865,  when  the  place  was  sold,  and  an  im- 
proved tract  on  section  2,  Frankfort  Township,  w.as 
purchased  by  our  subject.  There  he  continued  his 
agricultural  labors  until  1883,  when  he  rented  it, 
and  removed  to  the  place  which  he  now  occupies, 
and  which  lie  purchased  for  $55  per  acre. 

In  April,  1863,  Mr.  Hohenstein  led  to  the  hyme- 
neal altar  Miss  Charlotte  Knapp,  of  Green  Garden 
Township.  This  estimable  lady  was  born  in  Bava- 
ria. Germany,  and  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents in  1850.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Carl  Knapp, 
formerly  a  farmer  in  Green  (Jarden  Township,  but 
who  is  now  living  in  Frankfort.  She  has  borne  her 
husband  ten  children,  named  respectively:  Simon, 
Charles,  Daniel  Conrad,  Charlotte,  Peter,  Chris- 
tian, Henry,  Katie,  and  Carrie.  The  oldest  son  is 
married,  and  living  on  the  farm  on  section  2; 
Charles  is  clerking  in  Batavia.  The  others  are  at 
home. 

Mr.  Hohenstein  is  one  of  the  most  influential  citi- 
zens in  Frankfort  Township.  He  is  now  Assessor, 
and  has  held  this  office  for  fourteen  j-ears,  being  the 
oldest  Assessor  in  the  county.  He  was  Collector 
of  Green  Garden  Township  one  year,  and  of  Frank- 
fort Township  one  year,  and  h.as  been  a  member  of 
the  School  Board  sixteen  years.  While  living  on 
section  2,  he  was  School  Director  nine  years,  and 


he  has  held  a  similar  position  in  his  present  district 
seven  years.  He  belongs  to  the  Evangelical 
Church  in  Frankfort,  and  is  now  filling  the  ofHce 
of  Trustee.  His  political  adherence  has  always 
been  given  to  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  served 
on  the  Petit  jury,  and  was  on  the  Grand  Jury  in 
1890,  and  is  iironiinently  connected  with  all  enter- 
prises which  promise  to  benefit  the  community. 


j^^  AMUEL    GLASGOW,  a  fine  type   of   the 
^^^    foreign  element  who,  by  sheer  force  of  en- 
Wj£^  ergetic  persistence  and  well  directed  labor 
have    made    for    themselves   comfortable 
homes   in   this   county  and   have  secured   a  good 
competence,  is  a  thoroughly    practical,  highly  suc- 
cessful farmer,  owning  and  managing  a  choice  farm 
in    Plainfield    Township,    and    is    well    worthy    of 
a  place  in  this  BiodRAPHiCAL  Album,  dedicated  to 
the  citizens  of  Will  County. 

Mr.  Glasgow  was  born  in  the  North  of  Ireland, 
live  miles  from  Ballymena  in  the  Count}'  of  Ulster, 
November  8,  1842.  His  father  and  his  j^rand- 
father  both  bearing  the  same  name,  Robert  Glas- 
gow, were  natives  of  Scotland.  The  grandfather 
was  a  farmer  and  so  far  as  known  S|)ent  his  entire 
life  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  reared  and  married  in  Scotland,  and 
moving  to  Ulstershire,  leased  land  and  was  actively 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  there  for 
many  years.  In  1868,  he  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try, and  bought  a  farm  in  Plainfield  Township  and 
was  engaged  in  its  management.  After  the  death 
of  his  wife  he  made  his  home  with  our  subject  un- 
til his  death,  January  10,  1888,  at  the  ripe  old  age 
of  seventy-five  j-ears.  The  maiden  name  of  the 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Margaret  Dunecath, 
and  she  was  of  Scottish  birth.  She  died  at  her 
home  in  Plainfield,  June  10,  1886.  Of  their  chil- 
dren, one  died  in  Ireland,  and  seven  came  to 
America,  their  names  being  as  follows:  Catherine, 
Maria,  Samuel,  Jane,  Margaret,  Martha  and  Robert. 
The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  was 
reared  and  educated  in  the  place  of  his  nativity. 
He  was  early  set  to  work  on  a  farm  and  obtained 


734 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


an  excellent  knowledge  of  agriculture  in  all  its 
branches.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
l«ent3'-two  years  old,  and  then  engaged  with  a 
coiumission  merchant  as  a  buyer  of  produce,  con- 
tinuing with  the  same  firm  until  1868.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  America,  iioping  to  insure  his 
prosperit}'  bj'  settling  in  this  great  Republic.  He 
landed  at  New  York  on  the  13th  of  July,  and  com- 
ing directly  to  Illinois,  sought  and  found  employ- 
ment on  the  farm  of  J.  C.  Carpenter,  of  Kendall 
County.  He  was  with  him  two  )-cars  and  the  ensu- 
ing year  was  employed  on  .Fudge  Catou's  farm,  and 
then  worked  Esquire  Corbin's  place  on  shares  for 
six  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  be- 
came a  landowner  in  his  own  right,  bu^-ing  a  farm 
on  section  29,  of  Plainfield  Township.  Five  years 
later  he  sold  that  and  purchased  the  place  where  he 
now  resides.  This  farm  contains  one  hundred  and 
eight}-  acres,  well  improved,  and  provided  with  a 
fine  set  of  buildings  and  all  the  aii[)urtenances  for 
o|)erating  a  farm  to  the  best  advantage. 

May  14,  1864,  Mr.  Glasgow  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Martha  Asdel,  a  native  of  the  same 
place  as  himself,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  They  are 
now  the  parents  of  ten  children  :  William  J.,  Robert, 
Margaret  J.,  Samuel, Catherine,  James, Anna,George, 
Albert  and  lidward. 

The  citizenship  of  Plainfield  received  a  worthy 
addition  when  our  subject  came  here  to  reside,  as 
he  is  a  man  of  excellent  reputation,  is  honest  and 
truthful  in  all  the  relations  that  he  sustains  toward 
others,  and  is  endowed  with  good  practical  sense 
and  an  excellent  capacity  for  skillful  labor,  and  the 
patience,  without  which  he  could  not  have  accom- 
plished what  he  has. 

j^^TEPHEN    J.    WILLIAMS.       This    well- 
^^^   known  and  wealth}'  citizen  occupies  a  flue 
•v'^13'   ^'"^''^^    o"^   section   34.   DuPage    Township, 
upon    which   he   was  born  September   22. 
1849.     He  was  fortunate  in   belonging   to  a  familj- 
possessed  of  means  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  culti- 
vate his  talents  and  develop  the  powers  of  his  mind 
at  first  class  institutions,  and  has  therefore  obtained 


a  fine  education.  The  rudiments  were  gained  in 
the  district  schools  of  the  home  neighborhood,  and 
when  sixteen  years  old  he  entered  the  academy  at 
Naperville,  DuPage  Count}-,  following  a  period  of 
study  there  by  one  at  Wheaton  College. 

The  next  institution  attended  by  young  Williams 
was  the  Plainfield  College  of  Will  County,  after- 
ward destroyed  by  fire,  where  lie  studied  for  a  short 
time  only,  finally  entering  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame,  at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1865.  The  same  year  he  was  selected 
by  Gov.  John  Madison,  of  this  State,  to  accom- 
pany the  surveying  party  as  assistant  leveler,  on 
the  LTnion  Pacific  Railroad,  between  Omaha  and 
San  Francisco.  Seven  months  were  spent  in  that 
labor,  then  Mr.  Williams  returned  to  his  home. 
His  father  at  that  time  owned  a  coal  mine  at  Brace- 
ville,  Grundy  County,  and  Stephen  was  seut  to 
superintend  it,  which  he  did  for  two  years. 

After  that  experience  in  controUiug  affairs.  Mr. 
Williams  returned  .igain  to  Will  County,  and  set- 
tled u[)on  the  homestead,  making  it  his  home  from 
that  date.  He  owns  a  large  body  of  land  in  the 
county,  and  in  the  agricultural  work  to  which  he 
gives  his  attention,  and  the  rental  of  properly,  ia 
meeting  with  a  degree  of  success  that  stamps  him 
as  a  worth}-  successor  of  a  father  who  was  a  fine 
financier. 

Mr.  Williams  has  been  twice  married,  and  is  the 
father  of  five  children,  named  respectively:  James, 
Thomas  C,  Maud  C,  Mary  E.  and  Jennie.  He 
has  served  as  School  Director,  and  as  Township 
Supervisor  has  acted  six  years,  satisfying  the  pub- 
lic, whose  interests  he  serves.  He  is  a  Democrat, 
and  on  the  party  ticket  was  nominated  in  1887  for 
the  State  Legislature,  but  defeated  by  his  opponent, 
the  Hon.  Dwight  Haven,  the  present  representa- 
tive. Probalily  few,  if  any,  men  in  the  county 
liave  a  better  education  than  Mr.  Williams,  or 
keep  better  informed  regarding  the  course  of  events 
in  this  busy  world,  and  certainly  few  can  claim  a 
deeper  interest  in  the  advancement  of  civilization 
and  the  growth  of  the  country.  The  qualities  ex- 
hibited by  Mr. Williams  are  such  as  to  gain  respect, 
and  he  is  looked  upon  .as  one  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  community. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were   Thomas  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


735 


Susan  (Horner)  Williams,  the  latter  a  native  of 
Johnstown,  Pa.,  and  the  former  born  in  Cornwall, 
England,  about  1809.  Tlie  father  came  to  America 
early  in  the  '30's,  the  first  business  in  which  he 
engaged  in  Pennsj'lvania  being  the  purchase  of 
flax  seed  whicii  he  shipped  to  England.  In  this 
venture  he  lost  all  his  money,  and  he  therefore  re- 
turned to  his  native  laud  for  further  funds  that 
were  supplied  him  by  his  father.  For  about  two 
years  Mr.  Williams  was  foreman  in  an  Iron  mine  in 
Ireland,  after  whicli  he  returned  to  the  United 
States,  and  came  direct  to  Illinois,  this  being  -in 
1836. 

The  work  then  undertaken  by  Mr.  Thomas  Will- 
iams was  the  construction  of  a  portion  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal,  in  Will  County,  one  and 
a  fourth  miles  being  built  by  him.  He  then  became 
a  contractor  for  railroad  construction  in  this  .State 
and  Wisconsin,  continuing  thus  engaged  until  1850, 
when  he  followed  the  great  tide  that  was  setting 
westward  to  the  Pacific  slope.  He  secured  the  con- 
tract for  the  levee  around  San  Francisco,  making 
considerable  money  on  the  job.  and  returning  to 
Illinois  in  18."i"2,  resumed  railroad  contracting 
herein. 

In  1840  the  family  of  Mr.  Williams  had  settled 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  b^'  the  son,  our  subject, 
and  some  time  in  the  'GO's  the  father  abandoned 
his  former  line  of  labor,  and  devoted  himself  to 
home  life  thereon,  remaining  constantly  with  his 
family  until  called  hence,  October  14.  1881.  His 
reputation  was  not  confineil  to  the  county  of  which 
he  was  considered  one  of  the  most  public-spirited 
citizens,  but  extended  throughout  the  State  and 
even  beyond  its  borders,  his  contracts  having  been 
honorably  carried  out,  and  the  workmanshi))  upon 
them  having  stood  the  test  for  strength  and  dura- 
bility. He  was  a  bidder  for  the  tunnel  that  supplies 
Chicago  with  water — the  first  to  the  crib — but 
Messrs.  Fox  &  Howard  had  a  few  dollars  the  ad- 
vantage of  him  and  secured  it. 

Mr.  Williams  had  served  as  Supervisor  of  Du 
Page  Township  six  years,  with  credit  to  himself 
and  his  constituents.  r>ut  a  few  days  before  his 
decease  he  was  nominated  on  the  Democratic  ticket 
for  the  State  Legislature,  and  it  is  quite  probable 
that  he  would  have  been  elected  had  not  his  career 


been  cut  short  by  death.  He  was  interred  with 
the  solemn  rites  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  with 
which  he  had  long  been  identified.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  every  move- 
ment that  promised  to  benefit  the  community  he 
bore  an  active  part.  The  excellent  education  he 
had  received,  combined  with  pre-eminent  business 
aliility,  made  him  a  successful  financier,  and  his 
liberal  spirit  inclined  him  to  assist  churches  and 
other  bodies  in  their  work  to  improve  society. 

Mrs.  Thomas  Williams  departed  this  life  in 
1879.  Of  the  nine  children  comprising  the  family 
of  the  worthy  couple,  the  only  survivors  are  our 
subject  and  his  sister  Susan,  widow  of  Frederick 
Haney,  who  lives  in  Brighton  Park,  Cook  County. 


-^^z 


way. 


ENRY  S.  BROCK  WAY.  Among  the  work- 
ersnn  handicraft  in  the  thriving  city  of 
Joliet,  none  better  deserve  mention  in  a 
volume  of  this  description  than  H.  S.  Brock- 
He  was  born  in  Chemung,  N.  Y.,  being  a 
son  of  Edmund  and  Elizabeth  (Shoemaker)  Brock- 
way,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  natives  of  the 
Empire  State.  The  father  was  born  .January  2!(, 
1811,  and  the  mother  in  February,  1817.  They 
removed  to  Jvendall  County,  III.,  in  1865,  and  after 
a  time  changed  their  location  to  Grant  Township, 
Buena  Vista  County,  Iowa,  where  the  husband  and 
father  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death.  May  30, 
1885.     The  mother  died  in  November,  1851. 

The  natal  day  of  him  of  whom  we  write  was  Oc- 
tober 1,  1841,  and  he  is  the  eldest  son  in  a  family 
compiising  seven  children.  Having  accompanied 
his  father  to  the  Prairie  State  in  1855,  he  attended 
the  public  schools  and  afterward  entered  Clark 
Seminary  in  Aurora,  where  he  completed  his  stud- 
ies. He  began  his  career  in  life  as  a  farmer,  but 
after  a  brief  period  devoted  to  agriculture  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and,  coming  to  Joliet,  be- 
gan active  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 

Many  beautiful  buildings  that  arc  ornaments  to 
the  city  have  been  i)ut  up  b}'  him.  among  them  be- 
ing the  Campbell  and  Stevens  Blocks,  the  elevator 
and   the   residences    of  James    A.shlej'  and  W.  S. 


736 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Brooks.  He  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
punctual  in  tiie  smallest  details  of  his  engagements 
and  reliable  in  word  and  deed.  He  therefore  en- 
joys the  marked  esteem  of  his  fellow-men  and  the 
sincere  friendship  of  those  intimately  acquainted 
with  his  worth  of  character. 

At  the  head  of  the  coz^-  home  on  Sherman  Street 
is  a  lad3-  of  housewifely  skill  and  fine  character, 
between  whom  and  our  subject  the  rites  of  wedlocK 
were  celebrated  November  13,  1878.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Nettie  E.  McCowan,  is  a  native  of 
this  count}^  and  a  daughter  of  parents  who  helped 
to  subdue  the  prairie  and  are  yet  living  as  examples 
of  the  sturdy  j-eomanry  of  pioneer  days.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brockwaj'  two  sturdy'  sons  have  been 
born:  Henry  S.,  whose  natal  day  was  April  28, 
1 884,  and  Jaj-  McCowan,  who  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  January  5,  1886.  Mr.  Brockway  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Hicliards  Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


xp^ABRIEL  NOEL.  On  a  fertile  and  well-de- 
;f|  (—J   veloped    farm   consisting  of  two    hundred 

^^^Jl  and  twenty  acres  on  section  9,  Jackson 
Township.  Mr.  Noel  pursues  the  even  tenor  of  his 
w.iy,  gaining  the  good  will  of  his  fellows  and  win- 
ning maintenance  from  the  soil.  He  was  born  in 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  July  2,  1820,  and  grew  to  man- 
hood on  his  father's  farm,  the  parent  adding  the 
control  of  a  saw-mill  to  his  farm  labor. 

When  twenty-seven  vears  old  our  subject  came 
to  Will  County,  111.,  and  on  October  15,  1847,  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  D.  Zarley,  daughter  of 
the  late  Reason  Zarley  and  his  good  wife.  (.See 
sketch  of  J.  C.  Zarley).  This  Lady  was  born  in 
this  county  November  22,  1830,  is  well  educated, 
ca]).able  and  of  fine  character.  The  union  h.as  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  five 
died  in  infancy.  The  living  are  Albert  E.  and  Er- 
vin  R.,  farmers  in  Jackson  Township;  Calvin  Z., 
clerk  in  the  Hotel  Royal;  Elvis  C,  in  the  stone 
business  in  Chase  County,  Kan. ;  Susie  E.,  wife  of 
L.  H.  Lineberger,  of    Peotone;    Rose    M.,  wife    of 


C.  W.  Table,  of  Jackson  Township,  and  Frank  G., 
still  at  home. 

Mr.  Noel  has  been  Road  Commissioner  and  held 
the  various  school  offices.  In  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  both  he  and  iiis  wife  are  Universal- 
ists  in  religious  belief.  Farming  h.as  been  the  chief 
occupation  of  Mr.  Noel  since  boyhood  and  he  shows 
a  thorough  understanding  of  the  business.  His  es- 
tate bears  excellent  improvements,  and  good  cheer 
abounds  within  the  dwelling,  whose  occupants  are 
held  in  good  repute  b\-  all  who  know  them. 


_^T=5» 


m- 


LVIN  J.  KING,  an  honored  resident  of 
Plainfield,  was  born  in  Collins,  Erie 
County,  N.  T.,  May  13,  1824.     He  came 

of  sterling  New  England  stock,  his  father, 
Allen  King,  having  been  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  his  grandfather,  Nathan  King,  who  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  AVar,  is  also  supposed 
to  have  been  born  in  the  same  State.  He  removed 
from  Rhode  Island  to  Vermont,  and  was  an  earlv 
pioneer  of  the  town  of  Danby,  in  Rutland  Countj'. 
He  resided  there  until  1811,  and  again  became  a 
pioneer,  moving  with  an  ox  team  to  Erie  Count3-. 
N.  Y.  He  bought  land  of  the  Holland  Purchase 
Company  in  the  town  of  Holland,  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  there. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
reared  and  married  in  Vermont  and  m.ade  the  re- 
moval to  Erie  Count}-,  a  few  months  before  his  fa- 
ther. He  bouglita  tract  of  wild  land  in  the  primeval 
forests  in  the  town  of  Collins,  obtaining  his  patent 
from  the  Holland  Purchase  Company.  His  first 
work  was  to  build  a  log  house  for  the  shelter  of  his 
family,  and  lie  then  entered  upon  the  hard  task  of 
clearing  a  farm  from  the  wilderness.  He  felled  the 
timber  from  quite  a  tract,  and  then  sold  it  at  an  ad- 
vance, and  bought  again,  and  he  tluis  made  three  or 
four  changes  in  the  ensuing  years,  selling  so  as  to 
make  money  each  time,  and  was  a  resident  of  Erie 
County  until  his  death.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Virginia  Thompson,  and  she  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  N.  H.  Her  father,  Joseph 
Thompson  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


737 


and  two  of  his  sons  served  with  him  in  the  battle 
of  Saratoga.  He  was  a  farmer  and  spent  his  last 
j'ears  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  Mis  wife  spent  her 
last  years  with  a  daughter  in  the  town  of   Collins. 

The  subject  of  this  siietch  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  town,  and  resided  there  until 
1855.  He  bought  a  farm  and  was  actively  engaged 
in  its  cultivation  until  tlie  year  mentioned,  when  he 
sold  it,  and  coming  to  Illinois,  located  in  McHenrj- 
County,  buying  a  farm  in  Seneca  Township.  He 
carried  on  farming  and  stock-raising  with  good  suc- 
cess until  1882,  when  he  sold  his  place  there,  and 
coming  to  PlainQeld,  bought  where  he  now  resides 
and  is  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  comfortable 
competence  that  his  industry  has  brought  him. 

Mr.  King  was  married  in  1849,  to  Susan  A.  South- 
worth.  She  was  born  in  Chautauqua  County,  in 
the  town  of  Sheridan,  N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Epiphias 
and  Hannah  Southworth.  Three  children  have 
blessed  their  marriage  to  them  :  George  M.,  a  res- 
ident of  Woodstock;  Mrs.  Robert  Graves,  of  Plain- 
field;  and  John  M.,  who  lives  in  Woodstock.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  King  are  members  of  the  I'niversalist  so- 
ciety and  for  their  great  personal  worth  are  held  in 
high  esteem  by  the  people  among  whom  they 
have  come  to  make  their  home  in  their  declining 
years. 

^  o<rx>   , 


1  DWARD  ETHERIDGE  is  a  citizen  of  whom 
Joliet  may  well  be  proud,  his  life  having 
lieen  marked  by  uprightness,  faithfulness 
and  industry.  He  has  won  tlie  attention  of  em- 
ployers by  the  manner  in  which  he  has  performed 
the  work  before  him  and  shown  that  his  was  not 
eye  service  alone  but  was  prompted  by  a  sense  of 
duty  and  self-respect.  He  was  born  in  Worcester- 
shire, England,  in  which  his  parents  also  opened 
their  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  and  wherein  they  died 
at  advanced  ages.  The  fatlier  was  one  of  twenty- 
two  children,  and  worked  at  tlie  trade  of  a  brick- 
layer. 

He  of  whom  we  write,  learned  the  trade  of  hie  fa- 
ther at  an  early  age  and  became  a  master  workman. 
He  came  to  America,  landing  at  Portland,  Me.,  and 
from  there  to  Chicago,  111.,  reaching  the  latter  city 


April  1,  1872.  On  the  4th  of  June  following  he 
came  to  Joliet  and  at  once  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Joliet  Steel  Comp.any  with  which  he  continued 
until  1874.  He  then  went  to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  be- 
coming an  employe  in  Braddock's  Steel  Works. 
On  severing  that  connection  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  where  he  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the 
blast  furnaces  of  the  Jas.  Green  Iron  Woiks. 

Mr.  Etheridge  next  returned  to  Joliet,  but  after 
a  brief  period  went  to  Crystal  City,  Mo.,  coming 
again  to  Joliet  by  request  and  making  the  connec- 
tion that  has  not  since  been  severed,  except  for  a 
short  time  in  1877,  when  the  mills  were  closed  on 
account  of  the  financial  panic.  During  the  years 
in  which  he  has  sojourned  here,  Mr.  Etheridge  has 
assisted  in  the  erection  of  all  the  structures  that  go 
to  make  up  the  splendid  plant  of  the  Illinois  Steel 
Company. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Etheridge  is  presided 
over  b}-  an  estimable  woman  whose  many  virtues 
and  graces  of  mind  and  heart  endear  her  to  a  large 
circle  of  friends.  She  was  known  in  her  maiden- 
hood as  Miss  Eliza  Sawyer,  and  is  a  native  of  the 
Mother  Country,  in  which  her  wedding  took  place 
in  1866.  She  is  the  mother  of  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Sarah  is  married  and  lives  in  Joliet;  George, 
an  estimable  and  industrious  young  man,  is  now  in 
Cliicago;  Martha  and  James  are  still  at  home.  Mr. 
Etheridge  is  devoted  to  his  home  and  its  attractions 
are  foremost  in  his  eyes.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  worships  at  the  Ottawa  Street 
INIethodist  Episcopal  Church.  lie  is  an  excellent 
citizen,  interested  in  all  that  tends  to  advance  the 
prosperity  of  his  chosen  home. 


iiHEODORE  M.  H.  STARMANN  is  the  fifth 
son  and  child  of  Jurgen  F.  and  Amelia 
Starmann,  his  father  being  a  well-known 
farmer  and  stockman  of  Manhattan  Township. 
The  young  gentleman  is  one  of  the  promising 
business  men  of  the  town  of  the  same  name,  in 
which  he  opened  an  establishment  for  the  sale  of 
agricultural  implements  in  the  spring  of  1889.  He 
has  already  manifested  good  business  qualities  an<l 


738 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


a  degree  of  enterprise  which  gives  bright  prospects 
for  his  future  success.  He  is  popular  in  society, 
having  a  |)leasing    manner  and    great  intelligence. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  and  resided  in  the  Fatherland  until  1869, 
when  witli  their  family  they  emigrated  to  America, 
locating  in  Joliet.  111.  After  reaching  manhood 
Mr.  Starmann  dealt  in  grain  for  some  years. but  for 
two  years  prior  to  his  removal  to  America  he  had 
been  occupied  as  a  teamster.  After  settling  in  Jol- 
iet he  pursued  various  employments,  working  in 
a  stone  quarrj',  the  roller  mills,  etc.,  until  1873, 
when  he  rented  land  in  Manhattan  Township  and 
began  tilling  the  soil.  After  having  operated 
rented  property  four  j-ears  he  bought  eight\-  acres 
near  the  northern  line  of  the  township  and  a  few 
years  later  purchased  eighty  acres  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  which  bordered  on  the  Manhattan  line. 
He  established  his  home  upon  his  new  purch:ise, 
where  he  is  still  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing. A  third  purchase  of  eighty'  acres  was  made, 
this  tract  being  in  Manhattan  Township,  and  he 
therefore  now  possesses  three  well-improved  farms, 
comprising  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  is 
a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  His  reputation  is  most  excellent  and  his 
son  is  fortunate  in  having  him  as  a  backer  in  his 
own  enterprise. 

The  parental  family  comprises  eight  children,  as 
follows:  Jurgen  is  a  teamster  in  Manhattan;  John 
is  deceased  ;  Gustavus  is  farming  on  the  homestead ; 
p;dward  is  also  on  the  home  farm;  the  next  is  our 
subject;  the  younger  brothers  and  sisters  are; 
Peter,  Catherine  and  Amelia,  who  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof. 

Theodore  Starmann  opened  liis  eyes  to  the  light 
of  day  in  Holstein,  German}',  .lanuary  IG,  1S6S. 
The  next  year  he  was  brought  to  America  and  Jol- 
iet was  the  scene  of  his  earliest  recollections.  He 
was  reared  in  that  city  to  the  age  of  five  3^eai's 
when  his  parents  removed  to  the  farm  in  Manhat- 
tan Township.  Upon  it  and  the  one  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  the  lad  was  reared  to  manhood,  having 
the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  and  learning 
tlie  rudiments  of  farming.  He  remained  with  his  ' 
father  until  he  became  of  age,  when  his  tastes  j 
having  led  him  to  desire   a  mercantile   career,    he  ' 


opened  the  establishment  over  which  he  now  pre- 
sides. The  building  which  he  occupies  is  owned 
by  his  father  and  under  its  roof  will  be  found  a 
good  assortment  of  farm  implements  and  machines, 
including  Deering  binders  and  Garr  Scott  threshers 
and  likewise  carriages  and  wagons.  Mr.  Starmann 
has  also  bought  his  brother  Edward's  stock  of  liq- 
uors and  cigars  and  after  July  1,  will  also  be  en- 
gaged in  the  sale  of  them.  He  is  a  true-blue  Re- 
publican and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  Joliet. 


-^^t^- 


ORRIS  UMSTED.  This  county  is  famous 
for  the  richness  of  its  soil,  and  for  its 
^  many  farms  that  are  scarcely'  exceeded  in 
production  and  the  value  of  their  improvements 
1)3'  that  of  any  other  section  of  our  fair  land,  and 
this  gentleman  is  represented  in  this  volume  as  the 
fortunate  owner  of  a  large  farm  in  Wesley  Town- 
ship, that  compares  favorabl}-  with  any  in  this  lo- 
cality. 

Our  subject  was  born  April  30,  1849,  to  Bazil 
and  Julia  Ann  (Haynes)  I'rasted,  natives  of  Ohio. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ross  County.  His  family 
originated  in  Pennsj'lvania  and  were  early  set- 
tlers of  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  and  married  and 
himself  and  wife  were  life-long  residents  "there,  he 
dying  in  1851.  and  she  in  1890.  They  were  par- 
ents of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now    living. 

Their  son  Norris  was  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer, 
and  received  a  good  common-school  education. 
At  seventeen  jears  of  age  he  began  life  for  himself 
and  was  emplo3'ed  on  a  farm  until  twenty-one, 
when  he  became  the  owner  of  the  old  homestead 
that  had  been  his  birthplace.  He  farmed  at  good 
advantage  for  several  3'ears  and  then  decided  to 
try  agriculture  in  this  State,  and  in  187],  bought 
his  present  farm  in  Wesle3'  Township.  He  now 
has  two  hundred  and  fort3'-two  acres  of  as  fertile 
farming  land  as  is  to  be  found  in  this  section  of 
the  countrj',  all  lying  together  and  under  excel- 
lent improvement.  He  has  wrought  many  changes 
since  taking  possession  of  the  farm,  that  have  greatly 
increased  its  value,  and  has  on  it  substantial  build- 


^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


?43 


ingg  which  he  has  altered  and  made  more  conve- 
nient for  liis  use.  He  carries  on  mixed  farming, 
raising  good  crops  and  having  his  farm  well  stocked 
with  standard  grades  of  cattle. 

He  was  married  Maj'  11,  1870,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Foley,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Foley.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  camo  to  this  countr}'  with 
his  wife  when  quite  3'oung.  and  they  are  now  res- 
idents of  Ohio.  Tlie  home  circle  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife  comprises  six  children,  as  follows: 
Annie.  Nellie,  Minnie,  Edward,  Margaret  and 
Retlia,  four  of  wiiom  are  now  attending  school  in 
this  district,  and  their  father  intends  to  give  tliem 
good  educational  advantages.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Um- 
sted  have  lost  two  from  their  little  flock.  Mrs. 
Fmsted  is  a  worthy  woman  and  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Wilmington. 

In  the  pioseeution  of  his  labors  Mr.  LTmsted  has 
shown  a  practical  knowledge  of  his  calling  and  has 
exhibited  sufficient  foresight  and  discretion  to  ac- 
quire a  competency.  He  has  a  pleasant,  obliging 
<H.sposition  and  his  willingness  to  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  anyone  in  trouble  has  won  him  the  esteem 
of  this  community  where  he  came  to  establish  a 
home  nearly'  twenty  years  ago.  For  the  last  ten 
3'ears  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  educa- 
tional matters  and  as  School  Director  for  his  dis- 
trict has  done  what  he  could  to  procure  the  best 
of  schooling  for  the  children  of  the  neighborhood. 
He  takes  an  interest  in  the  political  issues  of  the 
day  and  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


flJ^^ENRY  CLAY  CASSEDAY.  The  subject 
of  this  notice  is  one  of  a  prominent  family 
in  Will  County,  and  the  son  of  George  W. 
^  Casseday,  who  emigrated  to  Paris,  111.,  in 
1824,  and  came  to  Joliet  May  10,  1850.  He  be- 
came well-to-do,  financially,  and  was  the  owner  of 
about  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  running  from  the 
Michigan  Central  cut-oflf  to  the  Illinois  Steel 
Works,  and  thence  to  the  canal  north  of  the  old 
city  limits.  The  family  residence  is  a  fine  large 
structure,  oc'cupying  No.   1005  .Jackson  Street,  and 


with    its    surroundings  forms  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive homes  in  the  city. 

George  W.  Casseday  was  born  December  1, 
1803,  about  nine  miles  from  the  Natural  Bridge, 
Bedford  County.  Ya.  He  there  grew  to  man's 
estate,  and  subsequently  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Troy,  Ohio.  On  the  13th  of  January,  1824,  he 
was  married  to  Jliss  Delilah  Murphy.  This  lady 
was  a  native  of  his  own  county,  and  born  July  6, 
1806.  She  went  with  her  parents  to  Tro^',  Ohio, 
when  quite  j'oung,  where  she  was  reared  to  woman- 
hood. After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casseday  re- 
moved to  Paris,  111.,  from  there  to  Danville,  and 
finally  to  Joliet,  May  10,  1850. 

The  father  of  our  subject  upon  coming  to  this 
count}-  began  dealing  in  real  estate,  and  became 
owner  of  a  large  amount  of  land  in  Illinois.  He 
held  the  most  of  this  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  July  23,  18C3.  He  laid  out  all 
that  part  of  Joliet  l3iug  north  of  Jackson  Street 
and  extending  to  the  city  limits,  this  being  known 
as  Casseda3''s  Addition.  He  was  not  a  politician, 
with  the  exception  of  voting  first  the  Whig  and 
later  the  Rei)uV)lican  ticket.  His  religious  views 
coincided  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  in  which  he  neld  the  various  offices 
and  assisted  substantial!}'  in  the  erection  of  the 
church  building  at  Joliet. 

The  widowed  mother  is  still  living  at  the  old 
homestead  in  this  city.  The  live  children  born  to 
her  and  her  husband  were  named  respectively: 
David,  Maria  L.,  Henry  Clay,  Harriet  N.  and 
Mary  E.  David  was  born  July  6,  1826,  in  Paris, 
III.,  and  attained  to  manhood  in  Danville;  he  was 
a  youth  piously  inclined,  and  at  an  early  age  be- 
gan to  studv'  for  the  ministrj'.  He  joined  the  Illi- 
nois Conference,  and  after  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily from  Danville  became  connected  with  the  Rock 
River  Conference,  with  which  he  remained  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  May  5,  1862.  He  spent  his 
last  days  at  the  home  of  his  mother  in  Joliet.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  was  the  Presiding 
Elder  of  Galena  District.  He  first  married  Miss 
Rowena  Welch,  of  Perrysville,  Ind.,  and  she  bore 
him  two  sons — George  E.  and  David  W.  For  his 
second  wife  David  married  Miss  Ellen  M.  Hoag, 
of   Plainfield,    November   23,    1853,  and   of   this 


744 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


union  there  was  born  one  son.  now  Dr.  F.  F.  Casse- 
day.wlio  received  bis  lilerar}'  education  in  the  North- 
western University  at  Evanston,  from  which  lie 
was  graduated  with  ttie  degiee  of  A.  B.  Later  he 
prosecuted  his  medical  studies  at  the  nomcoiwthic 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  and  is  now  a  prac- 
ticing physician  of  Kansas  Citv,  Mo. 

Maria  L.  Casseday  married  Milton  Partlow.  of 
Danville,  and  became  the  mother  of  five  children; 
she  is  now  deceased.  Harriet  N.  married  Elias 
Tyler  and  removed  to  California,  where  she  died 
January  17,  1877;  Mary  E.  became  the  wife  of 
John  Durham,  and  they  are  now  living  in  Dan- 
ville, 111. ;  Henry  Clay,  our  subject,  was  born 
June  22,  1831,  at  Paris,  111.,  and  is  still  unmarried. 
He  completed  his  education  in  Joliet,  and  has  since 
been  his  mother's  mainstay,  looking  after  the  old 
homestead  and  the  business  connected  with  the  es- 
tate. During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted,  in  1861, 
in  Company  B,  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
went  with  his  regiment  to  Cairo.  He  was  Assis- 
tant Quartermaster,  and  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Fredericktown,  Mo.,  also  in  the  engagement  at 
Springfield,  the  same  State.  At  the  end  of  six 
months  lie  received  his  honorable  discharge,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  most  honored  members  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Politicallj',  he  is  a 
Republican.  His  portrait,  together  with  that  of  his 
esteemed  father,  will  be  noticed  in  connection  with 
this  sketch.  Mr.  Casseday  is  a  man  of  unassuming 
demeanor,  quiet  and  retired  in  his  habits,  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  a   large  circle  of  friends. 


-^ 


-H- 


1^^^  TANTON  LYNK.    It  is  a  worthy  ambition 
^^^    >vhich  makes  a  man  jealous  for  the  reputa- 
\£_/^  tion  of  his  town  or    township  and   incites 
him  to  contribute  his  moral  and  substantial 
aiil  to  the  enterprises  calculated   for    its   progress, 
socially,  morally  and   financiallj'.     Mr.   Lynk    has 
distinguished  himself  in  this  direction  in  a  marked 
degree  and  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most    use- 
ful members  of  his  community'.     At  the  same  time 
his  personal  interests  and  the  comfort  of  his  family 
have  kept  pace  with  his  public  benefactions  and  we 


find  him  in  possession  of  all  that  makes  life  desir- 
able— a  pleasant  home  and  a  competence  for  his  de- 
clining years.  He  has  been  accompanied  for  many 
years  on  his  life  journey  by  one  of  the  most  esti- 
mable of  ladies  who  shares  with  her  husband  the 
respect  of  the  community. 

A  native  of  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Lynk 
was  born  October  7,  1834,  and  came  to  Illinois  with 
his  fatherin  1852,  and  has  since  maintained  his  resi- 
dence in  New  Lenox  Township.  He  w.as  reared  to 
habits  of  industr3'  and  economy  which  have  served 
him  well  all  through  life,  and  his  education  was  such 
as  was  to  be  obtained  in  the  common  school.  He 
worked  with  his  father  ou  the  farm  until  a  man  of 
twenty-six  years  and  then  took  unto  himself  a  wife 
and  helpmate.  Miss  Isabella  Doig.the  wedding  being 
celebrated  at  the  bride's  home  in  Homer  Township, 
Jul}'  6,  1856.  After  his  marriage  he  continued  to 
reside  at  the  old  homestead  of  which  he  is  now  the 
owner  and  which  comprises  two  hundred  acres  of 
choice  land  with  first-class  improvements. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lynk  there  have  been  born  a 
famil\-  of  six  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  a  daugh- 
ter, Jnaet,  is  the  wife  of  AbelBliss,  of  New  Lenox 
Township;  Zachariah  W.  married  Miss  Cornelia 
Finch  and  lives  in  Nebraska;  Adelia  is  the  wife  of 
W.iller  Rowlej',  of  Homer  Township;  Everette  S. ; 
Evalenaand  Erwiu  remain  at  home  with  their  par- 
ents. Mr.  Lynk  has  been  exceedingly-  careful  in 
the  education  of  his  children  who,  after  leaving  the 
district  school,  completed  their  studies  in  the  high 
schools  of  Joliet  and  Englewood.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Lj-nk  votes  independently  and  has  never  sought 
office,  simply  serving  at  one  period  as  Highway 
Commissioner. 

Zachariah  W.  Lynk,  the  father  of  our  subject, was 
born  March  24,  1790,  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y. 
He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  that  county  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Sarah  Hardy, who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 16,  1800,  and  reared  not  far  from  the  early- 
home  of  her  husband.  Thej-  were  marrie<l  in  Co- 
lumbia Countj-  and  thence  removed  to  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  thej'  settled  upon  a  farm.  In 
the  spring  of  1852,  thej-  decided  upon  seeking  their 
fortunes  in  the  Prairie  State  and  accordingly  com- 
ing to  this  count}-,  settled  on  a  farm  on  section  4, 
New  Lenox  Township,  where   they  spent    the    re- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


745 


mainder  of  their  days.  The  mother  passed  away 
January  8,  18G0.  Mr.  Lynk  survived  his  wife  over 
eighteen  years,  his  death  taking  place  April  8,  1878. 

Nine  children  were  born  to  the  parents  of  our 
subject  and  he  was  the  eiglith  in  order  of  birth. 
His  sister  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  Frank  Mesick, 
and  died  at  her  home  June  16,  1877;  Peter  died 
in  Iowa  in  1879;  Ann  M.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Doig  of  New  Lenox  Township;  William  is  retired 
from  active  labor  and  living  quietly  in  the  village 
of  New  Lenox;  Sylvanus  lives  in  Marshalltown, 
Iowa;  Louis  lives  in  Florida;  Norman  is  a  resident 
of  this  county;  Catherine  P.  is  the  wife  of  Addison 
Collins  of  New  Lenox  Township. 

Mrs.  Lynk  was  born  November  9,  1836,  in  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew,  Sr.,  and 
Isabella  (Fife)  Doig,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of 
Scotland  and  who  are  represented  on  another  page 
in  this  Album.  They  came  to  Will  County  in  1847, 
and  settled  in  Homer  Township  where  the  mother 
died  May  4,  1861.  Mr.  Doig  dep.arted  this  life  in 
New  Lenox  Township,  February  17,  1887.  Their 
family  consisted  of  ten  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Lynk  was  next  to  the  youngest. 


ON.  CHARLES  B.  GARNSEY,  Judge  of 
^j  the  County  Court  of  Will  County,  was 
elected  to  the  office  he  now  holds  in  1882, 
•))  and  at  the  conclusion  of  his  first  term  of 
office,  in  1886,  was  re-elected.  He  was  born  in  Liv- 
ingston Count}',  N.  y.,  October  25,  1842,  and  is  a 
son  of  N.  B.  and  Emily  Garnsej-.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Saratoga  County,  but  was  educated  in 
Massachusetts  and  adopted  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. Judge  Garnsey  came  to  Will  Count}'  in  Ma}', 
1859,  and  has  practically  made  Joliet  his  home  ever 
since.  His  literary  education  was  obtained  in  the 
East,  and  bis  legal  studies  pursued  at  the  Cliicago 
Law  School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1862. 
He  entered  the  One  Hundredth  Illinois  Infantry, 
July  30,  1862,  and  served  through  the  war,  with 
his  command. 

In  1865  Mr.  Garnsey  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
this  Slate,  and  at  once  entered    u|)on   the   practice 


of  his  profession  iu  the  city  where  he  has  since 
practiced  continually.  In  1877  he  became  asso- 
ciated with  A.  F.  Knox,  under  the  style  of  Gai'n- 
sey  &  Knox,  the  partnership  still  existing.  He 
was  Corporation  Counsel  of  the  city  of  Joliet  for 
two  years. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Wilmington,  No- 
vember 4,  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Henderson. 
Mrs.  Garnsey,  who  is  an  educated  and  refined  wo- 
man, is  a  daughter  of  John  D.  Henderson,  an  old 
merchant  of  Wilmington,  who  is  still  living  in  that 
town.  They  have  two  sons — John  II.  and  C.  B., 
Jr.,  both  of  whom  are  now  in  school  and  will  re- 
ceive excellent  educational  advantages  as  they  ad- 
vance in  ye.ars  and  knowledge.  Judge  Garnsey 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  member 
of  Joliet  Commander}',  No.  4. 


lf/_  ON.  HENRY  H.  STASSEN,  Clerk  of  the 
Court  of  Will  County,  has  faithfully  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  this  position  for  the 
l^)  past  three  years  with  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  has  just  passed 
his  fifty-second  birthday,  having  been  born  March 
2,  1838,  and  is  a  native  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Oldenburg,  Germany,  the  parental  home  at  that 
time  being  in  the  town  of  Westrum,  Jeverland. 
His  father.  Harm  H.  Stassen,was  also  born  in  Jev- 
erland, September  15, 1805.  He  learned  shoemaking 
in  early  manhood  and  was  married  to  Miss  Metta 
Ulrichs.  To  them  were  born  nine  children  in 
Germany,  of  whom  Henry  H.,  our  subject,  was  the 
third.  The  family  emigrated  to  America  in  1854, 
landing  in  Monee,  this  county,  on  the  27th  of  June. 
The  household  then  included  four  cliildren,  five  of 
them  having  died  in  infancy.  Maria  E.  died  when 
forty-six  years  old;  Metta  became  the  wife  of 
Christian  Shrader  and  removed  to  Kansas,  where 
she  died;  Mina  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Peters,  of 
New  Baden,  Tex. 

The  elder  Stassen  followed  his  trade  two  years 
after  coming  to  this  country,  and  then  settled  on  a 
farm  near  Monee.  Henry  H.  also  learned  shoemak- 
ing, at  which  he  worked   until   he  arrived  in   this 


746 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


country.  The  fattier  died  November  16,  1886,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  jears.  The  mother  passed 
away  over  twenty  years  prior  to  the  decease  of  her 
husband,  her  death  taking  place  September  3,  1865, 
when  she  was  fifty-three  jears  old,  she  liavingbeeu 
born  March  11.  1808.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Cliurch,  a  congregation  of 
which  the  father  assisted  in  organizing  in  1856  in 
Monee,  III.,  and  to  the  support  of  which  he  re- 
mained a  liberal  contributor.  He  rendered  sub- 
stantial aid  in  the  erection  of  the  church  edifice  and 
from  first  to  last  maintained  a  warm  interest  in  the 
welfare  and  advancement  of  the  society.  He  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1860.  together  with  his  son,  our  sul)ject,  and  both 
from  that  time  forward  gave  their  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  part\'. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  learned  shoemaking  in 
his  native  land,  and  upon  coming  to  America  at 
once  changed  tliat  occupation  for  farming.  Dur- 
ing the  month  of  Jul3'  whicli  followed  he  worked 
for  $4  and  hjs  board.  In  1865  he  returned  to  his 
native  country  (German j)  and  on  the  4th  of  Feb 
ruary,  1866,  was  wedded  to  a  maiden  of  his  own 
province.  Miss  G.  Maria  Dudden.  This  lady  was 
born  August  27,  1846,  in  a  neigliboring  village  to 
that  of  her  husband,  which  remained  her  home  un- 
til her  marriage.  She  is  the  daugliter  of  Hillerich 
J.  and  Anne  Dudden,  who  died  in  middle  life  and 
before  their  daughter  was  married. 

In  Ma3-,  1866,  following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Stas- 
sen  returned  to  this  country  arriving  in  Will 
County  on  tiie  4th  daj'  of  tiie  montli,  and  for 
twentj'-one  years  thereafter  followed  farming  in 
Green  Garden  Township,  where  he  had  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixtj'  acres.  He  was  prosperous 
in  his  labors  and  invested  liis  accumulated  capital 
in  additional  land,  so  that  in  addition  to  the  farm 
mentioned  he  has  one  hundred  and  fiftj'-flve  acres 
in  Monee  Townsliip.  His  possessions  are  the  result 
of  his  own  unaided  efforts,  as  he  began  at  the  foot 
of  the  ladder,  without  other  resources  than  his  na- 
tive industry  and  energy. 

Mr.  Stassen  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinar}'  in- 
telligence, and  in  1872  served  as  Assessor  of  Green 
Garden  Township.  In  the  spring  of  1873  lie  was 
elected  to  represent  the   township   in    the  County 


Board  of  Supervisors,  and  with  the  exception  of 
one  year  held  the  office  b3'  continuous  re-elections 
until  his  resignation  in  1886,  when  he  entered  upon 
tiie  duties  of  his  present  position.  He  has  alwa3S 
been  a  liberal  and  public-spirited  man,  interested 
in  educational  matters,  and  all  other  matters  calcu- 
lated to  advance  the  people.  He  organized  the  first 
school  in  District  No.  8,  Green  Garden  Township, 
assisted  in  building  tlie  schoolhouse  and  officiated 
as  Director  from  1869  until  leaving  the  district. 
In  1867  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Green  Garden 
Farmer's  Mutual  Insurance  Corapan3',  the  first  cor- 
poration of  the  kind  in  the  State,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1868  w.is  elected  Treasurer  of  the  company, 
which  position  he  held  until  his  resignation  in.Jan- 
uary,  1887.  This  compan3'  began  business  without 
cajiital,  charging  one-half  per  cent,  premium  per 
ij!lOO  on  all  property  insured,  and  in  1886  had  ac- 
cumulated, after  pa^'ing  all  losses  and  expenses  of 
Government  and  organization,  §8.000.  It  had  at 
that  time  over  twelve  hundred  members.  Its  suc- 
cess was  largely  owing  to  the  good  management  of 
its  treasurer,  who  engineereil  it  through  man3'  dif- 
ficult places,  and  frequently  went  securit3'  for  large 
risks. 

Mr.  Stasseu  also  became  interested  in  the  Grange 
movement  in  1873,  which  he  has  represented  at 
various  times  and  upon  various  occasions  at  tlveir 
meetings  and  conventions.  His  title  of  Honorable 
has  been  fairl3-  won  b3'  his  service  in  the  Twent3-- 
ninth  General  Assembly,  to  which  he  was  elected 
in  1874.  He  served  on  various  importint  commit- 
tees, including  Insurance,  he  being  well  qualified 
b3'  experience  as  a  member  of  such  committee. 
He  served  his  term  acceptably,  and  in  1884  was 
once  more  nominated,  serving  this  time  in  the 
Thirt3'-fourth  General  Assembly-.  In  the  meantime 
he  formed  one  of  the  famous  "one  hundred  and 
three"  who  were  engaged  in  the  six  months'  mem- 
orable struggle  for  tlie  election  of  John  A.  Logan 
for  United  States  Senator  and  in  which,  it  will  be 
remembered,  the3'  succeeded  on  the  19th  of  May, 
1885. 

In  1876  Mr.  Stassen  was  made  the  nominee  of 
the  Grangers  for  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and 
made  an  admirable  race,  although  defeated  as  was 
expecteil.      In    1 8s6  he  was  elected  to  his  present 


cr^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUiM. 


749 


position,  taking-  charge  of  tlie  oflice  December  6. 
He  superintended  the  operations  of  his  farm  for  a 
year  thereafter,  but  in  February,  1888,  he  removed 
Ills  family  to  Joliet.  '  During  the  summer  of  1889 
!ie  put  up  a  commodious,  modern  residence  at  the 
corner  of  Oneida  and  Nicholson  Streets,  where  he 
now  lives.  In  1884  Mr.  Stassen  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers'  State  Insurance  Alliance  and 
served  two  years.  Religiously,  lie  belongs  to  the 
United  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

To  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  there  have 
been  born  five  sons,  of  whom  but  two  are  living. 
Charles  J.  married  Miss  Anna  Albers  and  they  re- 
side on  the  farm;  Blenno  H.  lives  with  his  brother 
and  assists  in  the  labors  at  the  homestead.  Com- 
ment is  unnecessary  relative  to  the  position  which 
Mr.  Stassen  holds  among  his  fellow-citizens.  He 
has  become  full^'  identilied  with  the  interests  of 
this  county  and  lias  contributed  in  no  small  degree 
to  its  growtli  and  prosperity. 


EN 


^^UGUST     ERIKSSON. 
C@Yu[     unflagging  perseverauc 


The    results     of 
jce,  jirudent  economj- 

rand  investment,  and  good  habits,  probably 
find  no  better  exponent  in  the  city  of 
Joliet  than  in  the  above-named  gentleman,  whose 
portrait  is  i)resented  on  the  opposite  page,  and 
who  is  the  proprietor  of  a  fine  stone  quarry,  being 
also  engaged  in  contracting  and  building.  The 
Eriksson  stone  quarry  is  located  at  tlie  foot  of 
Bowen  Avenue  on  South  Uicliard  Street,  and  has 
a  four  hundred  foot  face;  tlagging  stone  from  two 
to  ten  inches  in  thickness  is  gotten  out,  .seventeen 
hundred  carloads  having  been  cut  in  the  past  year, 
and  the  best  steam  appliances  being  used  in  the 
quarry. 

Mr.  P]riksson  was  born  in  Sweden,  .January  7, 
1854,  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  187G,  without  a  trade  upon  which  to  dei)end, 
but  full  of  pluck  and  energy.  His  first  place  of 
abode  vvas  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  wliere  he  remained 
about  three  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  his 
native  land.  Having  alread3'  with  his  own  empty 
bands  made  a  start  in  life,  he  embarked  in  business, 


but  in  April,  1881,  decided  to  return  to  America. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic,  he  traveled  westward  to 
Joliet,  111.,  where  he  began  working  for  Sanger  <k 
Moody,  soon  getting  into  mason's  work,  but  being 
a  nou-IJnion  man,  he  was  obliged  to  stop  working, 
and  he  was  thus  forced  into  contracting.  His 
principal  contract  was  a  three-story  business  block 
which  he  [)ut  up  in  1882. 

The  first  large  contract  of  Mr.  Eriksson  vvas 
with  (ieorge  H.  Munroe  for  the  Munroe  Block,  and 
the  second  for  a  Catholic  school  at  Lemont;  the 
nest  large  contract  was  for  the  Lombart  and  Bishop 
Wire  Mill,  and  in  1883  he  put  up  a  block  for  Ed 
S.  Munroe.  In  December,  1883,  he  bought  the 
stone  quarry  described  above,  which  in  connection 
with  his  Iniilding,  gives  occupation  to  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  men  at  different  seasons  of  the  year. 
In  the  summers  of  1888  and  1889  he  contracted  for 
the  office  building  and  for  the  Fox  plant  for  the 
Illinois  Steel  Company,  the  latter  a  122,000  job, 
and  also  the  Atheneum  Kuilding.  He  now  has  the 
contract  for  the  stone  work  for  the  new  Masonic 
Temi)le  and  the  new  Presbyterian  Church. 

Besides  the  business  enterprises  mentioned,  Mr. 
Eriksson  is  also  building  up  a  fine  farm,  having  in 
the  fall  of  1887  bought  twenty-five  hundred  acres 
in  Greele}'  County,  Kan.  Its  improvement  was 
begun  in  tlie  spring  of  1888,  and  during  the  two 
years  that  have  passed  seven  hundred  acres  have 
been  placed  under  cidtivation.  He  also  builds  and 
sells  houses.  All  his  worldly  possessions,  with 
the  exception  of  $2,000  received  b^'  him  three  years 
since,  have  been  earned  by  his  own  exertions  and 
saved  liy  his  prudence.  Few,  if  any,  men  of  his 
years  can  show  so  good  a  record  financially  speaking, 
or  have  a  higher  standing  among  their  fcllow-men 
for  manly  character  and  upright  habits. 

In  the  winter  of  1882,  Mr.  Eriksson  paid  a  sec- 
ond visit  to  Europe,  and  in  1885  spent  the  Christ- 
mas holidays  in  his  native  land,  accompanied  on 
this  occasion  by  his  family.  He  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Borrowers'  and  Investors'  Association,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  now  a 
Director.  His  vote  is  always  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican candidates,  as  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  the 
principles  of  that  jiarty.  He  and  his  wife  belong 
to  the  First  Lutheran  Church, 


750 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mr.  Eriksson  found  a  worthy  companion  and 
iielpniate  in  Miss  Anna  Christine  Anderson,  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  with  whom  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  Chicago,  December  6,  1881,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  by  the  Rev.  C.  B.  L.  Boman. 
Her  wise  oversight  of  household  affairs,  hfr  intelli- 
gent mind  and  pleasing  disposition  make  the  home 
a  pleasant  one.  The  happy  union  has  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  four  children,  the  three  now  living 
forming  a  bright  and  interesting  group.  They  are 
named  respectively:  Frank  A.,  David  Alfred  and 
Carl  Antonias.  'Ihe  deceased  child,  who  was  the 
second  born,  bore  the  name  of  David  Abiel. 


<il  'klLLlAM  ADAM,  an  old  and  honored  resi- 
\/\l//  ^^^^  of  Joliet,  has  long  been  connected 
^^^  with  its  business  interests  as  the  oldest 
lumber  dealer  in  the  city,  having  a  large  and  well- 
stocked  lumber -N-ard  on  the  corner  of  Des  Plaines 
and  Van  Buren  Streets.  He  is  also  President  of 
the  Joliet  Paper  Company,  which  was  incorporated 
liere  in  1888,  with  a  capital  stock  of  ^15,000  by 
himself  and  his  son,  and  tiicy  also  have  a  barbed 
fence  and  wire  factory  in  the  same  Iniilding  as  their 
paper  mill. 

Mr.  Adam  was  born  in  Renfrewshire,  Scotland, 
February  4,  1821.  He  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years 
when  he  came  to  this  country  in  1832  with  his  par- 
ents. James  and  Margaret  Adam.  They  located  in 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  there  the  remaining  days  of 
his  youth  were  passed.  In  1 850  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  coming  to  Joliet  with  his 
family,  and  for  a  period  of  forty  years  Ins  life  has 
been  spent  in  this  city.  In  1853  he  established  a 
lumber  yard  here,  and  that  being  before  the  advent 
of  railways  in  this  part  of  the  country,  all  of  his 
lumber  was  brought  to  him  by  the  canal.  He  also 
took  charge  of  a  grain  business,  and  was  much 
prospered  in  both  ventures,  and  gained  capital 
whereby  he  was  enabled  to  branch  out  in  other 
directions.  He  built  the  city  roller  flouring  mill, 
in  which  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour 
until  it  burned  in  1887.  He  rebuilt  on  the  same 
spot,  and  uses  the  present  Iniilding  as  a  paper  mill. 


a  wire  mill,  and  a  barbed  fence  factor}-,  and  is 
largel\'  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  those  arti- 
cles. This  business,  which  is  an  extensive  and  con- 
stantly growing  one,  is  conducted  by  himself  and 
sun,  William  J.,  under  the  firm  name  of  William 
Adam  ife  Sou,  a  corjiorate  company,  which  was  in- 
corporated in  1888,  with  our  subject  as  President, 
and  his  son  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Mr.  Adam  is  also  prominently  connected  with 
the  Peo|)les'  Town  and  Homestead  Association, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  stockholders,  he 
givJDg  great  encouragement  to  the  organization  of 
the  concern.  He  has  avoided  all  official  and  politi- 
cal life,  although  he  is  well-adapted  for  both,  ami 
he  has  given  his  whole  attention  to  his  business 
affairs.  He  is  a  man  of  keen  intelligence,  and  in 
his  travels  he  has  gleaned  au  interesting  fund  of 
knowledge,  and  from  his  well-informed  mind  draws 
original  toincs  of  conversation,  and  is  apparently 
well-versed  in  all  questions  of  general  importance. 
Last  winter  he  passed  the  season  in  California,  and 
has  visited  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  is  quite 
a  tourist. 

Mr.  Adam  has  been  twice  married.  By  his  mar- 
riage with  Jaue  Roach,  in  Canada,  he  had  born  to 
him  A.  R.  and  William  J.  His  second  marriage 
was  with  Miss  Jane  E.  Martin,  of  this  city,  and  to 
them  have  come  two  children,  R.  M.  and  Jeanette,. 
now  the  wife  of  J.  S.  C.  Royer,  of  Chicago. 

As  their  interests  are  so  closely  connected,  we 
are  pleased  to  iucorijorate  a  sketch  of  the  life  of 
the  son  in  this  biographical  review  of  the  life  and 
w-ork  of  the  father. 


lELVlLLK  A.  GRANT.  Lockport  is  not 
u-JC,  without  its  share  of  able  business  men  and 
influential  citizens,  and  chief  among  them 
is  the  gentleman  above  named,  whose  career 
has  been  marked  by  a  degree  of  tact,  energy,  and 
success  rarely  equaled.  The  business  in  which  Mr. 
Grant  is  engaged,  is  that  of  manufacturing  wire, 
and  his  goods  find  customers  in  all  parts  of  the 
United  States.     He  has  patented  an  appliance   by 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


751 


whicli  fusel  oil  is  used  as  a  fuel,  and  this  important 
piece  of  machinery  is  in  successful  operation. 

The  natal  da}'  of  Mr.  Grant,  was  Octol)er  23, 
1844,  and  Ids  birthplace  Fleming  County,  Ky.,  in 
which  he  lived  until  about  lour  3ears  old.  His 
parents,  William  S.  and  Mary  A.  (Tolle)  Grant, 
then  removed  to  Henry  Count}',  Iowa,  wliere  the 
son  passed  iiis  youth  in  acquiring  an  education  and 
a  knowledge  of  the  pursuits  of  a  farmer  and  miller. 
After  completing  the  course  of  study  in  the  com- 
mon schools  he  attended  the  high  school  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa.  In  18C4,  while  he  5'et  lacked  some 
months  of  having  reached  his  majoritj',  he  entered 
the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  the  Forty-fifth 
Iowa  Infantry,  and  displaj'ed  his  gallantry  in  Mis- 
souri, Mississippi,  and  the  AVest. 

At  the  close  of  his  honorable  career  as  a  soldier, 
young  Grant  returned  to  bis  former  peaceful  pur- 
suits, ere  long  becoming  a  resident  of  the  Prairie 
State,  arriving  in  Lockport,  .Tune  4,  1867.  Here  he 
was  engaged  in  various  lines  of  business  until  1878, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  H.  1>.  Scutt  &  Co., 
wire  manufacturers,  as  Superintendent.  He  re- 
mained with  the  company  until  1881,  when  they 
sold  out,  and  he,  having  thoroughly  m.astered  the 
business,  established  a  wire  factor}'  in  Lockport, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Grant,  Harmon  it  Ricliards. 
Mr.  Grant  soon  absorbed  the  wlioje  business,  and  i 
formed  a  stock  company,  b\-  whom  the  business 
was  continued  for  a  year,  after  which  it  became  the 
Baker  Wire  Mill. 

]\[r.  Grant  drew  the  plans  and  superintended  the 
erection  of  the  buildings  for  the  new  organization, 
and  his  great  executive  altility  in  the  management 
of  the  business  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  mills 
which  started  on  a  cai)acity  of  fifteen  tons  per  week, 
now  use  four  hundred  tons  weekly.  From  the 
original  i)lant  has  grown  an  establishment  which 
emplo}s  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  disburses 
large  sums  of  money  each  month  by  which  various 
departments  of  industry  in  the  town  are  benefited. 

The  personal  popularity  of  Mr.  Grant  is  extreme, 
,as  was  indicated  by  his  election  to  tlie  Mayoralty 
in  opposition  to  two  of  the  strongest  men  in  the 
city,  his  candidacy  being  supported  by  the  best 
element  of  society.  He  is  a  member  of  Gooding 
Post,  G.  A.  R.     The  beautiful  home  of  which  he 


took  possession  in  the  year  1888,  is  presided  over 
by  a  lady  of  refinement  and  culture,  with  whom  he 
was  united  in  marriage  on  the  1st  of  December, 
1886.  She  is  a  native  of  Will  County,  and  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Klla  Cagwin. 
To  her  has  been  born  one  daughter.  Bertha  Eloise, 
whose  natal  day  was  November  30,  1887,  and  who 
is  a  child  of  striking  beauty,  giving  promise  of  be- 
coming a  charming  woman. 


BIJAH  R.  STARR,  the  pioneer  florist  of 
Joliet,  for  many  years  conducted  a  flower 
garden  attached  to  his  residence  grounds 
(Cy  at  the   corner   of   McComber   Street   and 

Bowen  Place.  He  came  to  .Joliet  in  the  spring  of 
1871  and  soon  afterward  established  the  business 
which  he  conducted  unt'l  1888.  He  then  sold  out 
and  rented  his  ground,  and  since  that  time  has  not 
been  engaged  in  any  active  business.  He  had  one  of 
the  finest  gardens  in  the  country  and  met  with  phe- 
nominal  success.  His  life-long  habits  of  industry, 
however,  will  probably  not  permit  him  to  remain 
long  in  idleness  and  it  will  not  be  surprising  if  in 
the  near  future  he  resumes  his  old  occujiation. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  wns  born  March  25, 
1832,  in  Ithaca,  X.  Y.  His  father,  William  R.  Starr, 
emigrated  from  New  York  to  Illinois  in  the  [lioneer 
days,  settling  in  wiiat  was  then  Thorn  Grove,  but  is 
now  Crete  Townshi)),  in  1834.  He  took  up  a  tract 
of  Government  land  from  which  he  ojiened  up  a 
farm  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  which  occurreil 
in  1856.  Althf)Ugh  not  a  politician  he  was  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Abolitionist  party,  and  for  a  time 
officiated  as  the  Postmaster  of  Crete.  He  was  born 
in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  there  married 
to  Miss  Harriet  L.  Royce,  who  died  at  the  family 
residence  in  Joliet,  August  23,  1884.  Abijah  R. 
was  the  only  child. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  two  years 
old  when  his  parents  came  to  this  county,  bnt  when 
of  suitable  y^^rs  and  attainments  he  was  sent  back 
to  his  native  place,  wliere  he  completed  his  educa- 
tion. He  was  also  a  student  in  the  boarding  school 
at  Berkshire,  Tioga  County.    Then  returning  home 


752 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


he  remained  with  his  father  until  a  youth  (if  eigiil- 
cen  years.  In  1850.  being  seizerl  with  the  Califor- 
nia gold  fever  lie  crossed  tlie  plains  via  >st.  Josepli 
and  Ft.  Kearney,  being  on  the  road  from  May  4  un- 
til July  31,  and  locating  in  llangtown.  He  worked 
in  the  mines  about  two  j-ears  with  fair  success,  then, 
anxious  to  reach  home,  sacrificed  valuable  interests 
and  returned  to  the  old  farm.  His  father  in  the 
meantime  had  removed  to  Chicago  and  engaged  iu 
tlie  hotel  business. 

Mr.  Starr  now  had  charge  of  his  fatlier's  farm 
until  the  latter's  death.  In  the  meantime  he  was 
married,  October  2t,  1853,  to  Miss  Sarah  Ann 
Mogg.  In  1864  he  went  to  Wheaton,  DuPage 
County,  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the  nursery 
business  and  became  somewhat  prominent  in  local 
affairs,  serving  as  Street  Commissioner.  He  also  be- 
came interested  in  the  mercantile  business.  Finally, 
returning  to  this  county,  he  occupied  himself  as  a 
general  merchant  until  1874.  To  him  and  his  es- 
timable wife  there  have  been  born  three  children, 
viz:  Mar^-,  born  July  18,  1854,  and  now  the  wife 
A.  C.  Johnston,  manufacturer  of  optical  goods  at 
Detroit,  Mich.;  FlUen  A.,  born  January  30,  1858, 
and  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  H.  L.  Souder,  of  Rockwell; 
this  daughter  was  graduated  from  the  Homeopathic 
College  of  Chicago,  and  is  engaged  in  the  practice 
(if  medicine.  Attie  C.  was  born  Marcii  20, 'i860, 
and  married  George  T.  Relyea,  a  wholesale  grocer 
of  Joliet. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Abijah  Starr,  who  was  probably  a  native  of  New 
York,  whence  he  removed  to  Patterson,  and  lived 
there  until  1816.  Thence  he  removed  to  Ithaca, 
where  he  died  in  1824.  He  was  a  surveyor  b}-  pro- 
fession, and  married  Miss  Hannah  Watts.  Among 
the  children  born  to  them  was  William  Russell  Starr, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  a  native  of  Patterson, 
N.  J.,  and  born  August  4,  1807. 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  (Mogg)  Starr  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Claj',  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  June  1, 
1830,  to  Jared  and  Lany  (Young)  Mogg  and  was 
there  reared  to  womanhood.  Siie  came  to  the  West 
in  1852.  Jared  Mogg  was  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  born  August  4,  1791.  He  was  bound  out  at  an 
early  age  but,  being  an  ambitious  lad  and  impatient 
of  restraint,  ran  awaj-  to  Schoharie  County,  where 


in  due  time  lie  met  and  married  his  future  wife. 
They  settled  down  upon  a  farm  and  Grandfather 
Mogg  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his 
death. 

Mrs.  Lany  (Y'oung)  Mogg  w.as  born  in  Seward, 
Schoharie  County,  N.  Y'.,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
Jeremiah  Y'oung,  whose  family  consisted  of  twelve 
children.  Jared  Mogg's  family'  consisted  of  four- 
teen children.  Thirteen  of  these  grew  to  mature 
years  and  there  are  still  living  six  brothers  and  five 
sisters.  Mr.  Starr,  politically,  is  a  sound  Repub- 
lican, while  he  and  his  good  wife  are  prominently 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
Joliet. 

—' ^3-£f- ^- 


eLAUS  PAULSEN.  The  German-American 
,  citizens  of  this  county  have  an  excellent 
representative  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Paulsen, 
a  successful  farmer  of  Washington  Township.  His 
(ileasant  homestead  is  located  on  sections  25  and 
36,  and  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  broad 
and  fertile  acres,  suiiplied  with  all  the  needful 
buildings  erected  snbstantiallj'  and  designed  attract- 
ivel}'.  When  the  present  owner  took  possession  of 
the  place  in  1863,  there  was  but  a  small  piece  bro- 
ken, the  rest  being  wild  land,  lie  put  forth  his 
best  eflforts  to  make  of  it  a  home  suited  to  his  taste 
and  the  needs  of  his  family,  and  well  has  he  suc- 
ceeded. 

The  natal  day  of  Mr.  Paulsen  was  February  25, 
1841,  and  his  birth|ihu'e  Schleswig-Holstein,  Ger- 
manj'.  He  is  the  youngest  child  in  a  family  circle 
that  included  nine  brothers  and  sisters,  but  four  of 
whom  are  now  living.  Ho  and  two  sisters  came  to 
America.  The  jiaients,  John  and  Catharine  ( lirandt) 
Pauls.n,  passed  their  entire  lives  in  their  native 
kingdom,  Schleswig-Holstein.  He  (>f  whom  we 
write  grew  to  man's  estate  in  the  land  of  his  birth, 
gaining  a  good  education  under  its  excellent  school 
laws.  AVhen  twenty-one  years  old  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  land  across  the  sea,  of  whose 
advantages  he  had  heard. 

Setting  sail  from  Hamburg  in  April,  1862,  on  the 
"Otscal"  Jlr.  Paulsen  spent  eight  long  weeks  on  the 
broad  .Vilantic  ere  landing  was  made  at  New  York. 


=%«^ 


PORTRAIT   AND  BIOORAPIIIC AL  ALBUM. 


100 


Thence  lie  went  to  Chicago  and  into  Kankakee 
Count}',  where  lie  labored  abjut  a  twelvemonth. 
He  then  came  to  Will  County  and  in  Monee 
Township  spent  some  time  ns  a  farm  hand.  Ere 
long  lie  determined  to  have  a  home  of  Ins  own  and 
therefore  began  to  improve  the  land,  which  now 
rewards  his  efforts  with  an  abundance  of  the  fruits 
of  the  earth. 

The  ellici(!nt  hel innate  and  conniaiiion  of  Mr. 
Paulsen  in  his  labors  to  secure  a  competence  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Sophia  Hack. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Ernest  and  Sophia  (Recopf) 
Hack,  nalives  of  Mecklenburg,  German}',  who 
came  to  America  in  1864,  following  some  of  their 
children  across  the  sea.  They  settled  in  Will 
County,  111.,  and  here  both  died  well  advanced  in 
3ears.  They  had  six  children,  Mrs.  Paulsen  being 
the  youngest;  she  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Ma}' 
19,  1842.  and  was  consequently  twenty -two  3'ears 
old  when  she  came  to  the  United  States.  She  has 
l)orne  her  husband  nine  children,  two  of  whom  died 
ill  infancy. 

The  surviving  members  of  the  family  circle  are: 
Bertha, wife  of  Henr\'  Wherman,  a  farmer  in  Wash- 
ington Township;  John,  Herman,  Carrie,  Henry, 
Louis  and  Emma,  who  are  yet  living  under  the  pa- 
rental roof.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paulsen  belong  to  the 
German  Evangelical  Church,  and  politically,  he 
is  a  stanch  Republican. 


(1^  ON.  JOHN  M.  THOMPSON.  Few  residents 
llr  )l)  in  New  Lenox  Township  have  so  strong  a 
claim  upon  the  consideration  of  the  readers 
•^}  of  this  volume  ns  the  gentleman  alcove 
named.  He  has  borne  an  honorable  part  in  the 
public  affairs  of  a  gieat  commonwealth,  won  a  gal- 
lant record  for  service  during  the  Civil  War,  suc- 
cessfully and  intelligently  prosecuted  a  farmer's 
career,  possesses  a  cultured  mind  and  much  learn- 
ing in  the  law,  and  represents  a  family  which  has 
given  many  honored  members  to  public  life.  His 
home  is  on  a  finely-improved  farm  where  every 
necessary  and  convenient  structure,  first  class  ma- 
chinery and   farm   implements,  and  high  grades  of 


stock  may  be  seen.  The  estate  consists  of  about 
six  hundred  acres  which,  when  covered  with  grow- 
ing crops,  present  an  appearance  of  prosperity  not 
to  be  surpassed  in  Northern  Illinois. 

The  Thompson  family  is  of  English  origin  while 
the  maternal  ancestors  of  our  subject  sprang  from 
Germany.  His  father,  the  late  James  Thompson, 
was  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  and  his  mother,  Sarah 
(Siiure)  Thom|)son,  in  Canada.  Their  first  home 
after  marriage  was  in  the  Dominion,  from  which 
they  removed  to  Winnebago  County,  III.,  about 
1840.  Ml'.  Thomiisoii  first  built  a  blasting  furnace 
and  afterward  a  factory  in  which  he  raauufactured 
woolens  and  did  custom  carding  and  fulling.  He 
resided  in  Roscoe  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  18G3.     His  widow   survived    until   September, 

1884,  breathing  her  last  in  Rockford.  Their  fam- 
ily consisted  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing facts  may  be  noted: 

Clark  W.,  a  resident  of  Minnesota,  died  in  April, 

1885,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years;  he  was  a  State 
Representative,  a  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention  and  .State  Senator  several  terms,  bear- 
ing a  prominent  [lart  in  the  political  affairs  of  the 
State.  He  was  also  one  of  the  Lincoln  Electors, 
and  the  first  President  of  the  Southern  Minnesota 
Railroad.  He  owned  a  tract  of  twenty-five  thous- 
and acres  and  established  the  town  of  Wells,  which 
was  named  for  his  wife.  Edward,  a  miller,  resid- 
ing in  Blunt,  S.  Dak.,  has  been  a  Representative 
and  State  Senator;  Mary  C.  is  the  wife  of  James 
Abbott,  of  Beloit,  Wis.;  Eliza  J.  died  in  1870;  the 
next  in  order  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Agnes 
died  in  1854  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  Anna 
is  the  wife  of  Maj.  D.  C.  Wagner,  of  Chicago; 
James  a  resident  of  Fillmore  County,  Minn.,  was 
nominated  to  the  Legislature  but  declined  to  run; 
Blarie  L.  is  the  wife  of  Seely  Perry,  of  Rockford; 
F^anny  A.  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Manuel  (^uinlero,  of 
Lyons,  France;  Albert  died  when  two  years  of  age. 

The  natal  day  of  our  suliject  was  October  22, 
1832,  and  his  birthplace  Yarmouth,  Canada.  He 
was  nine  years  old  when  his  father  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  he  prosecuted  his  studies  at  Mt.  Morris 
and  Beloit,  Wis.  After  completing  his  classical 
education  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store  and 
post-office  at  Roscoe  for  a  year,  then,  in  the  fall  of 


7.JC 


PORTUAIT  AND  BIOORAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


1855,  went  to  Hokah,  Houston  County,  Minn., 
where  for  about  three  years  he  hail  charge  of  the 
business  of  liis  brother  Clark.  He  next  engaged  in 
llie  real-estate  business  in  tlie  same  place,  and  two 
years  later  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  law. 
In  1859  he  returned  to  Roscoe,  111.,  continuing  his 
legal  studies  there  a  twelvemonth.  Assisted  by 
F.  G.  Ensign  and  James  B.  Kerr,  he  raised  a  com- 
pany of  men  under  the  first  call  for  troops  in  18G1, 
to  become  a  |)art  of  the  Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 
He  tendered  liis  services  but  was  rejected,  and  re- 
turning to  Minnesota  entered  the  office  of  his 
brother  Clark,  who  had  been  appointed  .Superin- 
tendent of  Indian  Affairs  and  w.as  located  at  St. 
Paul. 

There  Mr.  Thompson  resumed  the  study  of  his 
chosen  profession.  In  September  he  accompanietl 
his  brother  up  the  St.  Louis  River  and  Lake  Super- 
ior, assisting  him  in  paying  off  the  Nation's  wards. 
He  was  nearly  prepared  for  admission  to  the  bar 
but  was  still  determined  to  enter  the  army,  and  in 
October,  1861,  enrolled  himself  as  a  private  in 
Company  K,  Fourth  Minnesota  Infautr3'.  In  due 
time  he  was  in  the  field,  bearing  his  part  in  the 
many  privations  and  dangerous  scenes  incidental 
to  a  soldier's  life.  He  participated  in  ten  of  the 
hardest-fought  battles  of  the  war,  among  them  be- 
ing luka.  Corinth.  Jackson  and  Champion  Hills. 
From  the  ranks  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
Fii-st  Lieutenant  of  his  company  and  afterward 
solicited  by  the  Colonel  to  act  :is  his  Adjutant.  He 
was  afterward  unanimousl3-  elected  Captain  of 
Comp.any  E,  and  still  later  (January  14,  1863) 
promoted  to  be  First  Major  of  Cavalry  and  as- 
signed to  dut}-  with  the  Second  Minnesota.  That 
regiment  took  part  in  the  Indian  campaign,  and 
Maj.  Thompson  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  Ft.  Rii)ley.  He  was  finallj'  detailed  to  serve  on 
a  court  martial  convened  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and 
remained  there  until  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee, 
when  he  resigned,  his  resignation  to  take  effect  May 
1, 1865.  At  Forty  Hills  he  received  a  slight  wound 
and  at  Champion  Hills,  while  leading  his  company 
to  charge  a  battery,  he  was  shot  through  the  body. 
He  was  supposed  to  be  mortally  wounded,  was  so 
reported,  and  being  left  to  die  on  the  field  w.as 
taken  prisoner  and  held  from   May  16   until  some 


time  during  the  following  September  when  he  was 
exchanged. 

On  account  of  the  wound  he  had  received,  Maj. 
Thompson  was  led  to  adopt  farm  life,  and  in  May, 
1865,  located  a  short  distance  east  of  Joliet.  He 
has  given  his  attention  chiefly  to  his  farm,  placing 
it  in  a  condition  second  to  none  in  the  county  and 
making  it  the  source  of  an  abund.ant  income.  Hav- 
ing some  3'e:u's  since  returned  to  Minnesota  for 
business  purposes,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Leg- 
islature and  resided  in  that  State  about  two  years, 
creditably  discharging  the  duties  of  his  official 
station.  In  1867,  accompanied  b}-  his  wife,  he 
visited  the  World's  Fair  at  Paris,  and  traveled  quite 
extensivch^  on  the  continent. 

In  Joliet,  January  14,  1863,  Mr.  Thompson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jennie  M.,  daughter 
of  Judge  John  J.  and  Priscilla  (Moore)  Davidson. 
Her  father  had  been  a  Probate  Juc^e  in  Indiana, 
but  in  Will  County,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers,  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  civil  engin- 
eer. He  died  in  New  Lenox  Township  in  1844,  his 
wife  surviving  him  nearlj'  fort3'  3'ears  and  breath- 
ing her  last  in  the  countj-  seat  in  1881.  She  was  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire  and  an  estimable  woman, 
under  whose  careful  training  her  daughter  grew  to 
womauhood  in  possession  of  fine  traits  of  charac- 
ter, useful  habits  and  courteous  manners.  The 
familj'  of  which  Mrs.  Thompson  is  a  member,  con- 
sisted of  herself  and  a  sister.  Rachel  D.,  now  the 
wife  of  H.  N.  Higginbotham,  of  the  firm  of  Mar- 
shall Field  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

Mrs.  Thompson  was  born  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship in  December,  1840,  and  after  acquiring  a 
fundamental  education  entered  Rockford  Female 
Seminary,  from  which  she  was  graduated  in  due 
time.  She  has  borne  her  husband  five  children — 
Jennie  M.,  John  D.,  Helen,  Agnes  and  Vera.  The 
son  is  now  a  clerk  in  the  dry-goods  house  of  Mar- 
shall Field  ife  Co.  Agues  died  when  in  her  eighth 
year.  The  other  daughters  are  at  home,  gladden- 
ing their  parents  with  their  increasing  culture  and 
true  womanliness. 

Maj.  Thompson  has  taken  quite  an  active  part  in 
political  affairs,  always  endeavoring  to  act  upon 
principle  and  fearing  not  to  change  his  party  atfili- 
tions  as    his  views    regarding    party   policy   were 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


757 


modified  or  his  opinions  ns  to  the  National  needs 
diverged  from  a  former  stand [loint.  lie  was  orig- 
inall}'  a  radical  Keiniblican,  Imt  afterward  Lecame 
active  with  the  Greele}'  faction.  For  some  years 
he  was  independent,  then  atliliatcd  with  tlie  (!reen- 
back  part}',  by  which  he  was  nominated  Secretary' 
of  State  by  acclamation. 

In  November,  1887,  Maj.  Thompson  was  elected 
Trustee  of  the  State  Grange  of  Illinois,  Patrons  of 
Husbandly,  and  in  the  fall  of  1889  was  almost, 
unanimously  re-elected  to  the  same  oflice  on  ac- 
count of  the  prosperity  which  the  order  was  enjoy- 
ing under  the  business  management  of  himself  and 
colleagues.  At  Springfield,  May  2,  1890,  he  was 
elected  Chairman  of  a  conference  of  the  four  orgaa- 
izntions — the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  Farmers' Mu- 
tual Benefit  Association,  Farmers'  Alliance  and 
Knights  of  Labor.  Tliey  formed  a  federation  known 
as  the  Farmers  and  Laborers'  Conference,  of  which 
Maj.  Tliompson  was  elected  first  President. 


^OHN  WOODS,  an  old  and  well-known  resi- 
dent of  Joliet,  came  West  in  a  prairie  schoo- 
ner with  his  parents  in  1842.     He  was  then 

iyj  a  mere  child,  born  December  11,  1 836,  In 
Mercer  Count}-,  I'a.  The  family  located  in  I'ike 
County,  this  State,  but  seven  j'ears  later  they  re- 
moved to  Galesburg,  Knox  County,  where  John 
obtained  his  education,  completing  his  studies  in 
Knox  Academy.  He  learned  the  printing  business 
with  C.  R.  Fisk,  and  subsequently  worked  on  the 
Oquau-ka  Spectator.  His  father  in  the  meantime 
purchased  the  Free  Democrat  office  at  Galesburg, 
whereupon  John  went  to  work  for  him.  AVhen  the 
latter  disposed  of  his  paper  in  1858,  John  opened 
a  job  office. 

Mr.  Woods,  in  1860,  removed  to  Winchester, 
Scott  Count}-,  where,  in  company  with  C.  J.  Sel- 
lon,  he  published  a  Republican  paper  during  the 
Lincoln  campaign.  After  the  election  it  was 
abandoned  and  Mr.  Woods  then  went  to  Spring- 
field. On  the  1st  of  April,  1861,  he  decided  to 
take  Mr.  Greeley's  advice  ''Go  West  young  man," 
and  crossing  the  Mississippi  located  in  Page  County, 


j  Iowa,  and  commenced  farming.  I'pon  the  break- 
I  ing  out  of  the  Civil  War  he,  in  company  with 
others,  organized  a  company  of  Home  Guards,  and 
on  July  4,  they  organized  a  regiment,  the  First 
Iowa  jMilitia,  of  whicli  Mr.  Woods  was  appointed 
Adjutant. 

In  September  following  this  regiment  volunteered 
under  Col.  Cramer  and  went  into  Missouri  as  far 
as  St.  .loseiih.  Adj.  'Woods,  however,  on  the  dis- 
bandment  of  the  regiment  the  following  month, 
returned  to  S[)ringfield,  111.,  and  entered  the  (^uar- 
tcrraaster's  department  as  a  clerk  under  Capt.  Hail- 
hache.  In  1802,  in  connection  with  Tom  Lewis 
and  his  brother,  he  estalilisbed  a  daily  paper,  the 
Union  Herald.  Subsequiutly  they  attempted  to 
transfer  this  to  Memphis,  Tenu.,  but  did  not  suc- 
ceed. The  office,  however,  was  removed  to  Cairo, 
in  August,  1863,  but  its  i)olitics  being  changed 
from  Republican  to  Democratic  Mr.  Woods  with- 
drew. 

In  186.')  our  subject  purchased  a  printing  office 
at  Cairo,  111.,  which  he  conducted  two  years,  and 
in  1867  repaired  to  Belleville,  this  State,  and  be- 
came manager  of  the  Weekly  Ach-ocate.  with  which 
be  remained  for  a  period  of  ten  years.  In  1879  he 
came  to  Joliet  with  his  brother  and  purchased  the 
Jicpu/jlican,  which  they  conducted  until  1883.  Mr. 
Woods  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Joliet,  by 
President  Arthur,  through  the  recommendation  of 
Congressman  CuUen  and  others,  his  commission 
bearing  date  March  3,  1883,  and  during  his  term 
secured  the  establishment  of  the  free  delivery  sys- 
tem for  the  city.  In  recommending  letter  carriers 
for  appointment,  however,  he  did  not  see  fit  to  con- 
sult the  wishes  of  the  local  leaders  of  the  party  then 
in  power,  which  act  gave  color  for  the  charge  of 
"offensive  partisanship"  underPresidentCleveland's 
dictum,  and  resulted  in  the  suspension  of  the  offend- 
ing Postmaster  four  months  before  the  expiration 
of  his  term.  He  then  formed  a  partnership  with 
H.  N.  Marsh  in  the  real-estate  and  insurance  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Woods  was  married  in  Springfield,  III,  Au- 
gust 6,  1863,  to  Miss  Jennie  M.  Dunn.  There  have 
been  born  to  them  four  children,  one  of  whom  is 
deceased.  The  survivors  are  Charles  Ilolcomb, 
William  AV.  auil  .\^a.     Mr.  Woods  stands  high    in 


758 


POIITRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Masonic  circles,  liaving  attained  to  the  ^Master  and 
Royal  Arch  degrees  at  Belleville,  where  he  served 
as  AVorsLipful  Master  and  High  Priest.  He  re- 
ceived the  Knight  Templar  Orders  at  Joliet  and 
belongs  to  Conimandery  No.  4.  He  is  serving  his 
third  term  as  High  Priest  of  Joliet  Chapter,  No.  27, 
and  has  been  an  active  promoter  of  the  Masonic 
Temple  enterprise,  which  magnificent  l]uilding  is 
now  nearing  completion. 


\fJACOE  A.  HENRY.  It  is  the  common  re- 
mark that  there  is  not  a  more  public-spirited 
man  in  the  city  of  Joliet  than  he  with  whose 
name  we  introduce  this  biographical  out- 
line. He  has  been  in  all  respects  the  architect  of 
his  own  fortune,  rising  from  an  humble  position 
in  life  to  one  of  affluence,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
capitalists  of  Will  Count}',  and  extensivel}'  en- 
gaged as  a  railroad  contractor.  Of  New  England 
antecedents,  he  was  born  in  Hunterdon  County,  N. 
J.,  the  date  tiicreof  being  April  2.5,  1825. 

Mr.  Henry  was  reared  a  farmer's  boy,  and  at  an 
early  age  was  made  acquainted  with  hard  work. 
The  last  active  manual  labor  which  lie  performed 
was  driving  a  team  at  ^7  per  month,  and  of  this 
small  wages  he  was  cheated  by  his  employer,  who 
faik'il  in  business.  Then  in  1H42,  when  a  youth  of 
seventeen  years,  lie  entered  the  emplo\-  of  the  Hart- 
ford S:  New  Haven  Railroad  Company,  and  assisted 
in  laving  the  first  tract  on  the  canal  road  through 
the  city  of  New  Haven.  In  184G  he  emigrated  to 
Ohio,  and  locating  in  Elyria,  took  his  first  contract 
in  connection  with  a  railroad  in  Ohio  and  Indiana. 
He  superintended  the  construction  of  the  northern 
division  of  the  Sandusky  road,  then,  in  1856,  came 
to  Illinois,  and  three  years  later  became  a  resident 
of  Joliet. 

Thereafter  Mr.  Henry  spent  several  years  as  a 
Roadmaster  </f  the  Chicago  <fc  Alton  Railroad.  In 
1870,  going  to  Texas,  he  filled  the  contract  for  the 
building  of  the  Houston  &  Great  Northern  Railroad, 
which  he  completed  in  1873.  In  the  meantime,  he 
also  built  a  portion  of  the  Soutiiern  Pacific,  which 
involved  a  large  amount  of  heav}'  work.      In  1888 


we  find  him  operating  in  Arkansas,  and  since  that 
year  he  has  built  one  hundred  and  seventy-three 
miles  of  railroad.  Few  men  in  this  part  of  the 
country  have  entered  into  larger  contracts  than  I\Ir. 
Henr}',  or  carried  them  out  more  satisfactorily.  He 
enjoys  the  enviable  record  of  having  fulfilled  ever}- 
contract  he  has  ever  made  to  the  letter. 

Mr.  Henry,  in  1873,  put  up  one  of  the  most  ele- 
gant residences  in  Joliet,  this  being  located  on  East- 
ern Avenue,  and  still  remaining  tlie  home  of  the 
family.  Within  and  without  it  is  indicative  of 
cultured  tastes  and  ample  means,  and  forms  one  of 
the  most  attractive  features  of  the  city.  ]\Ir.  Henrj* 
has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  his  adopted  city,  and  contributed  lib- 
erally of  his  time  and  means  to  this  end.  For  a 
cit}'  of  its  size,  Joliet  eujoj'S  an  unequalled  system 
of  street  railways,  the  cars  propelled  by  electricity, 
and  this  enterprise  was  inaugurated  and  carried  out 
by  Jacob  A.  Henry.  Every  enterprise  which  is 
calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  people, 
socially,  morally,  and  financially,  receives  his  un- 
qualified support.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  Mr.  Henry  has  been  its  stanch 
adherent.  Although  he  has  filled  man}-  positions 
of  trust  and  responsibility,  he  has  never  been  am- 
bitious of  official  preferment,  being  content  to 
work  out  his  plans  in  a  quiet  way,  and  in  this  man- 
ner has  accomplished  a  vast  amount  of  good. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  first  married, 
April  20,  1846,  to  Miss  Nancy,  daughter  of  Ellis 
Briggs,  of  Winsted,  Conn.  Of  this  union  there 
was  born  one  daughter,  now  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Folk, 
of  Joliet.  Mrs.  Nancy  (Briggs)  Henry  departed 
this  life  at  her  home  in  Joliet,  January  23,  1878. 
In  October,  1885.  Mr.  Henry  contracted  a  second 
marriage  with  ^Irs.  Rachel  (Hulsizer)  Apgar. 


■^-*-^- 


"if^' AMES  A.  CLYNE,  M.  D.  Among  the  suc- 
cessful practitioners  of  Joliet  ma\  be  men- 
tioned Dr.  Clyne,  who  located  in  the  city  in 
the  fall  of  1886.  He  is  the  surgeon  of  the 
1  Chicago  <fe  Alton  Railroad,  and  aside  from  this  en- 
i   joys  a  lucrative  practice  in   the  city  and  vicinity. 


^-^^s^ 


(S^dtAA.r=^dL.  ^.   M^^^x^  ./?<$! 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


761 


He  is  also  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  Staff. 
Ho  was  born  at  Colioes,  X.  Y.,  March  2.  1860,  and 
is  the  son  of  James  Clyue.  The  latter  was  also  a 
native  of  New  York  State,  where  he  was  reared  to 
manhood  and  married  Miss  Catherine  Quinn.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the  northern 
part  of  New  York,  near  the  early  home  of  her  hus- 
band, and  both  are  still  living  at  Cohoes. 

Dr.  Clyne  pursued  liis  early  studies  in  tlie  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  city,  and  supplemented 
them  by  a  course  in  the  Business  College  at  Cohoes, 
being-  a  student  in  the  class  of  1878.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  in  his  native  town,  under  the 
instruction  of  Dr.  D.  W.  Houston  and  in  due  time 
entered  upon  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Albany 
Medical  College,  which  he  commenced  attending 
in  the  fall  of  1883,  and  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  class  of  1886.  While  there,  after  a 
successful  examination,  he  received  a  hospital  ap- 
|)(iintment  and  remained  in  AUiany  until  May, 
1H86,  in  the  meantime  having  charge  of  a  physi- 
cians, practice  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Joliet,  Dr.  Clyne  associatetl 
himself  in  partnership  with  Dr.  G.  C.  Raynor,  one 
of  the  prominent  physicians  of  the  city.  Two 
years  later  he  was  appointed  city  physician,  which 
position  he  still  holds.  He  still  belongs  to  Albany 
Medical  Society,  also  the  Will  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  is  the  iNIedical  Examiner  for  various  life 
insurance  companies.  He  is  prominentl}'  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  and  is 
the  court  physician  of  the  same.  He  has  entered 
upon  a  successful  career  in  connection  with  his 
chosen  calling,  to  which  he  devotes  his  close  atten- 
tion and  in  which  he  is  ambitious  to  excel.  Politic- 
ally, Dr.  Clyne  is  a  Democrat. 

EDWARD  H.  WERNER,  D.  D.  S.  Although 
but  little  past  his  majority  this  young  gen- 
tleman is  manifesting  that  close  attention 
to  business  which  combined  with  his  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  his  profession,  will  undoubtedl}' 
secure  for  him  a  high  standing  in  the  dental  ranks 
and  a  fine  reputation  among    those  who  need   such 


services  as  he  can  render.  He  has  opened  in  Joliet 
one  of  the  best  dental  offices  in  the  county,  furn- 
ished with  all  the  modern  appliances,  and  in  the  few 
months  in  which  he  has  l)cen  established  has  started 
a  rapidly  increasing  trade. 

Dr.  Werner  was  born  in  Joliet,  December  9, 1867, 
and  receiveil  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
this  city.  After  making  his  choice  of  a  vocation 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Now  Y'ork  College  of 
Dental  Surgery,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
the  class  of  '89,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Den- 
tal Surgery.  He  at  once  opened  an  office  in  his 
native  city  and  in  a  short  time  set  uj)  his  own 
home,  taking  for  his  com[)anion  in  life  Miss  Leonora 
M.,  daughter  of  S.  J.  Barljer.  The  rites  of  wedlock 
were  celebrated  between  them  January  22,1890. 
Mrs.  Werner  is  a  charming  young  woman,  educated 
and  cultured,  and  endowed  with  many  virtues  of 
character. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  of  German 
descent,  his  [)arents  being  natives  of  the  Cerman 
Empire.  William  Werner,  the  father,  was  born  in 
Frankfort  on-the-Main,  in  Hesse- Darmstadt,  F'eb- 
ruary  5,  18.31.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  ho  was 
apprenticed  at  the  trade  of  a  mason  and  four  years 
later  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  spent 
three  months  in  Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  and  in  October, 
1851,  came  West,  locating  in  Frankfort,  III.  His 
first  work  here  was  as  a  stonemason  on  the  Rock 
Island  Railroad,  which  was  then  being  built,  but 
the  next  year  he  located  in  Joliet  and  began  busi- 
ness as  a  contractor  and  quarryman.  He  erected 
many  of  the  prominent  buildings  of  this  city, 
among  them  the  Will  County  Jail,  the  Union 
Schoolhouse,  the  West  Side  Presbyterian  Church, 
St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  and  others. 

In  1856,  William  Werner  was  elected  Commis- 
sioner of  Highways  and  Treasurer,  serving  three 
years.  In  1861,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Aldermen,  serving  in  that  august  body  four 
years.  He  also  served  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
seven  3-ear3.  During  the  late  war  he  was  Draft 
Commissioner,  having  been  appointed  in  1863.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Barbara  Goeble,  a  native  of  Prussia, 
with  whom  he  was  united  in  holy  wedlock  Septem- 
ber 7,  1853.  The  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  four  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch 


762 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


is  Ihe  3'oungest.  The  other  raeinhers  of  the  family 
circle  are  Frederick  W.  Werner,  M.  D.,  Frederick 
Charles,  a  harness-maker;  and  (ieorge  W..  a  veteri- 
nary surgeon. 

Dr.  Werner's  portrait  will  he  found  accompany- 
ing his  personal  sketch. 

— **  "I'^'il'^'S"  '" " — ■ ' 

JAMES  E.  AUSTIN  was  born  in  Prehle  County, 
Ohio,  May  7,  1825. 


^ ^-^^ ^ 


EL.  SlIAFFNER.  The  subject  of  this  no- 
tice established  himself  in  Jolict  as  a  coal 
dealer  about  thirteen  years  since  and  is  now 
located  at  No.  501,  Washington  Street.  Formerly 
he  was  in  partnership  with  his  father,  the3'  opera- 
ting under  the  firm  name  of  B.  Shaffner  &  Son,  but 
for  the  last  seven  3'ears  Mr.  Shaffner  haf  done  busi- 
ness alone.  His  yard  is  conveniently  located  near 
the  tracks  of  the  Alton  and  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroads,  also  the  Santa  Fe  tracks.  He  has  proved 
himself  a  good  business  manager  and  has  built  up 
an  extensive  patronage. 

A  native  of  Joliet,  our  subject  was  born  October 
1,  1852,  and  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  Shaffner,  who 
was  born  in  Summit  County,  Ohio,  in  1825.  The 
latter  came  with  his  parents  to  this  county  about 
the  year  1850,  they  locating  in  Manhattan  Town- 
ship. Grandfather  Shaffner  took  up  a  track  of 
Government  land  and  there  Benjamin  lived  with 
his  parents  until  the  time  of  his  marriage.  The 
maiden  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Caroline  Larkin,  of 
this  county,  and  they  commenced  the  journey  of 
life  together  on  a  farm  in  Jackson  Township,  where 
they  resided  until  their  son  E.  L.  was  about  five 
years  old.  Benjamin  Shaffner  then  sold  out  and 
removed  to  Joliet  where  he  commenced  working  at 
Lis  trade  of  carpenter  and  finally  drifted  into 
wagon  and  carriage  making.  He  also  embarked  in 
the  grocery  and  provision  business  and  finally  be- 
came interested  in  the  coal  trade.  He  was  pros- 
l)ered  luiancially,  and  retired  from  the  active  labors 


of  life  about  1883.  He  and  his  excellent  partner 
are  still  residents  of  Joliet,  occupying  a  comforta- 
ble home.  l\Ir.  Shaffner  has  been  for  many  years 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  politics 
he  is  a  Republican. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  acquired  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  city  and  commenced 
his  business  career  as  an  employe  of  the  Joliet  Iron 
&  Steel  Company.  He  rapidly  advanced  in  the 
good  opinion  of  his  employers,  being  placeil  in  the 
position  of  foreman,  and  having  charge  of  the  pay 
roll  for  about  five  years.  About  1877  he  engaged 
with  his  father  in  the  coal  trade  with  which  he  has 
since  been  connected.  He  added  ice  in  1886  and 
has  several  houses  for  the  accommodation  of  this 
article,  two  on  the  e.ast  and  two  on  the  west  side,and 
one  in  his  yard.  He  usually-  obtains  this  from 
quarries,  but  this  season  (1890)  is  shipping  from 
Winnebago,  Wis. 

Mr.  Shaffner  was  married,  January  22,  1877,  to 
Miss  Amanda  Stanley,  and  they  become  the  parents 
of  (oav  children,  viz:  Edwin  Stanley,  Frances  M., 
Benjamin  Francis  and  I^oltie  A.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  five  ^-ears.  The  wife  and  mother  dei]arted 
this  life  Ma}-  13,  1885,  at  the  aije  of  thirty  years. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Francis  G.  Stanley. 

The  i)resent  wife  of  our  subject,  to  whom  he  w.as 
married  May  18,  1886,  was  formerly-  Miss  Martha 
J.  George,  of  Doylestown,  Ohio.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  George,  who  was  formerly  a  resident 
of  Joliet.  There  has  been  born  of  this  union  one 
chilli,  a  daughter,  Clara  Belle. 


'^tii?t^5i5<* 


■*-«-s- 


ONRAD  WILKENING.  The  subject  of  this 
.1  sketch  was  born  in  1856.  in  the  township  of 

f'  Crete,  attended  the  common  schools  until 
the  age  of  fourteen,  at  which  time  he  entered  a 
general  store  in  the  village  of  Crete,  and  there  by 
his  aptness  soon  learned  the  rudiments  of  the  busi- 
ness that  in  after  ^-ears  made  him  successful.  Not 
being  satisfied  to  enter  the  business  world  without 
a  better  knowledge  of  its  methods,  he  took  a  course 
of  study  in  the  best  business  college  of  Chicago, 
graduating  with  honor.      (le  at  once  secured  a    re- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


763 


sponsiVile  position  in  one  of  the  oldest  commission 
houses  of  Chicago,  which  he  filled  witli  credit  until 
1880,  when  he  located  on  the  present  site  of  his 
place  of  business  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Ex- 
change Streets,  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  Wil- 
kening  &  Co.  The  building  they  then  occupied 
was  an  ordinary  sized  general  store,  and  was  soon 
found  to  be  altogether  too  small  to  accommodate 
the  stock  of  merchandise  they  desired  to  place  be- 
fore the  [leople  of  Eastern  Will  County.  It  was 
then  moved  south  to  give  place  for  a  building  of 
brick,  stone  and  iron,  51x60,  two  stories  and  base- 
ment, with  fire  and  burglar  proof  vault  and  gallery 
on  first  floor. 

The  establishment  is  one  of  which  the  citizens  of 
Crete  are  and  well  may  be  proud,  and  is  gen- 
erally conceded  by  travelers  to  be  the  most  nicely 
arranged  store  to  be  found  in  the  countr3',  contain- 
ing the  largest  and  best  assortment  of  merchandise, 
and  arranged  in  departments.  In  addition  they  trans- 
.act  quite  an  extensive  banking  and  exchange  busi- 
ness. In  all  of  this  work  he  has  been  ablj'  assisted 
b}'  his  father,  John  Wilkening,  an  early  settler  of 
the  township,  and  his  younger  brother  Fred.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Riebling,  of 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  in  May,  1890,  and  is  at  present 
erecting  an  elegant  residence,  and  will  soon  be  able 
to  say  "at  home"  to  bis  many  friends. 


-^ 


— 4- 


^f  LEXANDER  DOIG,  who  is  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  New  Lenox 
Township,  is  the  ninth  child  of  Andrew 
(^  and  Isabella  Doig,  whose  history  will  be 
found  in  the  sketch  of  Thomas  Doig.  He  wa.s  born 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  October  17,  1841,  and  came 
to  this  county  with  the  parental  family,  who  settled 
in  Homer  Township.  When  about  twenty-one 
years  old  he  married,  the  happy  event  taking  place 
December  31,  1862,  and  the  bride  being  Miss  Sarah 
C,  daughter  of  the  late  Gilbert  Van  Duser.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  bride's  mother  was  Ann  M. 
Lynx.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  Doig,  Mr. 
Van  Duser  having  died  April  12,  18.52. 

Mrs.  Doig  of  this  sketch  is  the  elder  in  a    family 


of  two  children  and  was  born  in  New  Lenox  Town- 
ship, November  26.  1842.  She  has  borne  her  hus- 
band four  ciiildrcn  named  respectively,  Melissa  I., 
Grace  B.,  Sadie  and  Gilbert  A.  The  third  born 
died  in  childhood.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Doig  settled  on  Maple  Street,  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  where  they  have  spent  the  greater  part 
of  their  married  life.  Their  pleasant  homestead 
com[)rises  si.xty-thrce  acres,  on  which  good  build- 
ings have  been  erected  and  other  improvements 
made.  For  nine  3'ears  Mr.  Doig  was  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  and  during  that  time  was  a 
dweller  in  town.  In  politics  he  is  a  sturdy  Demo- 
crat. He  has  served  as  School  Director,  but  with 
this  exception  has  devoted  liis  time  entirely  to  his 
personal  affairs. 


.■,.„>  MOS  EIB  is  the  owner  and    occunant  of   a 
01    pleasant  and   fertile   estate  on    section    7," 


li>  Jackson  Township,  the  same  comprising 
{QJ^  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres.     Upon 

it  are  to  be  seen  the  usual  farm  buildings,  but  of 
better  construction  than  many,  while  the  appear- 
ance of  fields,  fences  and  stock  give  the  impression 
that  5Ir.  Eib  understands  tilling  the  soil  and  caring 
for  the  produce  of  his  fields  and  the  increase  of  his 
herds. 

The  birthplace  of  Mr.  Eib  was  Harrison  County, 
Va.,  and  his  natal  day  July  29,  1823.  He  was  a 
child  of  four  years  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  two  3'ears  later,  the  location  of 
the  family  being  clianged  to  Fountain  County,  lud. 
There  the3'  remained  until  1833, when  they  came  to 
this  county  and  the  youth  of  our  subject  was  spent 
amid  pioneer  surroundings  in  the  township  of  which 
he  is  an  honored  resident.  The  mother  had  died  in 
Columbus.  Ohio,  and  tlie  father  breathed  his  last  in 
this  count}'  at  the  home  of  his  son. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Miss  Catherine 
Gonter  took  place  in  Jackson  Township,  March  28, 
1851.  The  bride  was  born  in  the  province  of  Alsace, 
at  that  time  a  part  of  France,  but  now  belonging  to 
the  German  Empire,  in  April,  1831.  Her  parents, 
Michael  and  Catherine  (Arnholt)  (Jonler,  made   a 


764 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


settlement  in  Will  County  in  1840,  and  the  father 
(lied  in  Jackson  Township.  The  mother  survives, 
now  residing  with  her  daughter.  Mrs.  William 
Brown. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eibarc.  Levi 
H.  a  resident  of  Minden.  Nel). ;  George  W.  a  farmer 
in  California;  Albert  N.  a  farmer  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship; Clara  E.  wife  of  Albert  Cotton,  and  Susan  B. 
wife  of  Alvin  Spangler  of  Jackson  Township.  Mr. 
Eil)  has  been  School  Director.  In  politics  he  is  a 
good  Democrat.  He  is  held  in  good  repute  bj-  his 
fellow-m'i'n  as  a  reliable  citizen. an  industrious  farmer 
and  a  man  of  kindly  nature  and  upright  life. 


?LLEN  P.  CARPENTER.  This  gentleman 
has  done  much  to  forward  the  business  in- 
terests of  Will  County,  and  as  one  who  is 
disposed  to  support  all  measures  tending  toward 
the  continuation  of  its  prosi)erit\-,  he  is  well  wor- 
thy of  representation  in  this  volume,  lie  bought 
a  number  of  acres  of  land  in  Channaliou.  lying 
along  the  Wide  Water  Canal, as  early  .as  186.5, which, 
aside  from  its  value  as  a  farm,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  places  along  the  route  from  this  town- 
ship to  Joliet. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  born  January  27,  1834.  He 
w!is  reared  in  the  place  of  his  birth  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  old,  and  then  came  to  Will  County, 
where  his  brother  Henry  and  a  sister,  Lucinda, 
were  tlien  living.  His  brother  is  a  carpenter  and 
still  a  resident  of  Joliet.  His  sister  was  the  wife  of 
Dr.  G.  Randall.  Of  his  other  brothers  and  sisters 
the  following  is  the  record:  JIary  A.  was  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Logan  and  died  in  Springlielil, 
III.;  AVilber  lives  in  Joliet;  Charles  in  Dakota;  Lu- 
cinda in  Kansas,  and  a  sister  resides  in  Iowa.  Al- 
fred Carpenter,  the  f.ather  of  our  subject  was  a 
resident  of  this  count3'  in  1849,  and  died  just  be- 
fore our  subject  came  here  in  1853. 

Our  subject  taught  school  in  Joliet  in  1 853,  for 
one  winter,  and  in  the  summer  of  1854  went  back  to 
New  York.  Returning  to  this  part  of  the  country  in 
the  fall,  in  the  following  Januarj-  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Helen  Spencer  and  established 
a  lioriie.    He  lived  on  his  farm  in  Cliannahon  Tt)wn- 


ship  for  three  years,  then  was  a  resident  of  Troy 
for  two  years,  and  in  1860  commenced  buying 
grain  in  Minooka,  at  the  landing  of  the  Wide 
Water  Canal,  and  was  thus  engaged  the  ensuing 
five  years,  shipping  lioth  by  canal  and  rail.  In 
1865  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  and  bought 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  land  lying 
along  th'.»  Wide  Water  Canal,  his  warehouse  being 
just  across  the  canal.  He  immediately  moved  into 
his  residence  there  and  has  since  made  it  one  of  the 
linest  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  adornment  of  the 
grounds  he  has  been  greatlj'  assisted  by  Mrs.  Car- 
penter's t.aste  and  skill.  She  is  a  great  lover  of 
flowers  and  has  a  garden  in  which  are  many  choice 
varieties  of  roses  and  other  beautiful  plants,  all  of 
which  are  tended  b}"  her  careful  hand. 

In  1868  Mr.  Carpenter  formed  a  jjartnership  with 
Mr.  Truby  to  buy  and  sell  grain  and  lumber,  with 
their  headqu.irters  at  Joliet  and  Birds  Bridge,  the 
business  being  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of 
Carpenter  iV-  Truby.  The3-  were  togetiier  for  some 
years  and  Iniilt  up  a  large  business,  keeping  their 
own  line  of  boats  in  the' summer  on  the  canal,  and 
in  winter  skipping  b}-  rail  on  the  Pock  Island  Kail- 
road,  which  runs  close  In-  their  warehouse.  These 
gentlemen  were  together  until  1875,  and  then  our 
subject  sold  out  his  interest  to  Mr.  Truby.  and  has 
since  lived  on  his  farm.  He  h.as  added  to  his  orig- 
inal purch.asc  seventy-one  acres,  on  which  is  a  good 
residence,  which  he  uses  as  a  tenement  house,  as 
he  rents  all  of  his  land.  Mr.  Carpenter  devotes 
his  time  to  looking  after  his  interest,  investing  his 
money  .as  he  sees  fit  and,  as  he  is  of  a  specul.ative 
turn  of  mind,  he  has  taken  man3-  a  bout  with  the 
bulls  and  bears  on  the  Board  of  Trade  in  Chicago. 
Jlrs.  Carpenter  was  born  in  •  the  city  of  Chicago, 
her  patents  being  Thomas  and  Sarah  A.  (Van 
Dusen)  Spencer.  Her  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
John  Bingham,  and  the}-  were  all  of  New  York. 
She  came  to  Will  County  in  1834  with  her  husband. 
Mr.  Spencer  subsequently  died  in  Kend.all  County 
when  Mrs.  Carpenter  was  but  four  3'ears  of  age. 
Her  mother  died  in  1888  in  Chicago,  at  the  age  of 
sevent3--eight  j'ears.  Mrs.  Carpenter  is  a  lady  of 
no  ordinary  intelligence  and  attainments,  and  she 
has  endeared  herself  to  her  raanj-  .acquaintances  by 
her  pleasant  w.ijs  and  kindly  acts. 


PORTRAIT  AXD  BIOGRAPHICAL  AL15UM. 


765 


Jlr.  Carpenter  is  one  of  the  most  influential  and 
trusted  citizens,  and  is  a  man  of  brain,  decided 
character,  and  admirable  tact.  He  is  one  of  tlie 
most  etiicicnt  civic  officials,  and  tlirough  his  lib- 
eralit}'  and  public  spirit  this  community  lias  been 
benefited  in  more  ways  than  one.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  term  of  three  3'ears  as  Highway 
Commissioner  of  the  township,  having  been  re 
elected  last  spring.  He  is  also  Treasurer  of  the 
township,  having  served  in  that  office  with  distin- 
guished abHit\-  for  the  last  six  years,  and  received 
iiis  re-appointment  last  spring.  He  takes  an  act- 
ive part  in  politics,  and  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Republican  part\'.  Althougli  not  a  member  of 
any  religious  organization,  he  has  Si?rved  as  Trus- 
tee of  the  church,  which  his  wife  attends,  for  the 
l)ast  fifteen  years. 

Tlic  chief  sorrow  of  the  otherwise  liapp3'  wedded 
life  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  in  the 
death  of  their  two  children,  a  Ijoy  and  a  girl  in  in- 
fancy. 15ut  life's  lesson  may  have  taught  them  that 
it  is  better, 

'■Far  better  to  smile  with  a  deep  content 
O'er  their  darlings  quietly  sleeping, 
O'er  their  little  ones  safe  from  all  that  can  harm. 
Safe  and  quietly  sleeping. 

'•The  sun  comes  up  and  the  sun  goes  down 
On  sorrow  and  sin  and  aching. 
And  to  all  the  evil  that's  in  the  world 
Their  darlings  will  know  no  waking." 


E^ 


I^LDER  STEPHEN  R.  BEGGS,  the  oldest 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  denomination  in 
Northern  Illinois,  and  an  old-time  and  hon- 
ored resident  of  Plainfield,  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Rockingham  County,  Va..  March  30,  1801,  a  son  of 
James  Beggs,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county  in 
1768.  Thomas  Beggs,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  New  .Terse}',  and  James  Beggs,  his 
father,  who  was  of  Irish  birth,  came  to  this  country 
in  Colonial  times  and  settled  in  that  State.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  reared  and  married 
in  his  native  State,  Sarah  Barnes  becoming  his  wife, 
and  before  the  lircakiiig  out   of    the  Revolution, 


migrated  to  Rockingham,  Va.  He  joined  the  pa- 
triot arm}'  and  became  an  officer  of  the  Commissary 
Department  and  died  in  the  service  in  1779,  or '80. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  .and  married 
in  Rockingham  County,  and  resided  there  until 
1802,  when  ho  removed  to  Kentucky  m.aking  the 
journey  on  horseback,  his  wife  also  riding  on  a 
horse  and  carrying  Stephen  in  her  lap.  They  re- 
sided in  Kentucky  three  years  and  then  settled  in 
Clarke  County,  Ind.,  where  Mr.  Beggs  cleared  a 
farm  from  the  timber  and  made  it  his  home  until 
his  death  May  13,  1835.  His  remains  are  buried  in 
the  Gazaway  church  yard.  The  maiden  name  of 
the  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  Custer,  and  she 
was  born  in  Virginia  and  of  English  ancestry.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  Whig  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Indiana  Territorial  Senate  for  ten  years. 
He  and  his  wife  both  belonged  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  The  latter  died  July  7,  1833. 
They  were  the  parents  of  live  sous  and  four  daugh- 
ters. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  set  to  work  on  a 
farm  as  soon  as  he  was  large  enough  to  be  of  any 
assistance.  In  his  younger  days  Indians  still  lin- 
gered in  Indiana  and  were  often  hostile,  and  when 
the  news  of  the  Pigeon  Roost  massacre  reached  the 
settlement,  all  gathered  at  his  father's  and  built  a 
fortification  around  the  house.  They  remained  in 
that  several  days  and  then  built  block  houses  in 
different  places.  Our  subject  was  early  instructed 
in  religion,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  was  con- 
verted, and  at  twenty -two  commenced  preaching  at 
his  father's  home.  In  the  same  fall  he  joined  the 
Missouri  Conference  that  then  embraced  all  of  Illi- 
nois, Indiana,  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  He  remained 
in  Indiana  until  the  fall  of  1830,  and  then  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Tazewell  Circuit,  which  included 
Peoria,  Blooraingtou  and  Pekin.  At  that  time 
there  were  three  families  residing  on  the  present 
site  of  Bloomiugton,  then  called  Blooming  Grove, 
at  Peoria  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  families,  and 
all  the  surrounding  country  was  wild  and  unsettled. 
In  July,  1831,  he  went  to  the  village  of  Chicago 
and  organized  the  first  Methodist  Church  ever 
started  there  and  he  was  the  first  minister  ever 
stationed  at  that  point.  In  1«32  he  came  to  Plain- 
field  and  has  called  this  his  home  since    that    lime, 


766 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


thougli  lie  lias  liverl  away  from  here  one  or  two 
years  at  a  lime  wliile  proaebiii"!  at  different  places. 
In  1831  111!  iielil  a  camp  incetiii;,' at  A\^alkcr"s  drove, 
as  I'lainliclil  was  llicn  eallccl.  I  lie  first  liclil  in  tliis 
section. 

l'>lfier  Hefjgs  lias  been  twice  married,  lirst  in  Sep- 
tember. 1  S.'Sl,  to  Elizabeth  L.  Heath,  a  native  of 
Miisidnguiii  County,  Ohio,  and  slie  died  A|)ril  7, 
IKuO.  His  second  niarrinije,  December  .'5(i,  1808,  was 
to  Saraii  K.  (l)ilililc)  I'"rost,  a  native  of  New  York 
State.  Oiir  subject  was  tlie  fitlier  of  four  cliildren 
by  his  first  niiirriage.  Mary  K.,  .laiiies  W.,  Ccorgc 
W.  and  Cliiiilcs  \V. 


o'^n^:ic^ 


A.MKS  .loNKS.  The  hUc  .buiies  Jones  de- 
serves more  than  a  passing  notice,  not  be- 
cause he  acquired  a  solid  linancial  standing, 
but  Ijecaiise  his  home  in  Manhattan  'I'own- 
slii|)w.asa  resort  for  many  of  the  best  people  of  the 
county,  and  because  his  iiersonal  traits  of  heart  and 
mind  gave  him  the  respect  and  affection  of  all  who 
became  acquainted  with  his  good  qualities.  Ik- 
was  one  of  those  whole-hearted  men  who  are  ever 
ready  to  give  liberally  of  their  means,  as  well  as  of 
their  time  and  cnergj%  to  all  movements  for  the 
public  good,  and  who,  vyhilc  having  special  likes  in 
church  or  party,  give  honor  to  whom  honor  is  due 
and  display  no  bigotry.  Modest  and  unpretending, 
he  was  yet  one  of  the  finest  scholars  in  the  county, 
excelling  particularly  in  penmanship. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Robert  . tones, 
wliose  family  consisted  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters;  he  was  a  native  of  Delaware,  in  which 
State  his  boyhood  was  spent.  When  he  became  a 
man  he  went  to  New  York  City  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business,  becoming  jn'osperous  and  finally 
carrying  on  a  wholesale  clothing  house;  importing 
the  finest  goods  from  abroad.  In  1830  he  came 
West  to  look  after  some  investments,  driving  in  a 
carriage  from  New  York  City  and  bringing  his 
boys  with  him.  In  Chicago  they  found  no  board- 
ing house  but  a  shanty,  were  obliged  to  pay  twelve 
and  a  half  cents  for  a  pail  of  water,  and  to  biij- 
bread  to  feed  the  horses  and  cattle  which  llie\-  had 


brought  with  them.  ^Fr.  Jones  had  invested  in 
Illinois  lands,  owning  large  tiacts  in  various  coun- 
ties, lie  also  continued  his  business  in  New  York 
City,  wliere  he  lireathcd  his  last. 

The  nien)l)crs  of  the  parental  family  are:  .Sarah, 
now  living  in  New  York  City;  Anna,  who  died  in 
1872;  Maria,  living  in  New  York;  Frederick,  for- 
raerl}'  a  merchant  in  that  city,  who  died  in  I87.J; 
James,  our  subject,  and  Robert,  who  came  to  Will 
County  whfii  our  subject  did,  owned  and  operated 
three  hundred  and  twentj'  acres  of  land  here,  but 
linally  returned  to  the  metropolis,  where  he  died  in 
1889. 

James  Jones  was  iiorn  in  New  Y'ork  City  in  the 
year  1820.  During  his  boyliood  and  youth  he 
sometimes  accompanied  his  father  to  the  West,  en 
joying  the  journey  and  the  scenes  which  they  en- 
countered, as  a  bright  boy  can.  He  became  a  cadet 
•it  West  Point  and  was  graduated  from  the  Military 
Academy  at  (he  age  of  twent^'-one  years.  His  fa- 
ther then  started  him  in  life  with  ^1;'JO,000  which 
he  invested  in  shifrs,  establishing  a  line  which  plied 
across  the  ocean.  For  several  years  he  gave  his 
time  and  attention  to  the  shipping  business. 

One  of  his  best  vessels  went  down  with  all  on 
board,  and  refitting  another  he  sent  it  out  under 
charge  of  a  ca|)t:iin  who  had  been  highly  recom- 
mended to  him,  for  the  purpose  of  trading  his 
cargo  for  other  goods  in  Africa.  The  captain  sold 
the  goods,  reloaded  the  vessel  with  a  return  cargo, 
for  which  he  did  not  pay,  and  absconded  with  his 
employer's  momej-.  News  was  sent  to  Mr.  Jones, 
who  at  once  crossed  the  ocean,  visited  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  i>lace,  but  found  that  he  could  do  noth- 
ing in  the  premises,  as  ,the  absconder  had  fled  into 
the  interior.  Returning  with  his  cargo  Mr.  Jones 
determined  to  abandon  the  sea,  and  so  embarked  in 
the  wholesale  crockery,  glass  and  pottery  business 
with  a  partner. 

The  junior  mcmlier  of  the  firm  of  Jones  & 
Decker  ere  long  succeeded  in  getting  funds  into 
his  hands,  with  which  he  ran  away,  and  our  subject 
became  so  disgusted  with  his  experiences  tiiat  he 
determined  to  come  West.  His  good  nature  and 
leniency  had  proved  his  financial  enemies,  as  they 
do  that  of  many  a  man  in  a  world  which  contains 
so  many  sharpers.     Telling  his  father  of  his  desire 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


to  try  a  new  home,  oar  sabject  was  given  section 
9.  of  Manhattan  Township,  this  county,  and  in  1848 
came  to  this  vicinil3-.  For  some  time  he  made  his 
home  with  his  unc'le,  Kben  Jones,  in  New  Lenox 
Township,  near  Ibe  old  Red  Mill,  looking  after  the 
impi-ovcments  of  his  place,  hut  doing  little  else, 
although  at  one  time  he  and  his  brother  owned  a 
mill  on  Bluff  Street,  Joliet.  This  was  destroyed  by 
fire. 

In  1 8.j,j  Mr.  Jones  took  possession  of  the  large 
brick  house  which  he  had  built  upon  his  land  and 
engaged  in  farming.  The  brick  which  were  used 
in  his  resideni-e  were  made  on  the  site  by  a  Mr. 
.Shaw.  Mr.  Jones  proved  to  be  but  a  poor  farmer 
and  manager,  so  he  finally  acted  on  advice  and 
rented  his  farm  on  shares.  He  had  four  tenants  on 
the  land,  which  was  divided  into  five  improved 
places.  Under  this  order  of  things  he  did  well  and 
ere  his  death  had  the  section  of  land  free  of  debt,  to- 
gether with  funds  in  the  Joliet  Bank.  His  beautiful 
home  was  under  the  care  of  a  competent  house- 
keeper, who  furnished  good  cheer  for  the  owner 
and  his  man_v  friends. 

Mr.  Jones  was  a  great  hunter,  delighting  exceed- 
ingly in  the  sport.  At  different  times  he  served  as 
Justice  of  tlie  Peace,  but  beyond  that  never  aspired 
to  office.  He  was  tenderefl  the  nomination  of 
member  of  the  Legislature,  but  refused  to  run  al- 
though, being  a  stanch  Republican,  he  would  un- 
doubtedly have  been  electetl.  In  New  York  he  had 
belonged  to  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  C'hurcli,  but 
being  of  a  liberal  mind  he  helped  the  different  or- 
ganizations in  this  section,  having  been  a  main  in- 
strument in  suggesting  and  building  the  .St.  Paul's 
Episcopal  Church,  in  Manhattan  Township. 


1 


h: 


AFAYETTK  M.  HENTZE.  This  gentle- 
man is  -mine  host"  of  the  Hotel  Monroe, 
in  .Toliet,  which  he  conducts  in  an  admir- 
able manner,  every  department  of  the  excellent 
hostelry  being  carefully  overseen.  The  hotel  con- 
tains seventy -two  rooms,  is  well  furnished  through- 
out,  and  its    table  supplied    with   a   hill  of  fare 


which  iuclades  all  the  substantials  of  the  enisine 
and  the  appetizing  lusaries  which  add  a  relish  to 
the  moie  neetlful  foods  and  appeal  to  the  palate  of 
the  more  dainty.  The  acute  (wrception  which  at 
once  detects  the  needs  of  guests,  and  the  cordial 
manner  which  m.akes  them  at  home,  are  manifested 
by  our  subject  in  a  commendable  degree  and  add 
to  the  popularity  of  the  house  over  which  he  has 
control. 

The  forefathers  of  our  subject  lived  in  Holland, 
whence  ai  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  his  direct 
progenitor  came  to  America  as  a  Hessian  soldier. 
.Settlement  was  then  made  in  the  States  of  which 
the  family  have  been  citizens  since  that  time. 
Henry  Hentze,  who  was  bom  in  Vermont,  mar- 
ried Miss  Charity  Guuld.  of  New  York,  and  reared 
several  children,  of  whom  the  sabject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  youngest.  The  father  was  for  many 
years  a  hop  raiser  and  teamster  in  New  York, 
whence  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1850,  accompanied 
by  his  son  L.  M.  The  same  year  other  members 
came,  the  group  in  this  State  then  comprising  the 
parents,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  two 
married  daughters  remaining  in  the  East.  Of  the 
entire  family  those  now  living  are  .Sarah,  wife  of 
George  Monroe,  of  Joliet;  >Irs.  Polly  Ford,  of 
Aurora;  Mrs.  Louisa  Northara,  of  the  same  place; 
Mrs.  Cornelia  Parker,of  Watertown.  N.  Y.:  tieorge 
W..  a  dealer  in  cigars  and  tobacco  in  Joliet:  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

The  birth  of  L.  M.  Hentze  occurred  in  Jefferson 
County,  N.  Y.  December  6,  1833.  and  in  his  native 
State  he  passed  his  boj'hood  ami  early  youth,  ac- 
quiring his  early  etlucation  in  the  common  schools. 
He  was  not  yet  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he 
became  a  resident  of  Illinois,  where  he  continued 
to  make  his  home  under  the  parental  roof  until  af- 
ter the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War.  On  July 
9.  1862,  he  was  enrolletl  as  a  nieml)er  of  Company 
I,  One  Hunilredth  Illinois  Inf.antry.  and  from  that 
time  until  the  close  of  the  war  accompanied 
his  regiment  in  their  various  campaigns,  with  the 
exception  of  four  months  spent  in  the  hospital  at 
N."ishville.  Tenn.  After  having  taken  part  in  va- 
rious battles,  skirmishes  andwear\-  marches,  endar- 
ins  the  h.ardships  of  a  soldier's  life  and  manifest- 
ing his  loyalty  and  gallantry  throughout  his  career 


768 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


as  a  soldier,  he  returned  to  the  pursuits  of  agri- 
culture in  the  soutliyrn  part  of  this  count}-. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Hcntze  went  to  Dakota,  where  he 
continued  his  agricultural  labors  seven  years.  Hav- 
ing been  seriously  tormented  bj'  grasshoppers,  he 
determined  to  leave  the  field  to  the  insect  hordes 
and  returned  to  the  Prairie  State.  He  secured 
employment  with  Monroe  &  Sons  in  Joliet,  re- 
taining his  position  ten  years,  after  which  he  spent 
t«TO  years  in  the  emph)y  of  Monroe  &  Seavei. 
His  next  enterprise  was  to  assume  the  manage- 
ment of  the  liotel  over  whicli  he  still  has  charge. 
He  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  (irand 
Army  of  the  Republic. 

An  imi)ortant  event  in  the  life  of  our  subject 
was  Ills  marriage,  April  9,  18oG,  to  Miss  Ann  E. 
Pelton,  who  Ikis  proved  iier  worth  as  a  wife  and 
mother  and  is  respected  by  her  acquaintances. 
They  are  the  parents  of  tliree  children — Henry  A., 
a  painter  in  .loliet;  William  .1..  manager  of  the 
iiolel :  anil  Anna  S.,  who  assists  in  the  oversiglit  of 
tlie  affairs  of  tlie  hotel. 


as"- 


=®^^»' 


VILLIAM  A.  NICOLAUS.  Among  the  en- 
terprising firms  of  the  city  of  Joliet,  none 
are  more  so  than  that  of  Nachbour  &  Ni- 
colaus.  Young  in  years,  its  members  have  thor- 
oughly imbilied  the  spirit  of  progress  characteristic 
of  tlie  age,  and  furnish  models  of  what  may  be  ac- 
complished by  persistent  effort  and  close  applica- 
tion to  business.  Their  dry-goods  establisliment, 
occupying  tlie  lower  lloor  of  the  Earlier  building, 
(the  best  in  the  cit}'),  is  a  model  in  systematic  ar- 
rangement, completeness  in  everything  which  goes 
to  malie  such  an  establishment  first  class,  and  would 
reflect  credit  upon  the  efforts  of  dealers  in  much 
larger  cities.  The  success  of  the  young  men  is  in 
many  respects  phenomenal.  From  an  humble  be- 
ginning they  have  steadily  advanced  to  tlie  man- 
agement of  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  busi- 
ness. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Muscatine 
County,  Iowa,  December  23,  18G1.  His  father, 
Ileniy  J.  Nicolaus.  a  grain  dealer,   possessed  sys- 


tematic business  habits  which  were  imparted  to  his 
children.  He  died  November  4,  1872.  His  widow 
now  lives  in  Wilton,  surrounded  by  her  children 
with  the  exception  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
having  three  sons  and  one  daughter  near  her.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Frenzel,  indica- 
tive of  tlie  German  origin  of  her  ancestors.  The 
boyhood  of  our  subject  was  passed  in  the  quiet  of 
home  life  until  he  reached  the  age  of  fourteen 
years,  when  he  began  la3'ing  the  foundation  for  his 
future  SICC3SS,  by  becoming  a  clerk  in  a  diy -goods 
establishment  where  he  remained  six  years. 

At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  young  Nicolaus 
visited  Chicago  looking  for  a  suitable  location,  and 
from  that  city  came  to  Joliet  in  September,  1883. 
Engaging  as  clerk  with  a  firm  here,  he  acted  in  that 
capacity  until  the  following  January,  when  he  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  business,  the  firm  name  being 
changed  to  Nachliour  &  Nicolaus,  under  which  the 
business  is  still  conducted.  Mr.  Nicolaus  takes 
great  interest  in  everything  calculated  to  luomote 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  city  and  the  coun- 
try contiguous  tliercto.  He  and  his  partner  take 
jutt  pride  in  owning  some  of  tlie  best  horses  to  be 
found  in  Northern  Illinois. 

Mr.  Nicolaus  set  up  his  own  household  on  Janu- 
ary 10.  1883,  when  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
MissLouella  L.,  daughter  of  L.  L.  Lane,  of  Musca- 
tine, Iowa.  This  pleasing  and  intelligent  lady  in- 
vests their  dwelling  with  the  attributes  of  true 
home  life,  making  of  it  the  center  of  their  social 
existence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nicolaus  are  the  hajip}- 
parents  of  one  child. 


Vf?EROME  DOXTADER,  whose  life  work  has 
been  farming,  owns  and  occupies  a  valuable 
tract  of  land  on  section  21,  New  Lenox 
Township,  in  addition  to  which  he  owns 
property  in  the  village  of  New  Lenox.  In  a  quiet 
and  unassuming  manner  Jlr.  Doxtader  has  pursued 
his  way  in  life,  conscientiously  discharging  the  du- 
ties which  lay  in  his  pathwaj',  accumulating  a  com- 
fortable share  of  this  world's  goods,  and  gaining 
esteem  from  all  who  know  him. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALIU  M. 


769 


From  honorable  Gennan  ancestry  M'-.  Doxtader 
(Ici'ives  llie  storlirio;  traits  of  his  cliaructer.  Mis 
parents,  .lohn  J.  and  Pha3be  B.  (Dilenbach)  l)os- 
tailer,  were  natives  of  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.. 
in  which  thej-  also  departed  this  life.  They  had 
nine  children,  of  whom  their  son  Jerome  was  the 
3'oungest.  He  was  born  in  the  same  county  as  his 
parents,  his  natal  daj'  being  November  1,  1829. 
Ilis  life  until  his  twenty-third  year  was  spent  in 
his  native  county,  pursuing  the  opportunities  af- 
forded him  for  acquiring  an  education,  and  the  ag- 
ricultural work  which  he  chose  as  his  vocation.  In 
the  fall  of  1851  he  came  to  the  Prairie  State,  and 
choosing  a  location  in  New  Lenox  Township,  this 
count}-,  has  since  resided  here. 

One  of  the  most  important  stei>s  in  the  life  of 
Mr.  Dostadcr  was  consummated  October  23,  1858, 
when  in  this  township  ho  became  the  husband  of 
Delia  Hartshorn.  This  lady  is  a  daughter  of  David 
and  P'annie  (Mellen)  Hartshorn,  and  was  born  in 
this  township  about  1840.  .She  was  a  good  woman, 
fallhful  to  her  duties  as  wife  and  mothar,  and  ex- 
hibiting toward  neighbors  and  acquaintances 
the  kindliness  of  a  gentle  nature  and  Christian 
spirit.  She  entered  into  rest  July  24,  1878, 
mourned  b}'  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

ToMr.  andMrs.  Doxtader  three  children  were 
born,  namelj',  Willard  E.;  John  D.,  who  died  when 
nineteen  years  old;  aiui  LjaUa  L.,  who  is  now  teach- 
ing in  New  Lenox.  They  received  good  advan- 
tages in  the  way  of  education  and  home  training, 
and  the  surviving  sou  and  daughter  are  doing 
credit  to  the  name  they  bear.  Air.  Doxtader  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  in  the 
faith  of  which  his  wife  died.  He  believes  that  the 
principles  embodied  in  the  Democratic  platform 
are  those  best  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  people, 
and  he  therefore  snpi)orts  them  with  his  voice  and 
vo'ie. 


M.  CL^LVER,  .Superiutendcnt  and   Man- 
ager of  the  Ashley  Wire  Works,  in  Joliet, 
is  well  known  here  and  highly  respected 
@f/  for  his  sobriet}',  honesty  and  industry.  His 

career  has  not  been  devoid  of  exciting  incidents, 


and  he  has  been  '-in  ))erils  oft"  on  fields  of  carnage 
and  in  dangerous  campaigns,  while  even  the  peace- 
ful arts  he  has  imrsued  have  not  been  without  some 
liabilitj-  to  accidents. 

Mr.  Culver  was  born  in  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  May 
18,  1842,  and  is  of  honorable  ancestrj%  His  grand- 
fatlier.  Col.  Richard  Culver,  was  a  brave  officer  of 
the  War  of  1812.  His  mother  belonged  to  the 
illustrious  family  that  gave  to  our  country  -'Old 
Tiiipecanoe"  and  our  present  honored  President. 
T'lie  father.  Richard  R.  Culver,  was  a  merchant  in 
Buffalo  until  1849,  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock 
and  removed  to  Wisconsin,  engaging  in  farming 
until  his  death,  in  1852.  The  farm  was  then  sold 
and  the  family  made  their  home  in  Waukesha, 
where  Mrs.  Paulina  (Harrison)  Culver  died. 

The  eilucation  of  him  of  whom  we  write  was 
obtained  iii  the  pul)lic  schools,  and  he  began  life 
as  a  harness-maker.  He  remained  in  Waukesha 
until  1850,  when  he  came  to  Joliet.  In  1861,  at 
the  first  sountl  of  the  war-cry,  he  returned  to  his 
fcn-mer  home  and  enlisted  in  Com|)any  F,  Fifth 
Wisconsin  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Irving  Beam  and 
Col.  Cobb.  The  regiment  was  at  once  called  into 
active  service  in  the  Arni}-  of  the  Potomac, and  with 
that  part  of  the  I'niou  forces  went  on  the  Penin- 
sular campaign.  At  Williamsburg  Mr.  Culver  was 
wounded  in  both  legs  and  head,  and  received  a 
furlough,  subsequently  being  discharged  on  account 
of  the  injuries. 

Too  patriotic  to  remain  at  home  while  the  coun- 
try was  still  in  danger,  Mr.  Culver  re-enlisted 
after  a  partial  recovery,  joining  the  Third  Wiscon- 
sin Cavalry,  in  Compan}-  D.  With  that  bod}-  he 
was  sent  into  the  dangerous  regions  infested  with 
bushwhackers,  where  manj'  a  deed  of  daring  was 
done  and  many  a  hazardous  journey  performed  by 
the  brave  men,  to  whom  capture  meant  certain 
death.  He  was  present  at  Pilot  Kuob  and  Inde- 
pendence, and  made  one  of  the  band  that  captured 
Gen.  Marmaduke,  "the  lion  of  the  jungle."  The 
tireless  band  to  which  Mr.  Culver  belonged  fol- 
lowed Price  to  the  Arkansas  River  and  then  turned 
to  scatter  Quautrell's  guerrillas.  After  the  war  was 
ended  and  the  rebels  had  laid  down  their  arms, 
they  were  detailed  to  guard  Ctcu.  Butterfield  dur- 
ing theconstrucliou  of  the  route  through  the  nioun- 


1H)RTHAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tains  past  Denver.  Mr.  Culver  then  rode  back  to 
Madison.  Wis.,  and  received  an  lionnrablc  dis- 
charge. 

Coming  back  to  -luliet,  Jlr.  Culver  engaged  in 
roofing  for  a  brief  period,  following  which  he  was 
with  the  American  Sewing  Machine  Company  as 
general  manager  five  years.  After  a  season  in  the 
rolling  mills  he  was  requested  by  Oliver  Bros., 
of  Pittsburg,  who  hiid  bought  the  plant  of  Seutt 
it  Co.,  to  take  charge  of  a  division  in  the  Smoky 
Cit3',  and  did  so,  moving  to  that  place.  He  re- 
mained there  three  years  and  six  months  and  then 
acceded  to  a  personal  request  to  return  to  Joliet 
and  take  charge  of  the  Ashley  AVire  Works.  The 
lesponsible  position  he  then  assumed  he  is  still 
holding,  satisfying  his  employers  and  pleasing  his 
patrons. 

In  Joliet,  in  186G.  Mr.  Culver  was  united  in 
marriage  with  ]\Iiss  Sarah  Dice,  a  worth}-  woman, 
who  lived  until  IHl'l.  To  them  were  born:  Lewis 
E.,  who  died  in  1876;  Cliarles;  and  Willie,  who 
died  in  1875.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Culver  remained  a  widower  until  June  11,  1882, 
when  he  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  Miss  Catharine 
(iieen.  a  lad}'  of  great  worth  of  character  and  manv 
womanly  accomplishments.  She  has  borne  him  a  win- 
some daughter,  Ida  Nettie,  whose  natal  day  was 
April  2.5.  1889.  Mr.  Culver  is  a  member  of  Post 
No.  2,  U.  V.  U.,  and  holds  the  office  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel.  He  was  reared  to  a  belief  in  the  tenets 
of  the  'iaptist  Church,  and  to  it  gives  his  support 
and  personal  influence.  His  wife  also  attends  that 
church. 


\f/  AMES  CURRY  GRADY,  of  Joliet,  was  born 
in  Dublin,  Ireland.  November  20,  183C.  and 
spent  his  early  j'ears  near  his  birthplace. 
Young  Grady  learned  the  trade  of  a  mechan- 
ical engineer.  He  came  to  America  in  1858,  his 
first  sojourn  being  at  Portland,  Me.,  whence  he  went 
to  Toronto,  Canada,  and  thence  to  Chicago,  111.,  in 
1861.  He  tooK  a  (losition  on  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  remaining  in  the  Garden  Cit}-  until  1863, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  AL 


ton  road,  in  whose  service  he  has  been  continuously 
since  that  date.  In  1864  he  removed  to  Joliet,  in 
which  citj'  he  li.is  since  made  his  home.  During 
these  twent\' -seven  years  of  employment  by  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Compan}-,  Mr.  Grady 
has  been  on  all  the  branches  of  the  system,  and  h.as 
drawn  all  kinds  of  trains.  A  still  more  remarkable 
fact  connected  with  his  career,  is  that  he  has  never 
had  an  accident. 

Mr.  Grady  is  a  son  of  Henry  (iradv,  a  native  of 
Galwaj-,  Ireland.  His  parents  came  to  Chicago  by 
the  way  of  New  Orleans.  The  Southern  branch  of 
the  family  produced  Henry  Gradv  of  xVtlanta,  Ga., 
the  noted  orator  and  journalist  whose  recent  death 
was  mourned  far  and  wide. 

Miss  Ann  Blake,  a  native  of  his  own  birthplace, 
won  the  esteem  of  Mr.  Grad}-.  and  his  wooing  hav- 
ing proven  successful,  the}-  were  joined  in  holy 
wedlock  according  to  the  ritual  of  the  Church  of 
England,  January  10,  1856,  in  Clonmel  Parish, 
County  Ti|)perary,  Ireland.  Their  happy  union  has 
been  blesswt  by  the  biith  of  nine  children — Eliza- 
beth, Henry.  Will,  John,  Annie,  Mary,  Rosabel, 
!Mabel.  and  James.  The  three  eldest  are  married; 
Henry  is  a  passenger  conductor  for  the  I'nion  Pa- 
cific and  Oregon  Navigation  Company,  having 
risen  through  successive  promotions;  he  is  one  of 
the  most  trusted  railroad  men  on  the  Pacific  Slope; 
his  home  is  at  Umatilla,  Ore.  Will  is  with  the 
Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  Railroad:  John  is  Superin- 
tendent of  the  machinery  in  an  extensive  manu- 
factory in  Anderson,  Ind.  All  the  children  were 
tciven  excellent  educations  in  the  Joliet  High 
School,  and  Annie  is  now  a  teacher  in  that  institu- 
tion, while  Rosa  was  accorded  the  honor  of  being 
chosen  a  teacher  immediately  on  graduation.  Mary 
evinces  a  decided  musical  talent,  and  makes  that 
her  specialty. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grady  are  members  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church.  Mr.  Grady  has  passed  through  the 
Masonic  ranks  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Commander}-.  He  enjoys  the  legitimate  result  of 
a  life  of  honor  and  industry  in  the  respect  of  his 
fellow-men,  and  the  comforts  of  a  cozy  home  on 
Eastern  Avenue,  presided  over  by  a  capable  house- 
keeper, and  blessed  by  the  presence  of  cultured 
children  and  friends. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


771 


ENRY  SPANGLER.  A  stranger  would  not 
be  in  this  county'  long  without  hearing  the 
name  which  stands  at  the  head  of  this  bio- 
graphical notice,  and  learning  that  it  is  the 
cognomen  of  a  prominent  citizen  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship, and  one  who  is  widely  known  throughout  the 
county.  At  present  this  gentleman  holds  the  office 
of  Supervisor,  a  position  in  which  he  has  served 
his  fellow-men  for  several  years,  his  continuance  in 
it  proving  conclusiveh'  that  the  duties  have  been 
discharged  in  a  satisfactor3-  manner.  This  is  not 
the  only  public  capacity  in  which  Mr.  Spangler  has 
acted.  In  1882  he  was  elected  County  Treasurer, 
and  for  four  years  his  financial  ability  and  integrity 
were  made  useful  in  that  capacity. 

Pennsylvania  was  the  native  State  of  David 
Spangler  and  Amelia  Batej-,  who  became  man  and 
wife,  and  reared  a  familj-  of  nine  children.  They 
removed  to  Summit  County,  Ohio,  in  which  the 
latter  years  of  their  life  were  spent.  There  their 
youngest  child  was  born  February  26,  1837,  he 
being  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write.  He  re- 
mained in  his  native  State  until  he  was  twentj' 
years  old,  in  the  meantime  becoming  well  versed 
in  the  management  of  a  farm,  as  his  father  was  an 
agriculturist,  and  acquiring  a  good  education. 

Upon  leaving  his  native  State,  Mr.  Spangler  re- 
paired to  this  county,  and  at  once  made  a   settle- 


ment on  section  12,  Jackson  Township,  engaging 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  So  successful  have  been 
his  labors,  that  he  now  owns  five  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Jackson  and  Manhattan  Townships,  and  has 
an  assured  financial  standing.  Every  detail  of  the 
work  carried  on  upon  his  place  is  under  careful 
oversight,  and  ever}-  part  of  the  large  estate  evinces 
the  taste  and  ability  of  the  owner.  A  full  line  of 
buildings  may  be  seen  thereon,  all  substantial  and 
well  designed,  while  stock  and  machinery  are  ex- 
cellent and  sufficient  in  number  and  quantity. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Spangler  is  presided 
over  by  a  lady  whose  intelligence  and  grace  add  to 
the  attractions  of  the  hospitable  dwelling.  She  was 
known  in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Rachael  Grove, 
and  was  a  native  of  Summit  County,  Ohio,  in 
which  her  marriage  to  our  subject  took  place.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spangler  have  four  living  children,  named 
respectively:  Samuel  M.,  Ellery  G.,  Alvin  O..  and 
Dora  A.  They  mourn  the  loss  of  a  daughter, 
Almeda  M..  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  Mr. 
Spangler  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  taken  quite  an 
active  part  in  political  affairs.  The  family  is  re- 
garded as  a  credit  to  the  section  in  which  thej-  re- 
side, and  were  a  wish  expressed  regarding  them,  it 
would  be  that  they  might  long  continue  their  resi- 
dence here,  as  their  present  health  promises  will  be 
the  case. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


f 


^§f.'"'Vj;s:i^^ 


•i;^ 


^^-'NE  of  tin;  most  important  fac- 
tors ill  tl)e  business  (luvelop- 
//      ment   and    prosperity    of   a 
Jvi  'ii~i.  citv,  county  or  State,  is  its 
■sI'^'Ss^  railroad  communications.   A 
retrospection  of  the  history 


"^If^"  ''^  '''^'^  Soutii  Platte  Country  since 
^IrI^  the  advent  of  railro.ad  facilities,  will 
convince  the  careful  observer  of  the 
immense  benefit  resulting  from  the 
introduction  of  this  essential  adjunct 
of  commercial  enterprise.  The  fol- 
lowing brief  sketches  of  the  leading 
railroads  of  this  section  of  the  great 
c(jmi:ion wealth  will  form  an  interesting  feature  of 
this  Ai.nr.M.  Jt  ni.ay  be  remarked  in  this  connec- 
tion that  the  roads  referred  to  are  not  only  the  ini- 
iwrtant  coriwrations  of  Kansas,  but  stand  among 
the  first  in  the  Nation. 


Cliicag:©,  Kock  I.slaiul  &  Pacific 

^  S  among  the  oldest  and  most  important  trunk 
lines,  having  Chicago  for  its  eastern  terminus — 
the  completion  of  this  road  in  Illinois  marked 
an  important  era  in  the  development  of  the  north- 
ern and  western  portion  of  the  State,  as  well  as 
contributing  to  the  upbuilding  of  many  thriving 


mauufacturing  cities  on  its  line — notably  Joliet, 
Moline,  Rock  Island  and  Davenport;  also  with  its 
two  branches  extending  to  Peoria,  has  opened  up 
good  markets  for  the  extensive  coal  and  agricul- 
tural resources  of  that  locality,  likewise  giving  a 
rai)id  impetus  to  the  commercial  and  manufactur- 
ing resources  of  Peoria.  Moline  (except  Chicago), 
is  probably  the  most  important  and  extensive  man- 
ufacturing city  on  the  line,  and  through  the  enter- 
prise of  the  great  Rock  Island  Route  it  has  been 
enabled  to  lay  down  its  manufactured  wares  to  the 
farmers  of  Southern  Iowa,  Northern  Missouri  and 
Kansas,  cheaper  than  by  any  other  road,  and  the 
vast  lumber  interests  of  the  cities  of  Rock  Island 
and  Davenport  have  by  means  of  this  line  been 
enabled  to  reach  the  most  important,  as  well  as  the 
most  remote,  places  in  Kansas.  The  Rock  Island 
has  always  been  in  the  very  van  of  railroad  prog- 
ress; while  always  solid  and  substantial,  yet  it  has 
ever  been  steadily  and  constantly  building  new 
lines  and  extending  its  system  until  it  nowramilies 
into  the  best  regions  of  the  Mississippi  and  Mis- 
souri Valleys.  It  lines  extending  to  Denver,  Colo- 
rado Springs,  and  other  points  in  Colorado,  offer 
unsurpassed  facilities,  to  the  tourist  or  man  of  busi- 
ness for  elegant  and  comfortable  traveling;  its 
superb  dining  cars  have  among  travelers  made  it 
renowned  as  among  the  best  roads  of  the  West.  In 
brief  the  Rock  Island  Company  has  b}'  a  judicious 
system  of  permanent  im|)rovemcnts,  and  by  the  in- 


THAN  iSFORT  ATIOK . 


troduelioii  of  all  modern  appliances  which  tend  to 
the  preservation  of  life  and  property,  placed  itself 
in  such  a  condition,  materially  and  physically,  that 
its  financial  future  cannot  be  affected  by  the  con- 
tingencies which  seriousl}'  affect  otlicr  roads.  Its 
success  as  one  of  the  great  highways  of  the  West 
•  is  an  assured  reality.  It  might  be  appropriately 
noted  iiero  that  while  much  of  this  load's  past  suc- 
cess may  be  attributed  to  its  admirable  geograi)h- 
ical  location,  embracing  a  veiy  rich  section  of  the 
country  for  local  trallic,  and  with  a  termini  on  Lake 
Michigan,  tlie  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers  and 
Denver,  the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  le- 
gions, equ.ally  as  much  is  due  to  the  stability  of  the 
management,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  property  has 
never  yet  become  the  foot-ball  of  speculators.  It 
is  not  surprising  that  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &. 
Pacific  has  maintained  a  firm  position  as  an  invest- 
ment in  the  moneyed  centers  of  the  world,  and  it 
has  acquired  a  well-merited  popularity  witii  the 
traveling  and  shipping  ))ublic.  Its  steel  rails  and 
well  liallasted  road-bed  have  long  since  made  it  the 
favorite  with  shippers,  and  its  freight  trallic  is  im- 
mense and  growing.  At  Council  Bluffs  and  Omaha, 
connections  are  made  with  all  roads  centering 
there.  It  is  the  most  direct  and  shortest  route  be- 
tween Omaha  and  Chicago — and  hence  the  favorite 
of  shii)pers.  At  Davenport  a  branch  diverges  to 
the  Southwest,  and  extends  to  Kansas  City,  Leav- 
enworth, Atchison  and  St.  Joseph. 

At  St.  Joseph  the  road  crosses  the  Missouri  and 
enters  Kansas;  at  Ilorton  the  line  diverges  and  ex- 
tends up  into  Nebraska  as  far  as  Nelson ;  from 
Fairbuiy,  Neb.,  the  line  extends  through  Northern 
Kansas  to  Denver,  and  Colorado  Springs.  From 
Hortoii  the  line  leads  in  a  southwesterly  direction 
through  Topeka,  the  capital  of  the  State;  thence  to 
Ilerington,  Hutchinson  and  to  Liberal,  the  latter 
place  on  the  line  of  the  Indian  Territory.  At  Mc- 
Failand  a  sjtur  extends  in  a  northwestern  direction 
tlux)ugh  Manhattan  and  Clay  Center  to  Belleville, 
where  a  junction  is  made  with  the  main  line  to 
Denver,  Col.;  at  Hcrington  a  short  branch  goes  to 
Abilene  and  Salina.  From  Herington  the  line 
passes  south  through  Wichita  and  Wellington  to 
Caldwell,  on  the  line  of  the  Indian  Territory. 

With   its   accustomed  energy  this  road  was  the 


first  to  complete  its  line  into  the  Oklahoma  country, 
l)assing  through  Kingfisher,  and  liaving  El  Reno 
for  its  Southern  terminus. 

CIIAKACTKKISTICS  OF  Till.   UOAI). 

Tlie  whole  number  of  miles  operated  by  the  Ciii- 
cago,  Rock  Island  &  raciflc  Railw.ay  at  tlie  i)resenL 
time,  including  second  tracks  and  sidings,  is  about 
four  tiiousand  and  ninety-three  miles.  The  main 
track  mileage  in  the  following  States  is:  Illinois, 
23G  miles;  Iowa,  1,060.10;  Missouri,  28G. 70;  Kan- 
s,as,  1,147.37;  Nebraska,  140.97;  Colorado,  376.0(; ; 
and  Indian  Territoiy,  1  0G.75 — 18G.70  second  track, 
and  about  565.45  side  track. 

This  company  has  a  contract  for  joint  use  of 
tr.ack  with  the  Hannibal  li:  St.  Joseph  between  Kan- 
sas City  and  Cameron  Junction;  with  the  LInion 
I'acific  Railway  from  Kansas  City  to  North  Topeka, 
also  from  Linion  to  Denver;  and  with  the  Denver 
&  Rio  Grande  between  Denver  and  Pueblo. 

The  principal  shops  of  this  company  are  located 
at  Chicago,  111.;  Rock  Island,  111. ;  Stewart,  Iowa, 
Trenton,  Mo.;  Horton  and  Goodland,  Kan.;  and 
Roswell,  Colo.  Solid  trains,  carrying  all  classes 
of  passengers,  are  run  through  between  Chicago, 
Denver,  Pueblo,  Colorado  Springs,  via  St.  Joseph, 
Kansas  City  and  Topeka;  through  trains  to  Wich- 
ita, El  Reno  (Ft.  Reno),  Hutchinson,  Dodge  City, 
Salina  and  Abilene.  The  line  is  jquipped  with 
first-class  baggage,  mail,  smoking  cars  and  coaches'; 
chair  cars  of  the  latest  improved  pattern  of  chairs, 
and  Pullnum  Palace  Sleeping  Cars.  Dining  cars 
are  now  running  on  all  thi'ough  passenger  trains 
between  Colorado  points  ami  Chicago,  and  also 
between  Council  Bluffs  and  Chicago,  and  eating- 
houses  are  located  at  convenient  points  on  all  divis- 
ions for  the  accommodation  of  local  trains.  It  is 
contemplated  to  establish  dining-car  service  on  the 
whole  line,  in  the  near  future.  In  regard  to  freight 
traflBc,  the  management  has  a  comprehensive  s\s 
tem  of  through  ears  and  wa3'-billing  to  all  promi- 
nent points  in  the  West,  Northwest  and  Southwest. 
Having  their  own  rails  between  Chicago,  Peoria 
and  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph,  Omaha  and  Denver, 
no  delaj's  or  transfers  between  Chicago  and  any  of 
these  points.  Also  run  through  cars  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  via  all  lines  having  terminals  on  the  coast. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


Less  tban  car-load  shipments  to  all  prominent 
points  in  through  cars,  thus  avoiding  transfers  and 
dela}-.  Special  attention  is  paid  to  live  stock  from 
nil  points  on  the  line.  At  present  there  is  one 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  miles  of  double  track 
being  operated,  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  miles 
of  which  is  located  in  Illinois,  between  Chicago 
and  Rock  Island ;  the  balance  in  Iowa,  from  Da- 
venport to  what  is  known  as  Double  Track  Junc- 
tion, about  six  miles  west  of  Davenport  on  the 
Council  Bluff  line. 

The  experience  of  the  past  has  clearly  demon- 
strated that  whatever  is  undertaken  by  tlic  mana- 
gers of  the  Rock  Island  is  not  merely  done,  but 
done  well,  that  they  possess  to  an  almost  unlimited 
extent  the  confidence  of  Eastern  and  Euroiiean 
capitalists,  and  that  they  are  remarkably  shrewd 
and  far-seeing  in  anything  which  affects  tlie  present 
or  the  future  interests  of  their  property. 

It  will  be  observed  that  all  the  great  leading 
marts  of  trade  in  Kansas  are  tapped  by  this  road, 
thereby  giving  to  that  portion  of  the  AVest  a  strong 
and  substantial  competitive  market  with  the  great 
Ivistorn  commercial  centers. 


'•aazr©-*®^ 


-^>a/OT»»to 


AicJiisoii,   'r<>|K-k;i  &  Sjiiita  Fe  Kallway, 

JOPULARLY  known  as  the  Santa  Fe  Rout*;. 
)  The  initial  lines  of  this  great  sj'Stem  were 
first  built  from  Atchison  to  Topeka,  in 
18G'J,  and  for  many  years  the  former  city 
was  the  Eastern  terminus  of  the  road.  The  man- 
agement of  the  Santa  Fe,  with  wonderful  energy, 
pushed  out  its  lines  in  every  direction  into  the 
young  and  growing  State  of  Kansas,  and  in  the 
majority  of  instances  preceding  settlement  and 
civilization.  This  road  was  the  first  to  penetrate 
across  the  southern  part  of  Colorado,  via  Pueblo 
and  Trinidad  into  New  Mexico,  until  its  lines  pene- 
trated the  old  adobe  town  of  Santa  Fe,  whose  citi- 
zens were  half  Spanish  and  half  Mexican.  As  its 
course  penetrated  the  wilderness  it  sometimes  fol- 
lowed the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail,  and  generally  not  far 
distant  at  any  time   from   the  "trail"   which   had 


been  made  famous  years  before  by  trappers  and 
also  l)y  the  Government  freighters.  The  mar- 
velous growth  and  development  of  the  State  of 
of  Kansas  is  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  enter- 
prise and  public  spirit  of  the  managers  of  the  Santa 
Fe  System.  Not  onlj'  did  they  devote  their  en- 
ergy to  the  upbuilding  of  the  road,  but  at  great 
expense  they  maintained  emigration  and  Colonial 
agents  in  the  various  countries  of  Euiope,  as  well 
as  in  the  Eastern,  Middle  and  Southern  States, 
thereby  advertising  the  State  of  Kansas  as  no  other 
State  has  heretofore  been  done.  Its  climate,  its 
soil  and  great  advantages  to  the  home  seeker  were 
at  times  full}-  portrayed  by  the  enterprise  of  this 
road — every  fostering  care  was  given  to  the  stock 
and  ranch  men,  to  the  merchant,  the  mechanic  and 
the  manufacturer  to  settle  in  Kansas — as  a  result 
we  have  here  a  State  in  the  center  of  the  Union,  of 
boundless  agricultural  rtisources,  settled  bj'  a  wide- 
awake, enterprising  and  prosperous  people.  The 
Santa  Fe  owns  and  operates  more  miles  of  road  in 
Kansas  than  any  other  line,  with  its  vast  s^'stem  of 
East  and  West,  North  and  South  lines  reaching 
every  important  town  in  the  State,  and  penetrating 
sixty-three  counties  in  Kansas.  The  magnitude  of 
its  business  is  immense.  Its  lines  beginning  at  the 
Missouri  River  towns  in  Kansas  are  St.  Joseph,  Atch- 
ison, Leavenworth  and  Kansas  City;  extends  south 
to  Coffeyville,  Arkansas  City,  Ilunnewell,  Caldwell, 
New  Kiowa  (thence  to  the  Pan  Handle  of  Texas), 
and  north  to  Superior,  in  Nebraska;  Concordia, 
Clay  Center.  Minneapolis,  and  other  Northern 
Kansas  cities.  Its  main  lines  and  branches  reach 
nearly  every  important  city  in  the  State.  St.  Jo- 
seph, on  the  Missouri  side  of  the  river,  has  a  jwpu- 
lation  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand,  and  its 
wholesale  trade  is  heavy  throughout  the  West. 
Atchison  is  a  growing  city  of  about  twenty  thous- 
and people;  the  Soldiers'  Orphans  Home  of  the 
State  is  located  here.  Leavenwortli,  with  her  thirty 
thousand  people,  is  an  important  manufacturing 
center.  Leavenworth  was  the  earliest  famous  city 
of  Kansas,  as  it  was  the  original  outfitting  point  for 
travel  and  traffic  across  the  plains.  The  Kansas 
system  may  be  described  as  a  main  east  and  west  line, 
over  four  hundred  miles  in  length,  with  branch 
lines  extending  in  everjr  direction  where  an  area  of 


TKANtsPORTATION. 


particularly  rich  country,    or   some   oilier  special 
advantages  invited  a  line  of  rails. 

The  ri'ad  from  Topel<a,  after  1869,  was  extended 
west  and  south,  and  then  east  to  Kansas  City  by 
purchase  of  a  line  built  by  another  company.  From 
Kansas  City,  in  1887-88  the  line  was  extended  to 
Chicago,  under  the  name  of  the  Chicago,  Santa  Fo 
&  California  Road;  in  1887,  also  the  purchase  of 
the  Gulf,  Color.ido  &  .Santa  Fe  Road,  and  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Kansas  lines  through  the  Indian 
Territorj'  to  Texas,  gave  the  companj-  a  line  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  So  that  at  the  present  time  the 
Santa  Fe  System  proper  begins  at  Chicago,  passes 
through  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Colorado, 
Indian  Territorj',  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona 
and  California,  and  has  for  its  Southern  terminals 
Galveston,  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  El  Paso,  on 
the  jMexican  frontier;  and  for  its  Western  terminals 
San  Diego  and  Los  Angeles,  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
(San  Francisco  being  practically  a  Pacific-Coast 
terminal,  as  it  is  reached  via  Mojav^e,  over  the 
tracks  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway);  and  for 
its  Northern  terminals  Chicago.  St.  Joseph,  Mo., 
Superior,  Neb.,  and  Denver,  the  capital  of  Colo- 
rado. 

Chicago  to  Kansas  Citj'  is  practically  an  air  line, 
being  the  most  straight  and  direct  of  any  road 
between  the  tvtfo  cities.  It  passes  through  a  large 
number  of  important  towns  in  Illinois,  including 
Joliet,  with  its  great  steel  works,  ami  other  manu- 
facturing interests.  The  next  important  place  is 
Streator,  a  few  miles  south  of  the  latter  place;  a 
branch  extends  to  the  thriving  city  of  Pekin,  on 
the  Illinois  River.  From  Streator  the  main  line 
crosses  the  Illinois  at  Chillicothe,  and  extends 
through  Peoria  and  Knox  Counties  to  the  beauti- 
ful -md  enterprising  city  of  Galesburg,  here  it 
comes  in  competition  with  several  lines  of  the 
Burlington  Sj'stem;  thence  running  in  a  southwest- 
erly direction  through  a  rich  and  populous  section, 
crossing  the  Mississippi  at  Ft.  Madison,  on  a  mag- 
nificent steel  bridge.  Here  the  company  have 
established  shops,  that  being  the  terminus  of  the 
two  operating  divisions  of  the  road.  From  Ft. 
Madison  bj'  a  spur  Keokuk  is  reached.  The  line 
through  Missouri  shows  very  heavy  construction 
work,  made  to  secure  what  was  desired   in  the  way 


of  distance  and  grades.  Along  the  Santa  Fe  new 
towns  are  springing  up,  ami  new  industries  are  be- 
ing developed.  Twenty  miles  east  of  Kansas  City 
the  Missouri  River  is  crossed  by  a  steel  bridge,  so 
that  the  line  enters  Kansas  City  on  the  south  sids 
of  the  river.  From  Kansas  City  to  'lopeku  the 
line  runs  on  the  South  bank  of  tlic  Kansas  River; 
at  Wilder  and  Ilolliday  arc  points  for  the  depart- 
ure of  branch  lines — one  northwest  to  Atchison, 
and  the  other  southwest  through  Ottawa  and  South- 
ern Kansas,  being  known  as  the  Southern  Kansas 
division  of  the  Santa  Fe  System.  From  Lawrence 
U)  Topeka  the  road  is  still  in  the  Kansas  Valley, 
through  a  veritable  garden.  Native  trees  of  graat 
height  overhang  the  railway  here  and  there,  and  in 
the  spring  and  summer  the  crops  look  green  and 
luxuriant.  The  approach  to  Topeka  is  through  the 
long  yards,  and  by  the  vast  machine  shops  of  the 
Santa  Fe  Company,  across  various  broad  streets  to 
a  commodious  brick  station. 

The  general  offices  of  the  road  are  in  Topeka, 
and  occupy  a  handsome  and  commodious  building 
near  the  State  capitol.  From  Topeka  to  Denver 
the  Santa  Fe  Route  runs  for  about  seventy-five 
miles  in  a  southwesterly  direction  to  the  upper  wa- 
ters of  Neosho  River,  at  Emporia,  passing  through 
Osage  County,  where  are  found  some  of  the  richest 
coal  fields  of  the  West.  At  Newton  the  line  di- 
verges south  through  Southern  Kansas,  the  Indian 
Territory  and  Texas  to  Galveston;  continuing 
west  from  Newton  the  first  city  of  importance 
reached  is  Hutchinson;  here  are  some  of  the  heaviest 
salt  works  in  the  United  States,  besides  other  ex- 
tensive manufacturing  interests.  West  of  Hutch- 
inson the  line  extends  through  a  fertile,  prosperous 
and  rapidly  growing  district.  The  line  is  beautified 
here  and  there  by  many  thriving  cities  and  villages. 
At  La  Junta,  in  Colorado,  the  line  for  New  Mex- 
ico, Arizona  and  beyond,  turns  south.  Pueblo, 
sixty-five  miles  due  west  of  La  Junta,  for  3'ears  the 
terminus  of  the  Santa  Fe  S3Stem,  is  a  growing 
manufacturing  city.  It  is  admirabl}-  located  with 
reference  to  the  great  ore-producing  canons  of  Col- 
orado. All  roads  leading  to  it,  coal,  iron,  silver, 
gold,  lead,  copper,  building  stone,  ever^'thing  in 
fact  which  is  produced  in  the  greatest  mining  State 
in  the   Union,  roll  naturally  down  hill  to  Pueblo. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


Beyond  Pueblo  to  the  west  are  many  thriving  cities 
founded  on  mining  and  agriculture,  notably  :  Lead- 
ville,  the  greatest  mining  camp  in  Colorado;  while 
forty  miles  north,  on  tht;  line  of  the  Santa  Fe,  are 
the  lovely  villages  of  Colorado  Springs,  and  Mani- 
tou,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak.  Manitou 
is  at  the  moutii  of  a  deep  canon,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  lovely  summer  resorts  in  America.  Near  here 
is  the  famous  "Garden  of  the  Gods,"  whose  won- 
drous beauty  and  grandeur  is  unsurpassed.  From 
Colorado  Springs  westward,  through  Manitou  and 
up  the  canon  beyond  Pike's  Peak,  the  Colorado 
Midland  Railway  is  pushing  its  waj'  far  toward  the 
the  western  borders  of  the  State.  Eighty  miles 
north  of  Colorado  Springs  the  Santa  Fe  line  ter- 
minates at  Denver,  a  magnificently  built  city  of 
nearly  two  hundred  thousand  people.  It  is  prob- 
able that  no  American  citj^  has  so  many  features  of 
unique  beauty  as  Denver.  Its  splendid  public  build- 
ings, and  its  broad  avenues  lined  with  beautiful 
residences,  cozily  located  at  the  foot  of  the  snow- 
capped mountains  of  the  Rocky  range,  render  it 
unlike  any  other  city  of  its  size  in  the  world.  The 
ride  from  Pueblo  to  Denver  along  the  foot  of  the 
mountains  is  one  never  to  be  missed.  The  snow- 
covered  peaks,  the  man}-  combinations  of  sun  and 
cloud,  and  rain  and  snow;  the  marvelous  atmos- 
phere, all  combine  to  surprise  and  charm  the  be- 
holder. 

From  Newton  to  Galveston,  the  line  leaving  the 
main  east  and  west  line  in  Kansas  at  Newton,  runs 
directly  south  to  Galveston.  The  first  place  of 
importance  reached  is  the  phenomenal  city  of  Wich- 
ita, located  on  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas  Rivers, 
a  city  of  thirtj^-five  thousand  people,  where  onl}'  a 
few  years  ago  was  an  Indian  trading-post.  Wichita 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cities  in  the  W^est.  It 
has  a  heavy  and  growing  wholesale  trade,  and  a 
large  amount  of  manufacturing  business,  including 
the  Burton  Stock  Car  Works,  the  Dold  <fe  Whit- 
aker  Meat-Packing  establishments.  The  city  is 
h.andsomely  laid  out,  and  has  many  handsome  pub- 
lic buildings,  commodious  business  houses  and 
spacious  residences,  situated  on  broad  avenues, 
lined  with  beautiful  sli.ade  trees.  South  of  Wichita 
is  a  cluster  of  growing  cities,  comprising  Winfield, 
Wellington,  Arkansas  City  and  Caldwell.     Wichita 


and  Arkansas  City  have  profited  much  by  the 
opening  up  of  Oklahoma  to  settlement.  Entering 
the  Indian  Territory  the  line  passes  through  a 
magnificent  agricultural  country,  as  yet  almost 
wholly  undeveloped.  In  Texas  the  principal  cities 
on  the  line  between  the  Indian  Territory  and  Gal- 
veston, are  Gainesville,  Paris,  Ft.  Worth,  Cleburne, 
Dallas,  Morgan,  Temple,  Brenham,  Houston  and 
Richmond.  Galveston,  the  terminus,  is  a  rapidly 
growing  city  of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is 
charmingly  situ.ated  on  the  Gulf  Coast,  and  has  an 
unsurpassed  climate  in  both  summer  and  winter. 

From  La  .lunta  to  El  Paso,  the  line  leaving  La 
Junta  climbs  to  the  summit  of  the  Raton  Range, 
seventy-six  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet  above  the 
sea.  On  the  way  up  it  passes  through  the  impor- 
tant Colorado  towns  of  El  Moro  and  Trinidad.  The 
village  of  Raton  is  an  important  division  point  for 
the  railway,  and  then  comes  Las  Vegas  and  its 
famous  hot  springs,  six  miles  distant  from  the  main 
line,  but  connected  with  it  by  a  short  line  with 
good  equipments.  At  the  Hot  Springs  is  the  Phoe- 
nix Hotel.  The  springs  are  unsurpassed  anywhere 
in  the  world,  and  the  hotel  is  conducted  by  the 
company  in  the  most  generous  manner  imaginable. 
The  springs  are  forty-two  in  number,  and  are  hot 
ami  cold,  and  have  a  variety  of  mineral  properties 
which  render  them  remarkably  strong  in  their  cura- 
tive power.  South  of  Las  Vegas  the  line  passes 
through  fertile  valleys,  heavy  forests,  and  black 
and  rugged  canons,  until  the  valley  of  the  Rio 
Grande  is  reached.  A  branch  line  from  Lamy  ex- 
tends up  the  mountain  to  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of 
New  Mexico,  next  to  St.  Augustine,  the  oldest  city 
in  America.  Santa  Fe  has  a  now  State  House,  and 
its  quaint  old  churches  and  dwellings  are  inter- 
spersed with  modern  structiu'es.  It  should  be  seen 
before  the  peculiar  charm  of  its  antiquity  has  been 
entirely  destrojed.  Albuquerque,  Socorro  and  San 
Marcial  are  the  chief  points  between  Santa  Fe  and 
El  Paso.  All  are  important  points  for  the  business 
of  mining,  cattle  raising  and  general  commerce. 
From  Rincon  a  branch  line  leads  to  Deming,  where 
junction  is  made  with  the  Southern  Pacific  R.ail- 
way,  and  to  Silver  City,  and  to  the  other  mining 
townsof  Southern  New  Mexico.  It  is  the  fortunate 
destinj'   of   New  Mexico  generally,  and    the    Rio 


TRANSPORTATION. 


Grande  Valley  particularly,  to  soon  take  front  rank 
in  the  line  of  fruit  production.  The  grapes  produced 
in  the  Lower  Rio  Grande  Valley  are  not  surpassed 
in  either  quality  or  quantity  hj'  tlie  product  of  any 
part  of  the  Continent. 

From  Alliuquenpif  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  in  the 
heart  of  New  Mexic<i,  due  west,  the  Atlantic  & 
Pacific  Railroad  forms  the  main  Santa  Fe  Route  to 
California.  Tlie  line  passes  through  a  great  miniug 
and  stock-raising  country,  wlierc  tlie  climate  is  per- 
fect. Prescott,  the  capital  of  Arizona,  is  reached 
by  a  branch  from  Prescott  Junction.  Constant 
changes  of  scenery  characterize  tlie  line,  and  the 
crossing  of  the  Colorado  Canon  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  accomplishments  known  in  the  railroad 
world.  In  Southern  California  the  lines  of  the 
California  Central  &  Southern  reach  every  impor- 
tant city.  Barstow,  San  Bernardino,  Colton,  San 
Diego,  National  City,  Los  Angeles,  and  a  hundred 
other  beautiful  towns  offer  unequaled  inducements 
to  the  seeker  after  health,  wealth  and  pleasure. 
San  Francisco  and  other  cities  of  Cential  and 
Northern  California  are  reached  by  the  lines  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  by  virtue  of  a  speci.al  arrangement 
for  tralUc.  Between  Cliicago  and  Kansas  City 
raeals  are  served  on  the  finest  dining  cars;  on  tlic 
other  lines  and  brandies  are  superb  eating-houses 
and  liotels.  No  expense  is  spared  in  securing  ele- 
gant accommodations;  the  supplies  are  secured 
from  the  best  marlvets  East  and  West. 

From  the  resume  thus  given  of  tlie  facilities  pos- 
sessed by  the  Santa  Fe  Railway,  for  interchanging 
traffic  at  its  termini  and  various  junctions,  it  must 
be  apparent  to  the  reader  that  the  line  is  admirably 


situated,  and  that  in  many  respects  it  occupies  a 
strategic  position,  superior  to  that  of  other  trans- 
Missouri  and  Mississippi  railroads.  These  advan- 
tages have  been  utilized  in  the  p.ast,  as  they  will  lie 
in  the  future,  in  developing  the  localities  through 
which  the  various  branches  extend,  and  to  build 
up  the  permanent  prosperity  of  the  property  whose 
historj'  is  so  closely  interwoven  with  the  settlement, 
development  and  prosperity'  of  the  West  beyond 
the  Missouri  River.  Its  local  trafHe  compares  fa- 
vorably with  that  of  other  competing  lines.  To 
this  purely  local  traffic  must  be  added  the  contri- 
butions of  its  several  termini,  all  large  cities  and 
prominent  trade  centers  in  the  Missouri  and  Mi 
sissippi  Valleys.  Witli  tlie  growth  and  steady 
development  of  the  manufacturing  and  other  indus- 
tries of  Chicago,  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph,  Atchi- 
son, Leavenworth,  Topeka,  Wichita,  Galveston, 
El  Paso,  Pneblo  and  Denver,  the  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
way must  materially  make  corresponding  strides 
toward  attaining  that  proud  financial  position  which 
has  been  the  life  dream  of  its  originators  and 
present  owners.  Under  the  present  progressive  and 
conservative  man.agement,  all  advantages  of  geo- 
grapical  position,  and  all  the  resources  of  the 
through  line  will  be  constantl}-  utilized  in  building 
up  the  future  prosperity  of  the  ro.ad  itself,  and  in 
developing  the  extended  area  of  Chicago's  com- 
mercial supremacy.  The  Land  Grant  from  the 
(iovernment  amounted  substantiallj-  to  three  mill- 
ion acres.  In  brief  its  commanding  geographical 
position,  coupled  with  its  direct  E.astern  alliance 
for  through  business,  must  render  the  Santa  Fe 
eventually  one  of  the  most  remunerative  of  our 
Western  railioails. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


The  Wabash. 

iO  THE  public  airl  our  thousands  of  leailers 
in  general: — It  will  no  doubt  be  interesting 
to  all  if  we  give  a  brief  description  of 
this  road.  The  Wabash,  as  now  known,  has  been 
operated  under  several  names  from  time  to  time. 
It  is  the  offspring,  as  it  were,  of  the  first  line  of 
road  projected  in  Illinois,  then  known  as  the 
Northern  Cross  Railroad,  extending  from  Dan- 
ville to  Quincy.  This  was  chartered  in  1837,  and 
upon  it  the  first  locomotive  was  placed  in  the 
winter  of  1838-39,  running  from  Meredosia,  on 
the  Illinois  River,  to  .Tacksonville.  In  1842  the 
road  was  completed  from  Jacksonville  to  Spring- 
field, and  three  trips  were  made  per  week.  The 
track  was  of  the  old  flat  rail  style,  which  was  made 
by  nailing  thin  strips  of  iron  on  two  parallel  lines 
of  timbers  placed  at  the  proper  distance  apart,  and 
running  lengthways  of  the  road.  The  engine  as 
well  as  the  road  soon  became  so  impaired  that  the 
former  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  mules  substituted 
as  the  motor  power.  However,  such  locomotion 
was  destined  to  be  of  short  duration,  for  the  State 
soon  after  sold  the  entire  road  for  a  nominal  sura, 
and  thus  for  a  short  time  was  suspended  one  of  the 
first  railroad  enterprises  in  Illinois.  But  in  the 
West  a  new  era — one  of  prodigious  industrial 
activity  and  far-reaching  results  in  the  practical 
avis — was  dawning,  and  within  thirt^^  years  of  the 
lemporarj'  failure  of  the  road  mentioned,  Illinois 
had  outstripped  all  others  in  gigantic  internal  im- 
provements, and  at  present  has  more  miles  of  rail- 
road than  anj-  other  State  in  the  Union. 

The  Great  Western,  whose  name  has  been  suc- 
cessivel}'  changed  to  Toledo,  Wabash  &  Western, 
Wabash,  and  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific,  and 
Wabash  Railroad,  and  The  Wabash,  the  last  of 
which  it  still  bears, was  an  extension  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad,  above  mentioned, and  traverses  some 
of  the  finest  portions  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio. 
It  soon  became  the  popular  highwaj'  of  travel  and 
traffic  between  the  East  and  the  West.  Through  a 
system  of  consolidation,  unparalleled  in  American 
railways,  it  has  become  a  giant  among  them,  and 
has  added  many  millions  of  dollars  to  the  vahie  of 
bonds  and  siiares  of  the  various  companies  now 
incorporated    in    the   Wabash    system.     The  road 


takes  its  title  from  the  river  of  that  name,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Ohio,  which  ii:  part  separates  the  States 
of  Illinois  and  Indiana.  In  looking  over  the  map 
of  the  Wabash  Raihoad  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
line  extends  throut;]i  the  most  fertile  and  wealthy 
portions  of  the  center  of  the  United  States,  having 
termini  at  more  large  cities  than  any  other  West- 
ern road.  It  was  indeed  a  far-reaching  sagacity 
which  consolidated  these  various  lines  into  the 
Wabasii  system,  forming  one  immense  chain  of 
great  commercial  activity  and  power.  Its  ter- 
minal facilities  are  unsurpassed  by  any  competing 
line.  Its  home  offices  are  established  in  commo- 
dious quarters  in  St.  Louis.  The  lines  of  the  road 
are  co-extensive  with  the  importance  of  the  great 
transportation  facilities  required  for  the  products 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  This  line  passes  through 
the  States  of  Iowa,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio 
and  Michigan. 

The  various  lines  of  road   may  be  divided  into 
the  following: 

Miles. 

St.  Louis  to  Chicago 286 

Toledo  to  Kansas  City 662 

St.  Louis  to   Des  Moines 360 

Logansport  to  Detroit 207 

Chicago  to  Lsketon  Junction 123 

Clayton  to  Keokuk 42 

Bluffs  to  Quincy 105 

Streator  to  Forest 37 

Attica  to  Covington 15 

Champaign   to  Sidnej' 12 

Edwardsville  to  Edwardsville 

Crossing 9 

Bement  to  Altamont  and  Effingham       63 

Brunswick  to  Omaha 225 

Roseberry  to  Clarinda 21 

Salisbur}-  to  Glasgow 15 

Centralia  to  Columbia 22 


Miles  of  main  lines  and  branches. .    2204 

From  the  above  main  line  and  branches  as  in- 
dicated, it  will  readil3-  be  seen  that  the  Wabash 
connects  with  more  large  cities  and  great  marts  of 
trade  than  any  other  line,  bringing  Omaha,  Kansas 
City,  Des  Moines,  Keokuk,  Quincj',  St.  Louis, 
Chicago,  Toledo  and  Detroit  together  with  one 
continuous  line  of  steel  rails.  This  road  has  an 
immense  freight  traffic  of  the  cereals,  live-stock, 
various  productions  and  manufactured   articles  of 


TRANSPORTATION. 


the  West  and  the  States  through  which  it  passes. 
Its  facilities  for  rapid  transit  for  the  vast  produc- 
tions of  the  packing  houses  of  Kansas  Cit3'  and 
St.  Louis,  to  Detroit,  Toledo  and  the  Eastern  marts 
of  trade,  is  unequalled.  A  large  portion  of  the 
grain  productions  of  Kansas,  Nebraska.  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Illinois  and  Indiana,  finds  its  way  to  the 
Eascern  markets  over  the  lines  of  this  road.  The 
Wabash  has  always  taken  an  advanced  position  in 
tariffs,  and  its  course  toward  its  patrons  has  been 
just  and  lil)eral,  so  that  it  has  always  enjoyed  the 
conimeudatiou  of  the  business  and  traveling  jiublic. 
The  road  bed  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  country,  and 
is  ballasted  with  gravel  and  stone,  well  tied  and 
laid  with  steel  rails.  The  bridges  along  the  var- 
ious' lines  and  l)ranches  are  substantial  structuies. 
The  depots,  grounds  and  gener.al  property  of  the 
road  are  in  good  condition.  The  management  of 
the  Wabash  is  fully  abreast  of  the  times.  The 
road  is  progressive  in  every  respect.  The  finest 
passenger  cars  on  the  continent  are  run  on  its  lines, 
and  every  effort  made  to  advance  the  interests  of 
its  patrons.  The  passenger  deiiarlment  is  unex- 
celled for  the  elegant  and  substantial  comfort 
afforded  travelers.  (Jn  several  of  the  more  im- 
{)ortant  branches    of    the   system,  dining  cars    are 


run. 


Chicago  &  Alton. 

;=«HE  Chicago  it  Alton  has  more  miles  of 


road 
in  this  county  than  an^-  other  line,  and  has 
'I'  been  a  great  factor  in  the  development  of 
the  western  part  of  the  count}',  and  especially  of 
the  city  of  Joliet.  In  conjunction  with  the  Illi- 
nois &  Michigan  Canal  it  furnished  the  first  oppor- 
tunitj'  for  the  shipment  of  the  immense  output  of 
the  stone  quarries  of  Joliet,  and  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  iron  mills  and  other  manufacturing 
concerns,  other  roads  came  in  to  compete  for  the 
traffc.  In  one  continuous  line  it  connects  the 
three  great  cities — Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Kansas 
City.  The  road  h.as  a  large  and  increasing  freight 
and  passenger  traffic,  and  its  road  bed  is  of  a  substan- 
tial and  permanent  character,  while  its  rolling  stock 
is  always  in  first  class  shape. 


3Ii<-liigan  Central. 


HIS  road  will  prove  an  important  adjunct 
in  the  development  of  Joliet,  inasmuch  as 
^^  it  furnishes  with  its  extraordinary  connec" 
tions  the  best  of  transportation  facilities  to  the 
ICastern  markets  for  the  manufactured,  farm  and 
stone  products  of  the  county. 


lUiuois  Central. 

N  September.  18,50,  Congress  passed  an  Act, 
anil  it  was  approved  bj-  President  Fillmore, 
granting  an  aggregate  of  2,595,053  acres  of 
land  to  aid  in  building  this  road. 

The  Act  granted  tiie  right  of  way,  and  gave 
alternate  sections  of  land  for  six  miles  on  either 
side  of  tlie  road.  The  grant  of  land  was  made 
directly  to  the  State.  On  the  10th  of  Februar}', 
1851,  the  Legislature  of  Illinois  granted  a  charter 
to  an  Eastern  company,  represented  by  Rantoul 
and  others,  to  build  it,  with  a  capital  stoikof 
*1, 000,000.  The  Legislature,  in  granting  the 
charter  and  transferring  to  the  corporation  the 
lands,  stipulated  that  seven  per  cent,  of  the  gross 
earnings  of  the  road  should  be  paid  semi-annually 
into  the  treasur}'  of  the  State  forever.  This  wise 
provision,  in  lieu  of  the  liberal  land  grant,  yields  a 
handsome  annual  revenue  to  the  State.  This  roail 
h.as  a  total  lengtli  of  seven  hundred  and  six  miles 
in  Illinois  alone,  connecting  Cairo  with  Chicago 
and  Duideith,  or  from  Cairo  to  Centralia  one 
hundred  and  twelve  miles,  and  from  Centralia  to 
Dunleith  three  hundred  and  forty-one  miles.  At 
Dunleith  a  fine  steel  bridge  spans  the  Mississippi, 
connecting  the  former  city  with  Dubuque,  from 
which  point  a  line  traverses  the  State  of  Iowa, 
having  for  its  western  terminus  the  thriving  citj- 
of  Sioux  City. 

At  Cairo  the  Ohio  is  spanned  by  a  high  and 
splendid  steel  bridge,  over  which  through  ti'aius 
are  run  to  New  t)rleans.  This  road  is  one  of  the 
great  trunk  lines  of  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  Its  principal  leased  line  in  tliis  State  is 
the  Oilman  &  Springfield  road,  and  with  its 
Iowa  and  New  Orleans  divisions  serves  to  mark  it 
as  one  of  the  principal  roads  of  the  West. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


Cliicago  &  Eastern  Illinois. 

if^^^HIS  important  road  passes  through  the  town- 
ships   of    Crete   and    Wasliington,    in     this 


count}',  from  north  to  south,  having  about 
thirteen  miles,  including  side  tracks,  in  the  county. 
The  principal  stations  are  Crete  and  Beecher.  This 
road  furnishes  fine  facilities  for  the  shipment  to 
Chicago  of  the  products  of  the  above-named 
township. 


Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern. 

lETTER  known  as  the  Joliet  Belt  Line,  with 
its    numerous    connections,    has    furnished 
superior  facilities  to  the  large  manufacturing 
and    quarry   interests  of  the  citj-,  and  has 
been  a  prominent  factor  in  their  development. 


BIOGI^p^rjKgpLi. 


^'«^-<i)i)H*^^ 


Adam,  William 750 

A  l.im,  W.  J 731 

Adams,  John 23 

Adams,  John'J.    .        jg 

Adler,  Jacob  .  ..623 

Adlei-,  P.  P 330 

Akin,  fc.  H 636 

Alexander,  George    475 

Arbeiter,  Carl 581 

Arthur,  Chester  A 99 

Ashley,  James  R 255 

Austin,  J.  B  ...  602 

Austin,  J.  F.    ■  ■    ..7^2 


B 


IJaercheck,  Dr.  C.  M 713 

Bailey,  Daniel 341 

Baldwin,  H.  H.,  M.  D 471 

Dallance,  Alexander 617 

Bannon,  M.  E 551 

Barber,  F.  E 355 

Barber.  R.  E 31S 

Barney,  V,  L.  D    597 

Barns,  N 442 

Barrett,  J.  C) 634 

F^arihelme,  Joseph .458 

Bartlett,  George  \V £06 

Battermann,  C 628 

Baumann,  C.  F 719 

Bedford.  John 198 

Beggs,S.R 76s 

Behrens,  Henry 591 

Bennett,  Nathan    660 

Bennett.  Thomas 683 

Eensen,0.  B 551 

Bergan,  Bros 268 

Berggren,  Hon.  A.  W 282 

Berschied,  Peter 460 

Beseke,  Charles 422 

Beutien,  Wm 695 

Beveridge,  JohnL 171 


Biggins,  James 568 

Binzen,  Michael 425 

Birkett,  Daniel 7T5 

Bissell,  Willjam  H 151 

Blakely,  U.  S.  G 548 

Bliss,  Abel 709 

Blogg,  C.  H 641 

Blood,  Charles  F 642 

Boehl,  August      299 

Bohl,  Henry 286 

Boltmann,    Fred C(;o 

Bolton.  H.  M 426 

I'ond,  Shadrach iii 

Bovce,  Harper   415 

Bowe,  Moses 258 

Boyd,  James  S 429 

Boy  I  an,  R.J. 654 

Brannon,  G.  H.,  M.  D 667 

Brannon,  Londus  M.   D    667 

Brauer,  Rev.  E.  A. 251 

Braun,  C.  C 444 

Bredemeyer.  William 349 

Brinckerlioff,  John 3S7 

Briscoe,  Patrick 692 

Bristol.  George  S 2S8 

Broadie,  John  C 312 

Brockway,  Henry  S 735 

Brooks,  A.  B   .      196 

Brown,  Elisha 558 

Brown,  J-   D 456 

Brown,  Thomas  W 326 

Brumund,  D 621 

Brunson,  G.  M 406 

Buchanan,  James   75 

Buck,  George  A. 405 

Buehler,  Jacob 482 

Bump,  Je6ferson 468 

Burkhart.  John  H 271 

Burlingame,  H.  R 426 


Cagwin,  Hon.    Abijah 369 

Calhoun,  William 296 

Campbell,   Alexander   .301 

Campbell  G.  M 265 

Campbell,  James 301 


Cann,  John  .  .  . .  .2r2 

Carlin,  Thomas ■  135 

Carpenter,  A.  P. 764 

Carpenter,  Rev.  S.  T too 

Casey,  John  R.,M.  D 536 

Casseday,  H.  C 74^ 

Caton,  W.  P 723 

Cavanaugh,  John 356 

Chadwick,  Miss  Jane 378 

Chaniberlain,  S.  S 704 

Christensen,  Peter 616 

Christian,  D.  L 248 

Cbrk,  Thomas -555 

Clayes,L.M 241 

Clement,  A.  C 519 

Cleveland,  S.  G rover -  .103 

Clow,  William  M 629 

Clyne.  James  A 758 

Clyne,  John  T 210 

Cockelt,  Chas.  S 470 

Cole,  Henry -  .276 

Colegrove,  L.  G 668 

Coles,  Edward 115 

Collins,   Addison 654 

Collins,  Hon.  M 238 

Conley.E.D. 579 

Cook,  M.   L 421 

Cook,  William 728 

Cooper,  N.  P 720 

Corlett,  John 527 

Crellin,R.  R 633 

Crossen,  R.  W 381 

Crowe,  Thomas 402 

Culbertson,  Thomas 240 

Cullom,  H.  C .-247 

CuUom,  Shelby  M 175 

Culver,  A.  M 769 

Cunningham,  M.  J 297 

Curtis,  Prof.  Charles 511 

Gushing,  Martin 4^9 


D 


Daggett,  John   F.,iM.  U yoS 

Danby,  William 5?6 

Davidson,  William .365 

Davis,  A.  L 207 


Day,  John 206 

Day,  William ^80 

Demmond,   Martin  H 305 

Dcutschnian,  Harman. 444 

Dibble,  Edmund ^qg 

Dibell,  Dorrance 358 

Diersen,  J.  W 3^0 

Dingley,  William 492 

Dixon,  George 70S 

Dixon,  John    T 65,4 

Docscher,  H.  N   367 

Doescher,  J.  C 502 

Doig,  Alexander 763 

Doig,  John  H 42c 

Doig,  I'homas 2to 

Dougall.  William,  M.  D 215 

Downey,  J.  W ,44 

Doxtader,  Jerome 768 

Doyle,  Michael 698 

nniinra,  Adam 4,0 

Duncan,  Jo?eph 131 

Dunlap,  George  W 348 

Dunne,  Patrick  W 335 

Dyer,  N.  D 331 


E 


Eberhart,  F 550 

Edwards,  Ninian iig 

Ehrhardt,  August 345 

Eib,  Amos 763 

Eib,  George 535 

Eichelbarger,  Urias 614 

Elwood,  James  G 686 

Erb,  William 467 

Eriksson,  August 749 

Etheridge,  Edward 737 

Ewing,  William  L.  D 127 


F 


Fahrner,  John 33G 

Fahs,  Tobias 231 

Fargo.  Mrs.  E.  M 477. 

Fell,  James 437 


INDEX. 


Ferguson,  Robert 466 

Ferguson ,  T.  D 243 

Ferris.  James  H 501 

Ferriss,  Daniel ?75 

Fcwlrell,  Samuel 338 

Fiddyment,  Daniel 352 

Fiddymcnt,  F 618 

Fiddyment,  W.  J    266 

Kifcr.  Joseph  W 183 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Hagg,  G.  W 360 

Flagg,W.  H   720 

Ford,  Thomas '39 

Foster,  t-'.  P 545 

Francis,  A.  A sSs 

Francis,  Charles 7'o 

Francis,  G.  L 7'0 

Francis,  John-.- 5*4 

Fraser,  Samuel  B 49' 

Frazer,H.V 615 

Fredriclc,  Joseph 472 

French,  Augustus  C 143 

Frey,  F.  P 3^6 

Fridlcy,  John 677 

Fridley,  John  F. 646 

Fry ,  David 13« 

Fuller,  B- A 38" 


(; 


Garfield,  James  A 95 

Garnsey,  Hon.  C.  B 745 

C.eiss,  D.ivid   B 398 

Geuther,  John  G 480 

:;euther,J.N 672 

Gisc,  D.  K •-■■577 

Glasgow.  Samuel 733 

G lidden ,  Stephen 397 

Glover,  William 408 

Gockley,  .Abraham 252 

Gocdson,  William ., 245 

Goodspeed,  Judge  Francis.  ..191 

Gordon,  Jay 715 

Goudy,  Robert 594 

Gougar,  John an 

Gougar,  J.  E 193 

Gougar,  William 69' 

Grabe,  Henry 73> 

Grady,  James  C... 770 

Granger,. -v.  L 307 

Grant,  B.  A 703 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 87 

Graves,  R-  B 598 

Gray,  Walter 455 

Greenleaf,  R.  O 612 

Guincy,  G.  F 53s 


H 


Haass,  Emil,  M.  D 416 

Hack,  John 489 

Haley,  P.  C 300 

Hamilton,  John  M 179 

Harper,   Joseph 678 


Harrison.  Amos 686 

Harrison,  Benjamin 107 

Harrison,  William  Henry 51 

Harshbarger,  G.  H aSo 

Hartong,  Jacob  J 319 

Hartwell,  Levi 476 

Haseman,  Fred 335 

Hausser,  Simon 661 

Haven,  Dwight  C ..303 

Haven,  Hon.  Dwight 587 

Haven,  S.  R.,  M.  D 696 

H awes,  Mrs.   Lucy 4B8 

Hawley,  A.  G 269 

Hay  den,  John 57s 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Hayward,C.  B 706 

Heidi,  E.    370 

Heidt,  William. ....    677 

Henneberry,  D.  S 259 

Henry,  E.  E 529 

Henry,  Isaac 379 

Heniy,  J.  A 758 

Henry,  William  E 639 

Henize.  L.  M 767 

Hertzog,  Charles 196 

Hiles,  Thomas 281 

Hinckel,  George  S 665 

Hinz,  Christoph 666 

Hogan.  D.  L , 492 

Hogan,  J.  E.  M.  D, 546 

Hohenstein,  Simon 732 

Ilolden,N.P.,M.D 485 

Holmes,  J.  E 458 

Holmes,  Julius  S 245 

Holmstrom  P.  E 559 

Holz,  Charles  -  357 

Hood,  Samuel,  M.  D 616 

House,  George   S 681 

Howland,  E.  D.,  M.  D 729 

Hunt,JohnJ 468 

Hunter,  Joseph,   Sr    445 

Hunter,  William  H 227 

Hurlbut,E.S   570 

Huston.  Robert 509 

Hutch! ns,  Thomas  H. 546 

Hytand,  A.  K 552 


Ingersoll,  A.   A  . . 
Ireland,  William- 


son 
..683 


Jackson,  Andrew 43 

Jackson,  William  G 262 

Jarman,  Edward 23a 

Jaynes,  E.  E 453 

Jefferson,  Thomas 27 

Jensen  Augustus.. .   .    726 

Jensen,  Louis   726 

J'jhnson,  Andrew 83 

Jones,  James 766 

JoDCS,  Noble 346 


Jones,  Thomas  W 449 

Jones.  William 496 


Kaps,  Joseph 352 

Karch.  Jacob 237 

Kauka,  Hon.  Fred 272 

Keir,  James 38S 

Kelly.  M .  W..  M.  D 575 

Kelly,  Hon.  Thomas  J 549 

Keniston,  Jerry 502 

Kerchcval,  F.  L 2T7 

Kiep,  John ■ 366 

Killey,  John 5^= 

King,  A.  J 736 

King.  James  B 407 

Kinsella,  J.  A 447 

Kipp,  Henry 529 

Kirk,  Thomas  1 302 

Knapp,  I.  O.,  M.  D 530 

Knepper,  P 479 

Korsi,  Nicholas 635 

Krausc.  Fred 537 


Lambe,  William 50S 

Lambert,  Frank --•552 

Lambert,  George 49S 

Lanfear.  W.   H 714 

Langreder,  H 311 

Laraway,  Charles 6S3 

Larkin,  Thomas 228 

Leising,  J.  K ••199 

Lewis.  C.  A 508 

Lewis,  Rev.  James 3S5 

Lichtenwalter,  H.   H 538 

Lincoln,  Abraham -  79 

Linebarger.  A.J 228 

Link.  1 725 

Loebstein,  Samuel 257 

Longshore,  J.  G 400 

Love,  Samuel -709 

Luther,  F.  A 247 

Ly  nd ,  George  M 267 

Lynk,  Stanton 744 

Lynk,  William 542 

Lyon.  Edward  P 30S 

Lyon.  Henry  S 308 


M 

Madison,  James 31 

Marsh,  F.  E 391 

Marsh.  H.  N 340 

Marshall,  C,  H 420 

Marshall,  Griffin 372 

Mason,  D.  C 457 

Mason,  T.  A 194 

Mattcson,  Joel    A 147 

Mecrs,  E 378 

Meier,  John  O S»* 


Messenger,  H<  I 73s 

.Metterhausen,  L 330 

Meyer.  S.,M.D 737 

McAllister.  Capt.  E 647 

McCIaughry.C.  C 330 

McClurcC.  J 577 

McDonald,  John 379 

McFadden.  John,  Jr 40a 

McGovern,  James  J.,  D.  D- ..325 

McXamec,  James 676 

Miller,  Capt.  James 495 

Miller,  Simon    540 

Miller,  T.  L 235 

Mills,  Andrew  J.,  M.  D 295 

Mills, T.O 450 

Millspaugh,  I.  T 532 

Monroe,  James 35 

Morrisey,  J.  F 471 

Munch,    Xavier O04 

Munroe,  George 718 

Munroe,  George  J 640 


N 


Nachbour.J.   F .    ...501 

Nash,  Alfred.  M.  D 390 

Nelson,  Samuel  G 200 

Neuer,  Leopold 545 

Niccolls,  William  S, 520 

Nicolaus,  W.  A 768 

Noel,  Gabriel 736 


o 


O'Donnell,  James  L   .-5S9 

O'Gara,  Rev.  T.  F 603 

Ogden.  E.  C.  M.D 195 

Oglcsby,  Richard  J 163 

Ohlendorf,  H.  W 371 

Ohlenderf,  John  H.  Jr 327 

Olin,  Hon.  Benjamin 389 

Osgood,  Hon-  TJri 219 


Paddock,  Walter 236 

Paddock,  William  J 525 

Palmer,  John  M . .    107 

Patrick,  J.  F 5*0 

Patterson,  A.  V aig 

Patterson,  Robert 490 

Patterson,  Daniel 260 

Patterson,  Mungo 438 

Pauli.  C 362 

Paulsen ,  Glaus 752 

Pease,  S.  B 500 

PedersOB.  Knud 478 

Pcttigrew,  Charles 275 

Pickel,  George 368 

Piepenbrink,  J.  0 717 

Piepenbrink,  John  O.  Jr 216 

Piepenbrink,  H.  F 588 


INDEX. 


Pierce,  Franklin 71 

Pinneo.  J-   B 516 

Pinneo.  Charles  F 372 

PUsge,  Fred 49' 

Polk,  James  K 59 

Pomeroy,  George  N 3" 


R 


Rappal.  Michael 65a 

Ranft.John 665 

Reynolds.  John 123 

Richards,  Charles,  M.  D 205 

Richardson,  A masa. 430 

Rincker,  J.  J 652 

Ritchey,  B.  D 60s 

Robertson,!'.   H 377 

Rol.ins,  Fitz  J 646 

Robinson,  John  H 258 

Rockey,  George  E 5=5 

Rosenheim,  David 725 

Ross,  L.  E 40' 

Rowcll.Nat  J.    .    675 

Rowley,  P.  K 707 

Rudd.K. 39» 

Ruge,  C 443 

Russell,  H.  R 556 

Ryburn,  David 6S8 


Salzmann,  Chrisloph 724 

Sans,  Rev,  Christian 590 

Savage,  Hon.  Amos 350 

Sawyer,  H.  J. 633 

SAirra,  Charles 2og 

Schmuhl,  H.  J 499 

Schoenstedt,    C . 193 

Schroeder,  John 674 

Scully,  Patrick  V 405 

Scutt,  F.  W 459 


Searles,  D,  C 611 

Seaver,  Charles  S 315 

Seggcbrcch,  Gotlieb 310 

Sehring,  Frederick f>5i 

Senholtz,  Fred 217 

Shaffner,  B 4'S 

Shaffner,  E.  L 7'= 

Sharp,  A.  B 5"° 

Shaw,  George  F. 3^8 

Shaw,  J.  li.,M.   D 371 

Shenk,  M 287 

Shutts.  John 547 

Simmons,  Hon.   S 337 

Slaught,  A.  \V.,M.  D 54' 

Smith,  Capt-  I.  W 419 

Smith,  C.  C 659 

Smith,  (;.  V    684 

Sollilt,  Charles  W 197 

Solterman,  J 43' 

Spangler,  Henry.    630 

Spangler,  Henry 771 

Spangler,  P.  W 441 

Spanlding,  Jacob. 645 

Sperry.  George 703 

Sprague,  C.  N 606 

Stafford,  Enoch 57^ 

Stage,  William  C 409 

Stanr.er,  Thomas  B 568 

Starmann,  T.  M.  H 737 

Starr,  A.  R 75' 

Stassen,  Hon.  H.H -745 

Stedt,  William 3>7 

Stellwagen,  William 436 

Stephen,  David  S.... 201 

Stephen,  E.  C 359 

Stephen,  John....    697 

Stevens,  Capt.  Robert 528 

Stevens,  E.  L 435 

Stevens,  W.   W 427 

Stewart,  M.  N.  M 685 

Stewart,  W.  B.,  M.  D 298 

Stewart,  W.  D 727 

Storrs.P.  G 312 

Straight,  W.  A 389 

Strong,  Albert  M 569 

Strong,  L.  A 515 

Strong,  W.  A 320 

Studtmann,  Hermann 613 


Sutphen,  C.  H 446 

Sweedler,  John 681 

Swiggart,  J.  M 32 1 


Taylor,  A.  G 580 

Taylor,  Zachary. 63 

Thciler.  John 317 

Thompson.  Hon.  1.  RI 755 

Thompson,  J.  C 387 

Thomson,  D.  M 392 

Tilden,  M.   F 571 

Trainer,  Thomas 697 

Trowbridge,  W.  C 205 

Tuck,  Adam. 396 

Tucker,  Thomas 208 

Twining,  Watson   F 220 

Tyler,  John 55 


u 


Umsted,  Norris 738 


Van   Huren,  Martin 47 

Vance,  George  L 30^ 

Van  Duser,  George 465 

Van  Home,  A.  C 316 

Varley,  'Ihomas 399 


w 


Walter,  M 

Walz,  John   J. 


.270 

.222 


Warner,  Alfred 69.^ 

Warthen,  O.  H.  P 316 

Washburn,  R.  S 448 

Washington,  George iq 

Wassmann,  H.  C 539 

Weese ,  J  •  C 305 

Wehmhofer,  William 593 

Wen  berg,  Louis 262 

Wend  ling,  George    582 

Werner,  E.  H . .  .761 

Werner.  F.  W..  M.  D 285 

Westphal.  Manin ^^3 

White.  Julian  E 286 

White,  S.  S 256 

Whitson,  I).  G 411 

Whitson.John  H    4g8 

Whit  tier,  George 627 

Wilcox,  Charles  C 431 

Wilcox,  Edmund 235 

Wilcox,  F.  C 218 

Wilder,  Almon 517 

Wilke,  Hon    Fred %in 

Wilkening,    C    762 

Wilkening.  John 521 

Wi!iar<I,  Judge  D .376 

Williams,  John  Sr 505 

Williams,  S.  J 734 

\N'iIson,  J.    1 362 

VV'ood,  John. 155 

Wood.  Wilhird 439 

Woods,  John     757 

Woods,  Maj.  R.M   671 


Yates,  Richard 159 

Vonker,  Nicholas 339 

Young,  George  W 50*1 

Young,  Sheldon 624 


Zarley,J.C 291 

Zinser,  G.  H 560 


Hcseke,  Charles 423 

Binzen,  M    423 

Broadie,  John  C 313 

Brumund,  D 619 


Clark,  Thomas 553 

Fiddyment.  F 619 

Fiddyment.  Mrs.  Hannah..    . ^5^ 
Harper,  Joseph         679 


Hyland,  A.  K 553 

Jaynes,  Ezra  E. .     , 451 

Kaps,  Joseph 353 

Killey,  John 5'3 


Mills.  Thomas  O 451 

Strong,  Lorenro  A 513 

Sweedler,  John 679 

1  homson.  D.  M 393 

Tuck.  Adam 393 


INDEX. 


-^^<r< 


Adams,   John - 22 

Adams,  John  Q     S^ 

Alexander,  George   474 

Arthur.  Chester  A 98 

Ashley.  J.  R...    254 

Baercheck,  Dr.  CM 712 

Earnev,  V.  L.  D 596 

Beveridge,  John  L 170 

Bissell,  William  H ...1^0 

Bond,  Shadrach no 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Buck,  George  A 404 

Campbell,  George  M 264 

Carlin,  Thomas 134 

Casseday.  G.  W 740 

Casseday,  Henry  C 741 

Caion»  William  P 722 

Cleveland,  S.  G rover- ic2 

Coles ,  Edward 114 

Crellin,R.  R   632 

Ciillom,  Shelby  M 174 

Davidson,  William 3^4 

Demmond,  M.    H 304 

DoiigalU  Dr   William 214 

Duncan,  Joseph T30 


Dunne,  Rev.  r.  W 334 

Edwards,  Ninian 118 

Ehrhardt,  August 344 

Eriksson,  August 648 

Ewing,  William  L.  D   12C1 

Ferriss,  Thomas 374 

Fifer,  Joseph  W iSa 

Fillmore,  Millard 66 

Ford,  Thomas --  .138 

Foster,  Rev.  Charles  P 544 

Francis,  A  Allen 564 

French,  Augustus  C 142 

Fuller,  B.  A 380 

Gar6eld,  James  A 94 

Goodspeed,  Hon.  Francis 190 

Gougar,  William 690 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 86 

Gurney,  G.  F 534 

Hamilton,  John  M 178 

Harrison,  Benjamin   106 

Harrison,  William  H 50 

Haven,  Hon.  Dwight -584 

Haven,  Mrs.  Lizzie  C -585 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B go 

Henry,  William  E   638 


Hinckel,  George  S 6^4 

Ho]den,N.  P 484 

Holmes,  J.  S 244 

Jackson,  Andrew ^j 

Jefferson,  Thomas sfc 

Johnson.  Andrew ?.7 

Kellev.  Dr,M.  W 574 

Lewis,  James 384 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Madison,  James 30 

Matteson,  Joel  A -.146 

McGovern,  Rev.  James  J 324 

Miller,  T.  L 224 

Mills,  Dr.  A.J 294 

Monroe.  Tames 34 

O'Gara.  Rev.  T.  F eo2 

Oglesby,  Richard  J 162 

Paddock,  William  J 524 

Palmer,  John  M .:66 

Peitigrew,  Charles 274 

Pierce,  Franklin 70 

Polk,  James  K 58 

Reynolds,  John 13a 

Richards,  Dr.  Charles 204 

Searles,  D.  C fo8 


Searles,  Mrs.  H.  N 609 

Sehring,  Fred 650 

Shaffner,  B...   414 

Smith,  C.  C 657 

Smith.  Mrs.  C.  C 656 

Spaulding,  Jacob 644 

Sperry,  George 700 

Sperry,  Mrs.  George 701 

Stevens,  Capt.  Robert   528 

Stevens,  E.  L 434 

Taylor ,  Zachary 62 

Thompson,  J.  M    754 

Tyler,  John 54 

Van  Buren,  Martin 46 

Van  Duser.  George 462 

Van  Duser,  Mrs.  Klmina  M-  .463 

W'.ishington,  George 18 

Werner,  Dr.  E.  H 7^0 

Werner,  Dr.  F.  W 284 

Whittier,  George .^26 

Wilcox,  Edinuini  ,  .234 

Williams,  John  . .  504 

Wood,  John 154 

Woods.  Maj.  R.  M 670 

Yates,  Richard 158 


